Is it safe to resize primed bottleneck?

[ghbucky]

I got a bit ahead of myself and primed a few of my .223 cases.

Now, I realize that they need to be sized a touch more. If I remove the pin from the sizing die, am I safe to resize them while primed?

I can't imagine why it would be a problem, but there is a lot of experience around here to learn from

oops, I should say, full length size.

[Dufus]

I have done it in the past with no ill side effects. Remember that you still gotta lube the cases and that could lead to contaminating the powder when the cases are charged if not careful. I normally tumble after the resizing operating to remove any case lube residue. I don't tumble primed cases.

[FlyFish]

I don't see any problem, either, and seem to recall doing the same thing a few times over the 50 years I've been reloading. Certainly would appear to be safer than punching out the live primer (which I and others have done many times without incident), then resizing. As you know, the shellholder has to be open in the center to allow depriming, so no pressure would be placed on the primer during your resiziing operation.

[ghbucky]

Good point about the lube. Thanks.

[FITASC]

Or leave the decapper in, deprime them and size and then reinsert the primer back in the base.

[BBarn]

I completely remove the de-primer spindle. In the unlikely event that the primer goes off, the pressure can vent through the top of the die.

[44 AMP]

Only a few cases? I would do it this way, remove the decapping spindle from the die. Use a wax or graphite lube (hand applied), size the brass, full length, then reinstall the decapping spindle and run it through the case necks, and no further.

You can carefully remove the unfired primer and re-seat it after sizing, but why take the risk and hassle if you don't have to?

Leaving the primer in place, using a lube that won't creep into the primer and possibly kill it, and removing the decapper should do the job just fine.

also take a minute to analyze your loading process and see if you can find what caused the mistake, and eliminate it.

Rushing is a bad thing when crafting ammunition.

[ghbucky]

I sprayed some Hornady one shot lube on the cases and resized them no issue. The necks had already been sized on a previous pass.

The problem originated because I am a noob at rifle cartridges and I followed the Hornady die instructions to size the cases. Help from others in another thread lead me to realize the shoulder was not back far enough (the forward assist could not close the bolt to battery on a case) and I needed to thread the die in for another .001 to allow the case to fit properly.

Thanks for the feedback.

[jetinteriorguy]

Am I missing something here. Since the body die undersizes the neck which is then resized by the expander ball as it’s pulled back through the neck, how do you resize the brass with the expander ball/ decapping pin removed? You could safely do this with a body sizing die since it doesn’t resize the neck, that’s done in a separate operation with a separate neck sizing die. Could you possibly adjust the sizing ball up enough not to decap while still passing through the neck enough to neck size properly? I don’t know since I decap with a universal die, then full length size with a body die, followed by neck sizing with a Lee collet die.

[44 AMP]

remove the decapping spindle from the die. Use a wax or graphite lube (hand applied), size the brass, full length, then reinstall the decapping spindle and run it through the case necks, and no further.

I think this is what you missed.

[Shadow9mm]

I'm with jetinteriorguy. You have to have the expander ball in the die, otherwise the neck will be far too tight after you resize and you will have major problems trying to seat bullets. Also the hornady one shot is supposed to be powder safe, however that is after it dries. If it got on the primers when you sprayed and it was wet the primers might not be good any more. You just need to start over and remove the primers. I have had to remove primers before, its a mistake you only make once.

[ghbucky]

I removed the decapper/expander ball and resized the cases the extra last bit.

I then charged them and seated bullets.

I fired all of them yesterday, no issues.

[Metal god]

You should have the expander button in there , I know it worked but it will cause problems if you don’t especially on a flat base bullets you must’ve loaded a boat tail bullet .

The other thing I would say is yes you can size of primed case but it’s really important that’s not a go to method . You need to seriously have a method and sequence of Reloading that helps reduce mistakes like priming cases before they’re ready . I’ve even sized fully loaded cartridges with body dies but that just means I made a huge mistake which needs to be corrected and that correction needs to be before I prime the case , charge the case and seat the bullet not after .

[jetinteriorguy]

But if you add the expander ball after sizing it’s going to have a problem going in with the neck sized down aren’t you? They are designed to work while pulling out of the case, not pushing in the case. Wouldn’t this possibly cause the shoulder to buckle? Or does the extra lubing mitigate this? Just curious, I’ve never tried this. I’ve always just carefully pushed the primer out and then reinserted it after sizing back before I started using a body die followed by the neck die.

[Unclenick]

I've actually run resized and newly chamfered cases up into a sizing die just far enough to go over the Redding carbide expander ball in it to burnish the sharp edges of the chamfer down so it wouldn't scrape the surface of the bullet. It worked but wasn't quite as good as lightly turning a polished EZ out against the mouth with a drill. A piece of hardwood dowel sharpened like a pencil worked best, but wears out after a few cases.

[ballisticxlr]

I do it all the time. I have had primer get pushed out by built up air pressure when doing so but that's only rare and annoying, not dangerous.

[603Country]

If the neck is sized the desired amount but the case body is not, a Body Die will size the case and leave the neck alone. Or, as I have also done, you can resize the primed case and punch out the primer. I never tried to reuse those primers however.

And a more extreme example was when I had my 223 rebarreled. The new chamber was too tight to use any of my hundreds of reloads. I used a Redding Body Die to resize all of those loaded rounds. I admit to being a bit nervous at the start, but I’d do it now with no hesitation.

[recoil junky]

Best not to FUBAR, but, yes I have as has been said, taken the punch out of the rod and resized. I have also and more frequently just reran the primed case through the die again and reused the primer. Not always reused, but I don't recall a "click" after reuse.

RJ

[44 AMP]

But if you add the expander ball after sizing it’s going to have a problem going in with the neck sized down aren’t you?

every one I have, or have ever seen has some degree of "taper" to it. The "ball" is a wide spot in the middle, and the forward (lower) end is smaller in diameter and will enter the neck of a sized case without issue.

Do remember that we are talking about only a few thousandths of an inch difference. ITs not like trying to run a .35caliber plug into a .270 size hole..

that much difference will collapse the shoulder! (personal experience)