Could nickel cases gaul a Lee carbide sizing die?

Miata Mike · April 9, 2011, 11:10 PM

I have sized and deprimed at least 2000 pieces of 9mm brass with my Lee 4 die carbide 9mm set, and almost at the end of my large bag of range brass I ran a nickel piece through and it took a little more force than normal. All brass after looked like one side of the brass was lightly rubbed with steel wool.

I had been lightly lubing a case here and there with a little furniture wax on my latex gloves, which works very nicely. I will be wearing latex gloves religiously from now on.

I took my die set out to the garage and sprayed a little WD40 in the size die for lack of a better idea, and blew it out with compress air with no change.

Did I just trash my die, or is this something that will diminish with time? I did about 50 more cases and it didn't get much better.

cheezhed · April 10, 2011, 01:46 AM

I have sized many a nickel case using a carbide die without a problem but you may have deposited a bit of plating on your die's carbide ring. I would try using
gun cleaning solvent and a bore brush to clean the carbide ring maybe that would help.I think that carbide is much harder than nickel but I have been wrong before.

WESHOOT2 · April 10, 2011, 01:47 AM

Cleaned cases?

Miata Mike · April 10, 2011, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Cleaned cases?

Yes, very well tumbled in walnut media.

Quote:

I have sized many a nickel case using a carbide die without a problem but you may have deposited a bit of plating on your die's carbide ring. I would try using
gun cleaning solvent and a bore brush to clean the carbide ring maybe that would help.I think that carbide is much harder than nickel but I have been wrong before.

I will take a better look at it later this AM.

snuffy · April 10, 2011, 09:08 AM

NO!

Trying to explain relative hardness of different materials is difficult with some, ranging to impossible with most. While nickel IS harder than brass, it's not even close to as hard as carbide, or normal steel dies.

I suspect your other cases were getting that burnish BEFORE you ran that nickel case. You had HEARD that nickle trashes dies, so you looked at the results.

Take that die apart again, run some steel wool inside the carbide ring with a drill, spin it for a while. You won't hurt the carbide ring, it's as hard as glass, nearly as hard as diamonds. IF there's something on that ring that is causing the abrasion, that process will clean it off.

m&p45acp10+1 · April 10, 2011, 09:09 AM

Brake parts cleaner works well for cleaning out the die. Though do use it outside. A few blast of it then leave the die where it will run down ando ut of it. Sounds like some of the plating stuck in it to me. I have never had a problem with it. Though the nickel pistol cases tend to split at the case mouth a few times before the brass ones do. You will probably loose them before they split.

Slamfire · April 10, 2011, 09:40 AM

Quote:

I took my die set out to the garage and sprayed a little WD40 in the size die for lack of a better idea, and blew it out with compress air with no change.

Did I just trash my die, or is this something that will diminish with time? I did about 50 more cases and it didn't get much better.

You did not damage your die as long as you did not blow the carbide ring out of it.

It never hurts a die to clean it on occasion as gunk and crud will accumulate and create avenues for rust.

Quote:

I had been lightly lubing a case here and there with a little furniture wax on my latex gloves, which works very nicely. I will be wearing latex gloves religiously from now on.

I believe it is likely that your nickle cases were just a bit stiffer.

And as you have found out, lubing cases, even those cases used in a carbide die, make sizing a lot easier.

I got tired of powder bumping out of my Dillion 550B, due to hard sizing of 9mm, 45ACP, 44 Spl and 45 LC cases. So I tumbled my cases in RCBS water soluble lube. My sizing speed has gone up and the cases just slip right inside the carbide dies. No more powder spills.

Function is actually improved in my autopistols as the lube breaks the friction between case and chamber.

I just have to remember to keep dust and dirt off the cases as lube will pick that up.

Miata Mike · April 10, 2011, 11:00 AM

I took the decapping pin out and cleaned with some Hoppes and a properly sized brass bore brush followed by a similar sized bore swab. Almost all gauling is gone. If it doesn't go away entirely when I am resizing my next 9mm brass I will take it apart and clean it again.

I did not have any brake cleaner or steel wool, but figured this would work OK.

Thanks for the replies all! That is what makes these forums so special.

engineermike · April 10, 2011, 02:30 PM

Just send it back to the manufacturer and have it replaced. If it is not the case, or care of the die then it has to be a flaw in the die itself.

April 9, 2011, 11:10 PM	#1
Miata Mike Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2010 Location: North East WI Posts: 418	Could nickel cases gaul a Lee carbide sizing die? I have sized and deprimed at least 2000 pieces of 9mm brass with my Lee 4 die carbide 9mm set, and almost at the end of my large bag of range brass I ran a nickel piece through and it took a little more force than normal. All brass after looked like one side of the brass was lightly rubbed with steel wool. I had been lightly lubing a case here and there with a little furniture wax on my latex gloves, which works very nicely. I will be wearing latex gloves religiously from now on. I took my die set out to the garage and sprayed a little WD40 in the size die for lack of a better idea, and blew it out with compress air with no change. Did I just trash my die, or is this something that will diminish with time? I did about 50 more cases and it didn't get much better. Last edited by Miata Mike; April 9, 2011 at 11:26 PM.

April 10, 2011, 01:47 AM	#3
WESHOOT2 Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 1999 Location: home on the range; Vermont (Caspian country) Posts: 14,324	Cleaned cases? __________________ . "all my ammo is mostly retired factory ammo"

April 10, 2011, 09:08 AM	#5
snuffy Senior Member Join Date: May 20, 2001 Location: Oshkosh wi. Posts: 3,055	NO! Trying to explain relative hardness of different materials is difficult with some, ranging to impossible with most. While nickel IS harder than brass, it's not even close to as hard as carbide, or normal steel dies. I suspect your other cases were getting that burnish BEFORE you ran that nickel case. You had HEARD that nickle trashes dies, so you looked at the results. Take that die apart again, run some steel wool inside the carbide ring with a drill, spin it for a while. You won't hurt the carbide ring, it's as hard as glass, nearly as hard as diamonds. IF there's something on that ring that is causing the abrasion, that process will clean it off. __________________ The more people I meet, the more I love my dog They're going to get their butts kicked over there this election. How come people can't spell and use words correctly?

April 10, 2011, 09:09 AM	#6
m&p45acp10+1 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 3,930	Brake parts cleaner works well for cleaning out the die. Though do use it outside. A few blast of it then leave the die where it will run down ando ut of it. Sounds like some of the plating stuck in it to me. I have never had a problem with it. Though the nickel pistol cases tend to split at the case mouth a few times before the brass ones do. You will probably loose them before they split. __________________ No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you.

April 10, 2011, 11:00 AM	#8
Miata Mike Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2010 Location: North East WI Posts: 418	Cleaned well and almost all better! I took the decapping pin out and cleaned with some Hoppes and a properly sized brass bore brush followed by a similar sized bore swab. Almost all gauling is gone. If it doesn't go away entirely when I am resizing my next 9mm brass I will take it apart and clean it again. I did not have any brake cleaner or steel wool, but figured this would work OK. Thanks for the replies all! That is what makes these forums so special.

April 10, 2011, 01:46 AM	#2
cheezhed Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 2007 Posts: 302	I have sized many a nickel case using a carbide die without a problem but you may have deposited a bit of plating on your die's carbide ring. I would try using gun cleaning solvent and a bore brush to clean the carbide ring maybe that would help.I think that carbide is much harder than nickel but I have been wrong before.

April 10, 2011, 02:30 PM	#9
engineermike Junior member Join Date: March 14, 2010 Location: Oklahaoma City Posts: 538	Just send it back to the manufacturer and have it replaced. If it is not the case, or care of the die then it has to be a flaw in the die itself.