Fed up with stuck cases

[Name Enough]

I tumble my cases before sizing in a Walnut media reserved for that purpose. I dab my finger in Imperial Wax as I grab each case. I spread the wax as I insert the case in the shell holder. Goes quick enough for me. When the cases are sized I trim them then tumble them again in a media reserved for that purpose. Every now and then the first media goes into the garden and gets replaced. I have never had a case get stuck on me.

 

[ertlonggun]

I have been reloading for over 20 years and never had a stuck case until I used the Hornady One Shot case lube, I now use the Hornady Unique case lube and haven't had any issues.

 

[KYpatriot]

99% of the time I hear people complaining about a stuck case it is one shot.

 

[MJY65]

99% of the time I hear people complaining about a stuck case it is one shot.

I wonder if part of the problem might be the way the product is often pictured in ads. They like to show a block full of cases with the user spraying across them. It seems to me that is essentially "masking off" the base of the case where it needs it most and the ones in the center of the block aren't going to get nearly as good coverage unless you make a mess of your entire bench top. I know it wouldn't make for a nice photo, but the box or bag and shake method really works much better.

 

[bornhunter04]

I use one shot and RCBS lube. When I'm doing small batches >150 I just lay them out on a paper towel, spray the neck/shoulder area with OS roll the cases over and hit the other side. When I spray I'm aiming for the shoulder of the case, so some of the lube in the spray pattern covers the lower end of the case, doing this I've never had a problem, and I FL re-size everything. If I"m doing <150 I use the RCBS lube in a gallon zip loc, put some in there, then roll the cases around for a few minutes, FL re-size the cases then tumble the lube off of them.

 

[JGorski]

I had different problems than the OP. I had dented cases. I was using rcbs case lube. I switched to ONE SHOT. Best thing I ever did! Super fast, super clean, and not a single dented case now since I switched (200 reloads ago). I'd like to try imperial sizing wax as everyone says its the shizzzy, but I have absolute zero issues with one shot. Well, maybe one issue, it's kinda expensive.

Got any mink oil for your boots? Use it, it works great, wipes off easily, much cheaper than Imperial. Dont need much either, sized 20 '06 shells last night, most were nickle plated, sized with ease.

 

[JGorski]

I have been reloading for over 20 years and never had a stuck case until I used the Hornady One Shot case lube, I now use the Hornady Unique case lube and haven't had any issues.

Gotta shake One Shot for a full min to work correctly, Unique is the same as mink oil. says right on the container, "Will soften leather boots" or something to that affect. I use all 3 of these lubes, One shot for large volume reloading.

 

[rjacobs]

I have Dillon lube and One Shot, usually just grab whatever I see first. I have a baking sheet(probably 12x18 or so) that I throw cases on to, start sliding the baking sheet so the cases roll and start spraying. Gets them coated really nicely. Let them sit a few minutes to dry.

I also will shoot a shot of whatever into the actual die before I start sizing a bunch of cases. Generally do this when I am putting the tool head into the 550 so I am not trying to spray up into the die.

i have had a few stuck cases, but only when the idiot running the press runs a case up there dry because circuit A didnt connect to circuit B correctly(so far has resulted in 5 new decapping/expander ball assemblies and die lock rings being ordered from Dillon and Forster). Never had one stick when I lube everything the way I outlined above. Now Im not doing some crazy cases, just .223, .308 and 300blk, so maybe with some of the crazier cases my method might not work the best.

Just remember, there are those that HAVE had a stuck case, and there are those that WILL have a stuck case.

 

[insight3b]

I have 3/4th of a can of one-shot aerosol if someone wants it. Free just swing by and pick it up...that is how much I despise the stuff

 

[George63]

OK - I have to give my blurb for the way I lube, no one else seems to do this

about 80,000 .223 this way without a stuck case - and it costs 2.50 $ to lube 15,000

lee wax lube in the tooth paste type tube - for a batch of 400 I use about a 1 inch squeeze, mixed with about a teaspoon of water (I use a toothbrush to churn it up) - pour that in a wide mouth plastic container that holds 400 brass with room to spare - roll this around for 45 seconds and pour it out single layer to dry - I sort the brass, lube it and box it up ready to load with one trip through the press - I tumble the finished ammo to remove the lube

Dillon lube works about identical, but is 16 $ to do about 8000 cases - so more than 10 times the price, I also do not care for the smell of the dillon lube

 

[ZombieMonkey]

One shot is awesome with my .223 loads, but damn have I almost stuck several cases with it on .308. The only way I feel comfortable resizing .308 brass is with Imperial. Glad to see I'm not the only one who has had some issues with one shot on .308 brass.

 

[acts238]

I've only had ONE stuck case -it was with oneshot
mayby I didnt wait long enough-spray enough -whatever.....
all lubes work (kinda) if you follow directions
some are way easier than others to use than others
some are way less exspensive to use than others
IMHO Imperial is great if your doing just a few cases, if your doing more than a few
pure liquid lanolin dissolved in Isopropyl rubbing alcohol works the best ,least exspensive, and least messy

 

[The Gump]

1.One Shot sucks balls.
2.Have you tried removing the decaping/expander ball rod from the die and using a metal dowl rod to punch the case out? You can cut the case open to recover your expander ball. If not Forster should be able to get it out.
3.One Shot sucks balls.
4.Hornady makes a sizing paist that works well for me. After switching to it I have not had a single stuck case.
5.One Shot sucks balls.

 

[Glockin' Bob]

I'm using OS and no problems with any of the calibers I'm shooting. I put my cases on a lube pad, spray with OS then roll. Then I use a case neck brush sprayed with OS to get lube inside the neck. No problems for me. It could be your die needs polished. I've been known to put some JB on a patch wrapped around a pistol bore brush chucked in a drill and giving it a bit of a polish. Worked for me but if you're not comfortable doing that, send the die in to be polished. Also, make sure your die is clean, I use brake cleaner on mine with fair regularity.

 

[EddieNFL]

I put my cases on a lube pad, spray with OS then roll.

Kinda defeats the purpose of using spray lube, doesn't it?

 

[Trevor300wsm]

Exactly how I do it and I have never had a stuck case in tens of thousands of rounds. You need to give it a good coating and then let the propellent dissipate before trying to size. Most every time I hear about stuck cases with one shot it's operator error and not following the directions on the can.

Done it like this with a ziplock bag for the past 4yrs now and never had a stuck case. I do .223, .308, 6.5x47, 6.5CM, .243, and a few 7mm's. To each their own, but I don't know what the fuck I'd do if I had to apply wax/lube to each individual case before sizing......talk about a waste of time that could be spent doing other shit. Dump 100 cases in the bag, spray the shit out of them. Flip the bag over, spray again. Roll it around in your hands for 60 seconds and dump the cases out on a paper towel or whatever the hell you want. Wait 2-3 min and size them.

 

[tylerw02]

I've loaded about 15,000 rounds on a single stage press using OneShot for lube. I've stuck two cases. Both times were my fault. One was before I read the instructions, the second one I got in a hurry and didn't let it sit long enough.

I LOVE OneShot because it saves me so much time. When using it correctly, it works perfectly. I highly recommend the 'bag method'.

 

[MJY65]

I guess one other point I would add about stuck cases is this: If you feel an unusual amount of resistance on the downstroke of the press handle, STOP! Most often, a severely deformed case or an underlubed one can be pulled out by simply reversing direction early on. Re-evaluate and decide if it's a lube issue or a case that should be discarded. As you can see from this thread and several others, there are many different lubes and techniques that work. Just don't force things and stuck cases will be a very infrequent occurrence.

 

[lightman]

If you are following the directions on the One Shot, then I would clean and maybe polish the die. Hornady has a good rep, but everyone lets something slip thru quality control sometime. And yes, Hornady can remove the case for you. I've never heard of a grade-8 bolt shearing in brass, must be your day for having quality control issues with equipment! Good Luck, I hope things get better for you. Lightman

 

[EddieNFL]

Dump 100 cases in the bag, spray the shit out of them. Flip the bag over, spray again. Roll it around in your hands for 60 seconds and dump the cases out on a paper towel or whatever the hell you want. Wait 2-3 min and size them.

That's how I do it, as well. Except I use Red Roster or Dillon, spray once and no wait involved.

 

[acloco]

So I'm fed up with stuck cases.

Ever since I've started FL sizing instead of neck sizing, I'm getting ~1 stuck case per 100 rounds. I use Hornady OneShot as a case lube, and I use a Forster FL die.

Your problem is already diagnosed. One Shot = One Stuck. Some have great luck using this product. I do not.

 

[jonesy]

Your problem is already diagnosed. One Shot = One Stuck. Some have great luck using this product. I do not.

You're correct. I got my Imperial Sizing Wax in the mail yesterday (still haven't gotten around to getting any Ivory soap to try turbo54's method), and sized 240 cases of 260 Remington and 60 cases of 7mm Rem Mag. Not a single stuck case. Not even close.

I'll never go back to those BS spray on lubes again. Maybe they work for some of you all, but I'm just too tired of stuck cases.

Conclusion: Imperial Sizing Wax is a great product.

 

[CanPopper]

I got so frustrated with stuck cases that I've either transitioned my dies to Dillon Carbide dies or had my other brand of dies titanium nitrided. Then with Imperial Sizing Wax, my stuck case problems are gone forever.

 

[4Quangs]

When you talk to Forster about your die, ask them to send you a sample of their Forster sizing lube. I used to use Imperial Sizing Wax until I tried the Forster lube. It is no exaggeration to say that Forster lube makes sizing LC mg brass in a SB die ALMOST as easy as sizing new Winchester commercial brass. I haven' had so much as a hesitation or change in force while sizing since I switched to Forster.

Like Imperial, it needs to be applied by hand for each case; but the smoothness of the sizing operation and the consistent results in headspace are worth it to me.

 

[acloco]

OK - I have to give my blurb for the way I lube, no one else seems to do this

about 80,000 .223 this way without a stuck case - and it costs 2.50 $ to lube 15,000

lee wax lube in the tooth paste type tube - for a batch of 400 I use about a 1 inch squeeze, mixed with about a teaspoon of water (I use a toothbrush to churn it up) - pour that in a wide mouth plastic container that holds 400 brass with room to spare - roll this around for 45 seconds and pour it out single layer to dry - I sort the brass, lube it and box it up ready to load with one trip through the press - I tumble the finished ammo to remove the lube

Dillon lube works about identical, but is 16 $ to do about 8000 cases - so more than 10 times the price, I also do not care for the smell of the dillon lube

You tumble loaded rounds? Is this not supposed to be kind of hard on powder? (breaks it down into smaller pieces or change the burn rate by a multitude of methods) Have also read, from several sources, it is possible to light a round off when tumbling loaded rounds.

 

[acloco]

Forgot to mention....

Does everybody CLEAN their new (or used) dies PRIOR to reloading? Dies have a rust preventative sprayed on them. Disassemble and clean thoroughly - I use carb cleaner and a plastic brush on sizing and seating dies.

 

[EddieNFL]

You tumble loaded rounds? Is this not supposed to be kind of hard on powder? (breaks it down into smaller pieces or change the burn rate by a multitude of methods) Have also read, from several sources, it is possible to light a round off when tumbling loaded rounds.

Search this and other forums and I doubt you will find credible evidence to support the myth (I never have). A few decades ago it was specifically mentioned load manuals. Not to be found these days.

 

[Fuzzball]

Cases stick in sizers for ONE reason; insufficent lube. Either an improper lube or improperly applied.

All commercial case lubes work fine if used correctly (so do a lot of substitutes); few things work very well if used incorrectly. Instuctions are provided for those who don't know how. People who don't bother with instructions probably shouldn't be reloading, they should play golf instead.

Case lubes are one of four basic types; softened waxes, thick petroleum type goo, lanolin and soaps (all water soluable lubes are soaps). The major differences is ease of application and removal - pick what type you prefer and learn to use it without shoulder dents or sticking. PROPERLY applying a wax tlube takes virtually no time, it's clean, and it can be left on with no harm. (And we can't apply enough of any lube lube inside necks to prevent stuck cases.)

With conventional sizers, "bullet tension" is determined by the diameter of the expander plug that's pulled out of the necks and how "springy" the brass is, not how far the case is pushed into the die. And 1-2 thou of "tension" is all we're going to end up with, no matter how small the necks are.

If a sized case head is too large it's because the die is too large in diameter at that point, not how far back the shoulder has been pushed. Polishing will not make it tighter.

Stuck case pullers (properly) have NC threads because they are cut slightly deeper and will resist striiping out of the soft brass better than NF threads; NF is intended to be used in harded steel, not soft metals.

That sheared bolt may have been sold to you as grade 8 but it wasn't; an 8 WILL strip out the brass before it shears. Even a grade 5 will usually work fine.

Remember all that force required to push that case into the die; that was your clue that something was wrong. It takes just as much force to exract and no extracor groove is nearly strong enough to do that.

 

[Glockin' Bob]

Kinda defeats the purpose of using spray lube, doesn't it?

Not really, with the stuff in a tube, ya had to deal with getting the lube worked into the pad evenly before getting started, I don't have to do that now, just plop a few cases down on the pad, give a qjuick spray and roll, pretty easy.

 

[McCrazy]

Done it like this with a ziplock bag for the past 4yrs now and never had a stuck case. I do .223, .308, 6.5x47, 6.5CM, .243, and a few 7mm's. To each their own, but I don't know what the fuck I'd do if I had to apply wax/lube to each individual case before sizing......talk about a waste of time that could be spent doing other shit. Dump 100 cases in the bag, spray the shit out of them. Flip the bag over, spray again. Roll it around in your hands for 60 seconds and dump the cases out on a paper towel or whatever the hell you want. Wait 2-3 min and size them.

I do exactly this with One Shot and have never had a stuck case, although a couple have been sticky enough to cause concern. Done thousands of rounds of many calibers, to include about 1,000 rounds of .308 that people seem to think is the nemesis of One Shot.

 

[ZombieMonkey]

For high volume .223 I use one shot and don't have any issues. That being said, I did prior to my current technique with it. I use the plastic ziplock bag technique and simply spray it across a line of cases, roll them around in the back and then let them sit in a loading block for a couple minutes, works great. No matter what I do it does not work for .308 and I use Hornady Unique case lube instead, I love that stuff.

 

[TacticalMirage]

I didn't read all the replies so forgive me if it was brought up earlier. I also use the Hornady one shot in the aerosol. I have hade a few stuck cases too. What i have found is if i spray the cases liberally and just let them set a few seconds vs the 1 minuet drying time the suggest it works better. Since i started doing this i have had no more problems,but following their directions I, like you was have about 1 in every 100 stick.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

I changed to RCBS Water Soluble Case Lube after my second stuck case about a decade back, and haven't had one since. I simply dampen the tips of the fingers on my left hand, and spiral/spin the side wall of each case before inserting it into the case holder. A little goes a very long way, and I simply dampen a cloth in rubbing alcohol and wipe each completed cartridge off with it when I'm finish loading. It's detergent based. and the only precaution I suggest is to keep you fingers away from your eyes until after you wash up after a loading session.

Greg

 

[Asperly Aimless]

Hornady 1shot is the worse lie perpetrated on the reloading community. For pistol cases it is great (I deprime, size all my pistol brass through steel dies because they don't size them as much), and allows the cases to run through the sizing die like greased lightning.

For rifle cases it plain old sucks. It is a marginal lube with lacking qualities in film strength and lubrication.

Here is what I use/do:
Lanolin/castor oil/99% isopropyl alcohol

Pour the alcohol into a glass mason jar. Set jar of alcohol in pot of boiling water for about 5 minutes or until warm.

Once warm, add in 3 fat table spoons of lanolin. Stir until lanolin is dissolved into the alcohol. Now add 1 tbs of castor oil, stir until incorporated.

Now dump that mixture into a plastic spray bottle. I put a large SS nut in the spray bottle to act as a shaker as the lanolin and alcohol will separate, but it all mixes back together nicely with a quick shake.

Apply like one shot. I toss a handful of cases into a large Ziploc bag, spray a couple spritzes into the bag, shake it for a few seconds, and dump on a paper towel to allow the alcohol to evaporate off. After that you can size to your hearts content without fear of tickig cases.

This mixture has a stronger film quality and is slick as snot.

Now, I size/deprime most of brass and then tumble it before reloading. However, when I do large runs of .223/5.56 or 308/7.62x51 on the Dillon I will just toss the loaded rds in a tumbler for about 10 minutes and they come out free of case lube and shiny.

****Disclaimers****
1. Do not heat the alcohol over an open flame. It has to be heated in boiling water or hot water.
2. Tumbling loaded rds for 10 minutes does not cause nuclear explosions and has caused no changes in accuracy for my loaded ammo. Just don't tumble it for 6 weeks....
****Disclaimers****

The ingredients are cheap and will make enough case lube to last the rest of your natural life.
Lanolin by the pound=$16.00
Alcohol=$1.50 per 16 ounces/1 lb
Castor oil=5 dollars per bottle
Makes approximately 5 batches of case lube (17 ounces by volume). Your looking at about $5.83 per batch of case lube for a significantly better product.

 

[Rob01]

Hornady 1shot is the worse lie perpetrated on the reloading community.
For rifle cases it plain old sucks. It is a marginal lube with lacking qualities in film strength and lubrication.

Only if you don't follow the directions.

 

[Infinity]

Using Imperial Sizing Die wax will eliminate your frustrations.

Yep. Good advice ^.

 

[flashhole]

Another vote for Imperial. Jonsey, sounds like you had a positive response to good advice. Good on you for asking and following through. You will never go back to One Snot.

 

[Asperly Aimless]

Only if you don't follow the directions.

Meh, perhaps. Works terrible for my LC 308 brass, 8x57, 5.56, etc. While is works 99% of the time, it is marginal. Takes much more force using 1shot than other lubes on the market.

My case lube is really just my bullet swaging lube using the alcohol as a carrier.

I do like the oneshot for my pistol brass though as it is not as filmy and it always has a home on my reloading bench.

 

[diego-ted]

The best advice for using OS so far is "don't be cheap with it." It's not as fool-proof as some of the others but it does work and it's quick.

If you don't cheap out and spray all four quadrants you will have no problems. Also you should be able to feel wh3n a case is under lubed, don't just continue and seat. Back off and lube that case by hand.

 

[Desert Fox]

I haven't had any issue with stuck case after I started using Imperial wax. And that includes full length sizing 338 Lapua Improved with almost no taper.

 

[Supersubes]

I love One shot. I never had a stuck case before or after using it, and I've been loading for approx. 15 years. It is so fast and convenient, I wouldn't consider using anything else for batch loading. I also have imperial, which works well, but far too slow for me.

 

[bigedp51]

Have your tried to drill out the bolt?

Even if you have to re-tap the case up a size you could try again with a stronger bolt. I would then polish the inside of the die with a shotgun cleaning mop attached to a drill and J&B bore paste, Flitz etc applied to the mop.

 

[rookie101]

slightly off topic, but why are some of you using lube on pistol cases? Not carbide dies, or some unusual bottleneck pistol round?

 

[rookie101]

AA I see that you do use steel dies, but there have been a couple of others that have said they lube pistol cases.

 

[bigedp51]

rookie101

If you read the carbide die instructions they tell you you may need to lube occasionally to reduce stress on the brass. (Redding Titanium Carbide) Lube every forth or fifth cases (RCBS carbide dies)

I just very lightly touch my index finger in my Hornady Unique lube and rub a case now and then. I wet tumble my cases in SS media and the cases very clean and "dry" so a little lube never hurts. As they say "You can feel the difference" and the cases don't scream out in pain.

 

[Asperly Aimless]

Even for carbide dies I lube pistol cases (9mm, 45). Much less jerk and stress on the press. Not that it really matters as the Dillon and single stages are stout, but it gives me piece of mind.

For my straight wall pistol cases (38 special, 357 mag, 44 special and mag, 45 colt) I have found that the older steal dies do not size the cases down as much. This gives me longer case life, especially for some of my 45 colt brass fired in my Colt SAA battery!

 

[former naval person]

If you use the cooking spray read the label first. Some of them contain salt which will eventually rust your dies. Personally I like the home made spray best. Cheap, fast, and no-stickey. PM me if you want my recipe.