New to reloading rifle Questions

[Tonfa Sartan]

Hi all,

I've been reloading for pistol for years and years, but I am new to rifle and I have a few questions.

So I've had .223 dies for the longest time but haven't ever used them because I used to have problems with the brass getting stuck in the sizing die. I figured out tonight that I just wasn't using enough lube. Problem solved. But how do I get the lube off the cases when I am done? Or will going through the other dies pretty much clean them?

Also I just got a case trimmer off of ebay. I have all of the proper size collets and pilots, but I have no idea how to use it. It didn't come with any directions. I think its an RCBS but I'll have to post specifics later.

Thanks in advance for any input

[103M 95G]

here is what I do.
tumble the fired cases
lube
size/decap
trim to length
chamfer the case mouth inside and outside
remove primer crimp (if needed)
then tumble again to remove lube

remove brass from tumbler, inspect, check flash hole for media, clean if nessassary.
prime
charge
seat/crimp
check loaded ammo in wilson case guage
record, date, powder, primer, bullet, charge weight, package and label the ammo.

[Tonfa Sartan]

thanks,

just tumbling them again will be easy, I was dresding the thought of wiping each individual casing.

[Capn Jack]

Lube the neck plug on the re-sizing die about every 10 cases to keep from crushing the cases. Also, buy a 1/4x20 tap and drill to pull stuck cases.* You will have some. The key is, when you raise that handle, if it goes in hard ...it's not coming out.

[at4rxj]

[Capn Jack]

I found this happens mostly with new Winchester 7.62x39.
If you don't chamfer the inside of the neck and spray a little light lube inside of the sizing die, on the plug. The die will tend to crush the shoulder of the brass. Jack

[EricCartmann]

Reloading rifle is a pain like that. Lots of case prep stuff especially if your brass is sourced from the Military. Military Brass (Lake City) is good stuff but if they were shot from a MG (M240 or M249), then the brass will balloon up even more than usual making resizing even tougher.

Cartmann's case prep with Virgin Military Brass routine:

1) Tumble brass - About 200 cases at a time with 2 sheets of used laundry dryer sheets (such as bounce) and 1 cap of Nufinish. Basically anything safe for a car's paint job is safe for brass, and nufinish works perfect with walnut media. DO NOT use any type of chlorine type cleaner with brass as it will make it brittle. The dryer sheets picks up all the little gunk and dirt keeping your media clean.

2) Decap - I do this separate from sizing because Mil primers are crimped and very hard to knock out. Doing it without sizing at the same time makes it way easier. A universal Lee De-Capper die is only $10.

3) Resize - With lots of lube. My favorite reloading lube is Mobil-1. For brass that only needs slight sizing, you only need to lube 1 case out of 10 as the die will keep enough lube on it for 10 cases from 1. I have a oil cap next to the press with Mobil-1 that I dip the very tip of the neck in. I then use my fingers to lube the walls. For badly ballooned virgin brass, I find myself lubing every case!

4) Clean off lube - I throw them in a 5 gallon bucket with car wash soap and hot water. Rub a little in the hot water, then I put in strainer to drain. Tumble a little with strainer then leave in sun to dry.

5) Clean Primer pocket and swage/ream - Miltary brass has the primer crimped in so swaging/reaming is required to take out that crimp. I use a Dillon Super Swager to take out the crimp, fast and easy.

6) Tumble again - with nufinish for about an hour to make brass extra shiny and like new.

7) Trim - Using Giraud. the Giraud is expensive but well worth it, can't see sizing any other way.

8 ) Reload - Now after doing all that you are now ready to reload .

You can avoid steps 2-7 above if you make your loads light. If it is light trimming is not needed as the cases don't grow out of spec. Also resizing will be easier as brass does not balloon up that much. If brass does not balloon up that much then you can decap/size on the progressive press with limited lubing. Swaging is only needed once so that step is also gone.

Step 8 here:
http://www.modularweapons.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1256