switched to different brass now the powder funnel is sticking on 650

[chickenfried]

Loading .45 ACP on a dillon 650. Past two months I've been using winchester once fired brass and assorted range brass to load a few batches of .45. No problems with a sticky powder funnel. Tonight my bag of assorted range brass ran out, switched to a different batch of Winchester once fired brass. Noticed the the down stroke was really difficult due to the brass "sticking" to the powder funnel? Any fix besides switching brass?

I realize there's a recent topic on sticking cases but my case seems a little odder.

Edited March 5, 2010 by chickenfried

[Sarge]

I wonder if tumbling that batch again would help?

[MichiganShootist]

Try taking a Scotch Bright pad..... or 0000 steel wool and gently polish up the powder tube.... that and making sure the brass is spotless does it for me.

[dillon]

It very well could be the brass is slightly thicker, or is too clean on the interior. The little bit of carbon acts as a lubricant when pulling the case off the funnel.

[TMC]

I've had that problem with new Starline brass on the first loading. In my case it seemed the shard inside edge of the new case was dragging on the funnel leaving small bits of brass which would build-up sticking to the next case making the situation even worse. Polishing the funnel helped and after the first loading it stopped.

[chickenfried]

Thanks for the ideas everyone.

[BritinUSA]

If it's new brass there are two possible causes.

1. The small amounts of dust etc. from the manufacturing process. I usually tumble new brass for an hour and this helps to reduce it.

2. Your resizing die is compressing the stiffer new case enough that it is just a tad too tight for the powder funnel. Removing the resizing die solves the problem, but could lead to loading a case without a flash-hole in it.

[Foxbat]

It very well could be the brass is slightly thicker, or is too clean on the interior. The little bit of carbon acts as a lubricant when pulling the case off the funnel.

Hi Dillon, a question for you. I have many powder funnels, and some have straight bottom cylinder parts (below the cone part), but on some the diameter gets smaller after the first 1/32" or so.

Which one is preferred? I noticed that the ones with the step down seems to stick less - is that so?

[chickenfried]

I think this is probably the answer. Switched to another batch of brass, problem went away.I thought I tumbled it , looked clean . Not new brass once fired.

I wonder if tumbling that batch again would help?

[njl]

If the brass being too clean is a possible cause, I wouldn't think tumbling again would do any good (unless you have some extra dusty media). Is it safe to get a little case lube (Dillon, HOS) on the inside of the neck of the brass or on the outside of the funnel? Would that make the bullets any more susceptible to setback?

[chickenfried]

I don't think it's too clean. I think I didn't tumble it before storage but thought I did.

If the brass being too clean is a possible cause, I wouldn't think tumbling again would do any good (unless you have some extra dusty media). Is it safe to get a little case lube (Dillon, HOS) on the inside of the neck of the brass or on the outside of the funnel? Would that make the bullets any more susceptible to setback?

[njl]

I don't think it's too clean. I think I didn't tumble it before storage but thought I did.

Oh...yuck. I store my dirty brass and clean brass differently...dirty brass in ziplocks, plastic shopping bags, or 5G buckets. Clean brass goes in washed out 1/2 gallon juice bottles sorted by headstamp.