Resizing requires extreme force

[danman00]

I deprime on a $20 Lee C press so the bulk of the dirt and primer fouling doesn't get into the ram of my "good" Lee Challenger O press.

I also run an oil bath around the ram of all my presses with Mobil 1. It keeps things running smooth and lets me wipe away contaminants before the wear at the bore of the press...I hope.

I do the exact same thing. Saves all that crap from getting in my Lyman T-Mag. I haven't deprimed as much as Steve RA, but I've deprimed close to half (15k to 20k) and I've seen some degredation on that little $25 press. It's definitely getting sloppy. I'll use it till it breaks off the bench, then just buy another.

[Poseidon215]

Ok, update again. I received a new die in the mail today. The guy attached a note saying he could not polish out the chatter marks from machining so he replaced the die. I ran down to the bench got it all set up and the first 25 or so cases went relatively easy and about 1/3 of the force the last die required. Fast forward about 100-150 rounds, the die sticks just as bad as the one it replaced. Now I am officially at a loss on what to do. I tore it apart and cleaned everything just to be sure but that didnt help. The brass is all fired out of an XDm 5.25 9mm running 130PF so nothing crazy. I clean it using walnut media with nu finish for about 3-4 hours. Nothing I do seems to help unless I lube every other case. Is it just the Lee dies that dont like my setup or what? Seriously contemplating trying a different brand at this point. I need to get loading to support practice and shooting majors.

[Steve RA]

Is this in the loading press or the depriming press ??? If in the depriming press it might be out "of whack" and might not be the die.

[Dragon11]

I upgraded from the Lee aluminum press to the Lee cast iron press. I had been loading on a single sheet of plywood for my reloading bench, but I secured two additional layers of plywood to the top. With three layers of 3/4 inch plywood and the cast iron press things are running good. To resize and deprime still takes some effort, but not near as much as what I was having to do before. I think leverage makes a difference.

Edited April 10, 2014 by Dragon11

[Steve RA]

I'm supposed to get my Classic Cast O press monday, I haven't had any problems with the little C press other than the aluminum body bore becoming enlarged. I've always kept it lubricated, but, I think the primer powder residue is pretty abrasive and I haven't found a way to keep it off the lube on the ram. Will see how the cast iron holds up.

I'll send the other in and get a new body for it - according to a Lee service rep - as it's only about 18 months old.

Think the new press will be better as the primer drops down the ram instead of coming out of the back of the ram and then into a slot in the body. That is where all the residue comes from and the new one should have it all going down the tube attached to the bottom of the ram.

[Poseidon215]

Is this in the loading press or the depriming press ??? If in the depriming press it might be out "of whack" and might not be the die.

This is all on my Hornady Lock n Load Progressive with stations as follows

1 - Size and Deprime

2 - Prime

3 - Charge and Expand with Powder Funnel

4 - Seat

5 - Crimp

[Steve RA]

Can't help much there as I've never seen one of those presses in the flesh, so to speak.

[RDA]

Do this:

LUBE EVERY CASE.

Try again.

[danman00]

I'm supposed to get my Classic Cast O press monday, I haven't had any problems with the little C press other than the aluminum body bore becoming enlarged. I've always kept it lubricated, but, I think the primer powder residue is pretty abrasive and I haven't found a way to keep it off the lube on the ram. Will see how the cast iron holds up.

I'll send the other in and get a new body for it - according to a Lee service rep - as it's only about 18 months old.

Think the new press will be better as the primer drops down the ram instead of coming out of the back of the ram and then into a slot in the body. That is where all the residue comes from and the new one should have it all going down the tube attached to the bottom of the ram.

I know what you mean about primer coming out the back of the ram rod. All that mess (spent powder and range sand) just clings to the grease coated ram, quickly ruining the aluminum C body. Will Lee replace the body for free Steve?

[Steve RA]

Yes, so I'm told. You have to send the whole thing (press) in. Guess it has to be less than two years old also as that is their stated warranty period, although the customer service rep didn't mention that.

[danman00]

Yes, so I'm told. You have to send the whole thing (press) in. Guess it has to be less than two years old also as that is their stated warranty period, although the customer service rep didn't mention that.

Thanks, Good to know.

[BitchinCamaro]

Do this:

LUBE EVERY CASE.

Try again.

I missed this part. The cases are unlubed? Every case should be lubed, carbide or not- especially for a progressive.

9mm is sooooooo easy to lube. Put on 2 surgical gloves, smear or spray some lube of choice between your hands, and roll brass between your hands by the fistfull. It takes less than 4 minutes to do 1000 cases this way, and it pays off in spades for time as it is put it through your press.

Try it. 5 mins. Any lube. I've used a light smear of Mobil1 in a pinch.

Poseidon, I'm using a LNL and prior to that I used a Lee Loadmaster, both with carbide dies. Just a light lubing of all your cases is mandatory to keep things running smoothly on a progressive. Even a little bit of sticking makes the progressive operation more herky-jerky and compromises the action at all your stations.

Edited April 11, 2014 by BitchinCamaro

[rtp]

Ok, update again. I received a new die in the mail today. The guy attached a note saying he could not polish out the chatter marks from machining so he replaced the die. I ran down to the bench got it all set up and the first 25 or so cases went relatively easy and about 1/3 of the force the last die required. Fast forward about 100-150 rounds, the die sticks just as bad as the one it replaced. Now I am officially at a loss on what to do. I tore it apart and cleaned everything just to be sure but that didnt help. The brass is all fired out of an XDm 5.25 9mm running 130PF so nothing crazy. I clean it using walnut media with nu finish for about 3-4 hours. Nothing I do seems to help unless I lube every other case. Is it just the Lee dies that dont like my setup or what? Seriously contemplating trying a different brand at this point. I need to get loading to support practice and shooting majors.

Is this in the loading press or the depriming press ??? If in the depriming press it might be out "of whack" and might not be the die.

This is all on my Hornady Lock n Load Progressive with stations as follows

1 - Size and Deprime

2 - Prime

3 - Charge and Expand with Powder Funnel

4 - Seat

5 - Crimp

I just realized said this is on a LnL AP (you did mention in the original post, but then someone jumped in about a Lee press, and the thread got longer than my attention span.. )

Running the same setup here (LnL AP + Lee carbide dies for 9mm), and it runs flawlessly. I do indeed lube w/One Shot...as someone else said it well earlier in the thread, I spray some into my ready to load coffee container of brass, 'swish it' around a bit, load primers, then ready to go. Carbide or not, it loads smoother, and doesn't (IMO) need to be tumbled off.

Have you taken the die fully apart and cleaned it, or it just went from box to press?

Have you ensured your timing is adjusted properly? (For the most part, this is checked/done once, then left alone...but could cause some issues if it's off).

Have you checked your die setting, with a full shell plate?

Which powder funnel are you using? If set incorrectly, it may be what's binding up...you can use the Lee expander, although it's close...trash the crappy Lee lock ring and use a Hornady on it..remove your powder expander/PTX and put the Lee in station 2, put the long powder insert back in your PM for now and remove the 'PTX linkage/adjuster'

Have you tried lubing yet (if you don't get it, pretty much everyone in here is telling you - lube)?

[Poseidon215]

Yea I'm not sure how the thread got so far off topic but whatever.

I have tried shooting a little one shot on the cases and they do go much much easier I just hate to have to add another couple steps in reloading when the carbide dies are supposed to be no lube required. I can't argue though that they do go much better with a bit of one shot on them.

I took the die completely apart and cleaned it all up before using it. The die actually got harder and harder to use the more I used it until It got to the point that it would hang in the die and not want to come out causing the whole bench to want to jump around.

Timing is adjusted I played with the pals originally and haven't had to play with them since. It indexes right to the detents every time.

Yes this is all with full shell plate though I did trouble shoot by removing the dies one at a time to narrow down the culprit

I am using the aftermarket powder funnel instead of the lee since it liked to hang up also on the upstroke and made for two hiccups when lowering the ram as the case pulled out of the sizing die and as it let go of the expanding insert.

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