Removing a stuck and separated case

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  • Last Post 03 December 2009
specops posted this 29 October 2008

Bought a couple of sets of dies on line and the seller did say that one had a stuck case in it.  What he didn't say was that it was also separated as well.  The case head and about half the shell body are gone.  It's a .223 case in a RCBS X-die.  Anyone have some suggestions on ways to remove the remaining portion?  I've already tried soaking it in WD40 and Kroil to no avail. 

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CB posted this 30 October 2008

Wow that is a toughie!

Disassemble the die and soak some more.. You will need to be creative and try to catch the case mouth with a punch and try to drive it out.

You can also try warming the die in an oven to toaster oven to see if that will break it free.

Most likely the case was fractured and he did not use any case lube. This is the main reason to use a good quality case lube like Imperial sizing wax...

Be sure to use a brass punch or you will score the die!

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BruceV posted this 30 October 2008

RCBS has excellent customer service.  Box the die up and sent it to RCBS.  They will remove the stuck case.  Plus you can be sure the die will not be damaged.  JMHO.  Sincerely.  Bruce.

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R. Dupraz posted this 30 October 2008

Obviously, somebody really got this case stuck! And then in their attempt to extract it, pulled the head off. This has happened to me a couple of times over the years, but always was able to pull the entire case out. Wonder if this case was about to separate anyway.

In one of my old American Rifleman, back when they had a “how I did it section", a guy wrote in with a similar problem. He filled the case with dry ice, let the die sit for a while and then was able to push  the case out with something. Just out of curiosity, I think I would put the die in the freezer for a few days and then try pushing the case out with maybe a stiff bore brush. I have also read where this has been done when a case gets stuck in a rifle chamber. Be an interesting thing to try anyway.

The RCBS suggestion is a good one.

Regards

RD

 

 

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giorgio de galleani posted this 30 October 2008

 Two gates into the city,Halleluia.

Chemical or percision mechanics.

I think you could try with stronger ammonia,at 28°Bè,she eats bullet jackets fouling from the barrels without eating steel.she should eat brass too.

when a 308 steel insert,got stuck in an old rem 03A3 chamber,I got a metric male threader,that fitted the interior of  the neck  of 30-06 brass and pulled out the insert with it. 

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CB posted this 31 October 2008

You should be able to use a 'broken shell extractor' for a 223 in the die, like this one..................Dan

http://www.keepshooting.com/firearmaccessories/repairs/brokenshell223.htm>http://www.keepshooting.com/firearmaccessories/repairs/brokenshell223.htm

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Lloyd Smale posted this 03 November 2008

stick the die in the freezer the steal and brass cool and shrink at differnt rates it might help lossen it. You could also try heating your die with a torch to do the same. It might make it loose enough where you could tap it out. If it were me id combine the heat method with the stuck case extraction tool advice given above. Also you can send it to rcbs they will fix it for free.

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303PV posted this 04 November 2008

You could try pouring Cerrosafe in it and tap it out. Try to make scratches in the brass to lock the Cerrosafe to the case metal. 

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specops posted this 04 November 2008

To All,

Many thanks for the advise.:dude:

I just got home so tomorrow will be the test to see which solution works.  Last resort will be shipping it back to RCBS for a cure.  I'll post the results later.

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codarnall posted this 04 November 2008

This one is a little tougher that most since the base is gone, I just removed one for a fellow jarhead.  I would try a large lag bolt at this point perhaps 3/8 inch or just a bit over. Screw the bolt into the brass and crowbar it out in a vise you won't hurt the die surface.  Or flaten the nose of the bolt and screw it in as tight as possible if the decaping rod assembly is removed.  Tap on the bolt with a punch and dislodge the case in the vise.  Then join the club. Charlie

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specops posted this 11 November 2008

Well folks I tried all the suggestions but to no avail.  Darn thing won't move.  I tried a broken screw extractor as well and all it did was shave brass so rather than score the die it's off to RCBS to see if they have the magical touch.  Thanks again for all your assistance.

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BruceV posted this 11 November 2008

RCBS will treat you right.  Sincerely.  Bruce.

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JetMech posted this 11 November 2008

If you haven't sent it off yet, heat the die to 400 in the oven, take it out and spray the shell with one of those canned air products for cleaning computers, can upside down. The case should pop out then when tapped with a brass punch. Radio Shack used to have a spray that froze parts you suspected were breaking down with heat. When you hit the component with it and the electronics worked, you found the bad part. I used it to install small bushings that were an interference fit in landing gear. Now I have access to liquid nitrogen and that'll shrink parts a couple thousanths. We used to use a CO2 fire extinguisher on stuck spark plugs in radial engines after heating the area with a torch. The main thing is to get a large temperature differential and pop it out with a brass drift quickly.

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hunterspistol posted this 12 November 2008

 I still have one of the tapered easy-outs that I used for case head seperation on my 22 Hornet. Although my barrel is more precious to me than my dies, I use it if necessary.  It's the tap-in and screw out kind with straight flutes from the automotive store.

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CB posted this 01 August 2009

Specops

For the stuck case in die drill hole through base. Choose an ezy-out a size larger than hole work it in with handle the case should back out.

For case fragments twist an oversize brass cleaning brush into die and keep turning as you contact pieces and pull the brass out with the brush.

Stephen Perry

Angeles BR:fire

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tturner53 posted this 07 September 2009

My stuck cases weren't seperated, but this seemed like a good spot for this. I lube my cases by hand, rubbing it on the neck and q-tipping the inside. Once in a while I forget to lube and run 'em on in, usually getting stuck and deforming the rim trying to pull it out. Today I decided to get them out, but  wanted to try a quick and easy way. One of the dies is a 7x57 trim die I use mostly to form 7mm Mauser from 30-06 cases. I started with that one by locking it in a vise. (I've been soaking in Kroil for days). I took a decapping rod from a Lee Loader for .243 Win. and just knocked the stuck case out. Piece of cake. Next was a RCBS .243 Win die, again with the rim ripped out by the shell holder in the press. I backed the decapping pin rod out far enough to clear the threads and used that to knock the case out, then wrestled the expander ball back out of the case. No problem. Next was a 30-06,(yes I forget the lube a lot). Did the same thing with it that I did with the .243, but this time I got carried away and bent the decapping pin rod. I did get the case out though. The first time I used a plastiv mallet and the second time I used steel, tried to speed things up and it cost me some parts. Oh well, now I have an excuse to ride up to Oroville to Huntington's. There's a gun store there that would make you proud and they're next door to RCBS.(I think it's called Huntington's, if I remember it right.)

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testhop posted this 03 December 2009

one thing that may work isto put the die in the frezzer over night. brass strinks more than steel. then take a over size brass brush jamit in the case and turn. it may work .

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