Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Help needed: 308 military brass resizing problem

I bought some LC LR 03 308 brass from someone on this sight. It is suppossed to be 1X fired. In trying to resize this brass it resizes fine until the case is about 1/8 of an inch from being fully in the die. I have tried 3 different lubes, hornaday, powdered graphite and lanolin. I am using a lyman die that I have resized probably 1000 cases with within the last 2 years. I have also tried 2 different presses, RCBS rock chuker and an old cast iron Herters press. I have adjusted the die as well and nothing seems to work.

When I have been able to get the case in the die, it does resize and does chamber in my savage Model 12. It requires so much force I am starting to worry about breaking my reloading bench. Think old wood and a 286 lb human.

What is going on here? Has the brass been stretched alot in front of the base? What can I do to fix it?

Thanks
DR

Imperial die wax.Rick.

What is that? What does it do? Where can I get it?

BTW, how are you? I am the guy that came by your house about a year ago on my way back from Charleston.

Brownells, Sinclair, midway, Midsouth and local vendors. It is a very small round tin of slick as owl snot wax. A little between your thumb and forefinger, and give the brass a twirl. Make sure to never skip lubing all the way down to the head of the brass. I am convinced that missing that step will cause brass to stick in your die more than any other reason, besides not lubing at all. Found this out the HARD way.

Another endorsement of Imperial sizing die wax. I've used everything else, this stuff is the BEST! And yes, get it all the way down to the head.

Sometimes, especially if you "need" to get the brass - especially military surp- sized in order to fit, you may need to get a small base die (like the excellent one Redding sells). Another really fine lube for difficult brass is the red stuff made by Rooster Labs for reforming brass. It's sticky but works very well. (I have even been able to squeeze mil-surp brass down using the lightweight little RCBS Partner press with the combo.)

Quickly check to see if the primer pockets snugly hold primers.

It is remotely possible that the cases were fired at high pressure. This will expand the case head, and make it difficult to reform the brass.

The pocket actually stretches more than the case head, so checking primer pockets may be the fast way to test.

Another +1 for Imperial.

I may be 1X fired, but that was probably full auto based on the problems you are having resizing them.

crisco is all i use now.

+1 more on Imperial die wax. Its now sold and owned by Redding. Good stuff.

The problem you have is what others have mentioned, that brass was most likely fired the first time in a machine gun of some sort. Machine guns aren't known to have nice and tight "Match" grade chambers, and full auto fire tends to make things a little looser yet once they heat up. All the military cares is that it goes bang once. This is also why military 308 brass is quite a bit thicker at the head than most commercial brass and requires a reduction in powder charge. Other than that, welcome to the world of cheap shoots

Does military .308 brass have a crimpted in chamber?

The priming punch could be hitting the primer, not allowing the brass to go all the way in.

Thanks for the advice guys. The Imperial wax will be ordered tomorrow.

The guy has edited his add and no longer shows the brass. I am guessing it was shot in an M-14.

No crimped in primers, besides I deprimed before resizing.

Sounds more like some brass fired from an M-60. You may want to be sure that it has not been stretched too much. This is where case head seperations become a possibility.

I remember you stopping by the house, think you got some primers from me. I think the Imperial will solve your problem, if not send me a few cases and I will try to help.Rick.

Are you depriming prior to resizing? Your problem is occurring about where depriming would occur.

Yep that was me.

Depriming is not the issue. I believe this stuff may have been fired in an M-14 and been stretched.

Imperial die wax will make the resizing as easy as possible.
Military (thick) brass will take more force to resize.
With Imperial you will not stick cases.
Good luck!

If it's LR brass I doubt it's been fired in a 60 or a 240. I would try to add a little more lube. I used to use brass that was fired out of machine guns for throw away stuff, and I would use extra lube to resize.
LR brass, at least what I use, doesn't have a crimped primer.

The spray on lube will stick cases for sure.

If you have a 45acp carbide die remove the decapping rod and run your brass through it first. It will only squeeze the web area of your brass.
+1 on the resizing wax.

Hey, that's a good tip - will remember that one.

Haven't tried the Imperial, but Hornady /Unique/ case lube has worked better for me than any other case lube on military brass. Great online reviews as well.

Imperial Sizing Die Wax

Stuck cases and difficult resizing were a problem for brass fired in my M1A. Replacing the spray lube with Hornady Unique lube fixed the former; Rockchucker fixed the latter.

Just got a couple cans Imperial. Works great on those LC cases.

Ha! An old thread but since somebody else posted...

Tried most of the mentioned lubes, but another stands head and shoulders above the others.

CFL-56 Case forming gel from Meister Bullets. After you are worn out and fixing to pop an artery - try some (you'll go WTF!) I'd estimate at least 50% less effort.

I won't use anything else to process cases for my M1A.

Meister Bullets

I will try some, have 2000 more LC 308 cases

Youper beat me to it. Semi or full-auto chambers are looser than a Savage model 12 (or any bolt gun for that fact). That is why they make the small base full length resizing dies.

And +1 on the Imperial die wax. Its the only stuff I've use for many a year.

HaYen

I got that 1000 308's done. That should take me out. I have around 3000 ready to load.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This
Works great and a lot cheaper than a small base die. 357 carbide works well for 222/223 brass also.