I'm thinking of putting the die in a vice and, using a 1/4" rod inserted through the neck, hitting the rod with a hammer. That is not cast in stone so am open to any suggestions. Right now I have the head sitting in a jar of Liquid Wrench hoping some seeps through. I did buy a new resizing die but if I can save the old one I'll return the die I just bought. Thanks for any ideas.
I helped a local guy (new to reloading) a couple weeks ago with the same situation....broken tap and all.
First...
don't clamp the die in a vise.
Since the case is tapered, you only have to move it a small amount for it to come free. The die needs to be held solidly so it's the case that moves, not the die, when you smack it. And w/o damaging the die.
Just screw the die back into the press and tighten it down. Since you have the internals removed, use a steel rod or bolt from the top and with it resting on the top of the broken tap, smack the rod/bolt with a hammer that's heavy enough so you don't have to swing it at warp speed...let the weight of the hammer do the work.
Once the case is out, you can tidy up the inside of the die with some steel wool wrapped around a bore mop or brush with a bit of JB, Iosso, Flitz, etc. in a drill.
Hope this helps. -Al
