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Thank goodness for my son Jamie (Blackburnbuccaneer) who luckily unlike his old man doesn't have arthritic hands.

Got two .308 cases stuck last week, one in each of our .308 FL sizing dies. Hadn't full-length sized cases in donkey's years, but had just bought 400 once-fired from Greenzone. Not sure what the problem was exactly - used Hornady One-Shot lube, always used to use the white stuff from RCBS/Lee - much gnashing of teeth and Anglo Saxon language.

Phoned up the nice lady at Hannams late on Thursday afternoon, ordered a Hornady stuck case remover - arrived yesterday afternoon. Jamie has worked his magic with drills and taps and the other gizmos and both dies are now free of stuck cases. Dies cleaned in ultrasonic cleaner, squeaky clean.

Ordered a pot of Redding Imperial lube wax from Spud1967 - hopefully sizing the rest of the batch of cases will be less eventful.

Thanks Jamie.

What do you use in the ultrasonic cleaner to clean the dies? My FL ones are a bit gunky inside. Thanks.

Just hot water and a drop or two of washing-up liquid - ten minutes and they sparkled inside and out, propably didn't need ten minutes.

For £19.95 that little Ultrasonic Cleaner from Lidl is a superb little tool - great for cases, reloading gear, gun parts - love it, shame it only takes 25 .308 cases at a time, but still processes over 100 per hour.

I have a 308 die with half a case stuck in it - the base ripped off when pulling out - any ideas to etch it out without totalling the die?

It got stuck FLR using that white Lee grease I now use DAX & have done 3000 with no problems other than having to clean the die as suggested above & the cases after sizing - spoon of persil + hot water & stir with a brush in a washing bowel then oven dry.

hitchphil wrote:I have a 308 die with half a case stuck in it - the base ripped off when pulling out - any ideas to etch it out without totalling the die?

Can't you free it the normal way? If not like the example on the right then the one on the left?

Freezing before you pull can help (esp on 'Superfreeze' setting).
..

Tried to pull it as per left & it ripped it in half bit like picture right but much further up the case toward the neck not enough metal to thread into - didn't freeze it though - will do that next time good point.

Need to dissolve it out have tried washing & cleaning & its just stuck hard. Bought another die but if could recover this one......

Ours were absolutely stuck fast, but the Hornady case puller (£19.95 from Hannams) did the job well and saved two dies, one of which was brand new.

Phil how about ammonia?

Charlie Muggins wrote:Phil how about ammonia?

Pee on it - seriously!

if the case expands so much on firing that re-sizing is so dodgy, why are you full length re-sizing for this rifle? I have couple of rifles that only require neck re-sizing and my 310 cadet and .43 Mauser are just re-filled.
Fred