Having issue with forming brass

[Hi state]

Ive having issues with my lee 300blk full length sizing dies. The die is threaded to the shell holder and turned in almost half turn more.I need to run the brass (been using Lc,fed223 and cbc)through the die around 2-3 times for it to fit the min. chamber dimension (go gauge spec.)in my Sheridan gauge properly. On the first size it only sizes to slightly (.003) under the max. chamber dimension (no go gauge spec.)and on the second to third size I see brass shavings on the shoulder of the case I'm using hornady unique sizing lube. I've turned the die half turn in but can't get the brass to the min brass dimension (saami spec.). After running the brass through the die a couple of time I've loaded a dummy round to check feeding, chambering and extracting in my 300blk AR rifle and it seems to have no problems but it can't be good for the brass to have to be ran that many times. Any advise would be appreciated thanks and happy fathers day to all u dads...

[reiney]

Hello from NM!

I am using the Lee dies and having pretty good luck; at least with the sizing die.

I've cut down a few dozen rounds of .223 brass using various methods (hack saw, dremel, bandsaw, etc.)
and I'm decapping and resizing with the Lee Pacesetter die. I would make sure that your case length is
good after you cut (I'm assuming you are processing your own since you mentioned .223), and that you have
deburred and chamfered, and lubed the case before you resize. I'm using a case trimmer from
LittleCrowGunworks that is really great. So basically, you need to have decent looking cases before you
ever stick them in the resize die. I am also using the Sheridan gauge and I check both cases and finished rounds
and rework or recycle any that don't pass. I'm using Imperial Sizing Wax for lube and I like it.

You should not be seeing any brass shavings anywhere. The resize die doesn't "trim". If you have shavings then
your case is too long or you have burrs or other case-prep issues.

[Hi state]

Hello from NM!

I am using the Lee dies and having pretty good luck; at least with the sizing die.

I've cut down a few dozen rounds of .223 brass using various methods (hack saw, dremel, bandsaw, etc.)
and I'm decapping and resizing with the Lee Pacesetter die. I would make sure that your case length is
good after you cut (I'm assuming you are processing your own since you mentioned .223), and that you have
deburred and chamfered, and lubed the case before you resize. I'm using a case trimmer from
LittleCrowGunworks that is really great. So basically, you need to have decent looking cases before you
ever stick them in the resize die. I am also using the Sheridan gauge and I check both cases and finished rounds
and rework or recycle any that don't pass. I'm using Imperial Sizing Wax for lube and I like it.

You should not be seeing any brass shavings anywhere. The resize die doesn't "trim". If you have shavings then
your case is too long or you have burrs or other case-prep issues.

Hi reiney thanks for the reply yes I'm processing my own .223/5.56 brass after being once fired. Method I was doing was decapping the brass then swaging them with my Dillion super swage,cutting them off at the shoulder, deburring the cut then sizing them through the lee 300blk dies. After the first run through the die I would trim to 1.360 using a possum hollow trimmer debur and check through my Sheridan gauge that's when I noticed that the case not seating in the gauge so I ran it through the die and it would eventually bump the shoulder enough to be at the min. Chamber dimension but also noticed the small amount of fine brass shaving on the shoulder of the case

[rjacobs]

Lee dies. Therein lies your problem. I have not read a ton of good things on here about the Lee 300blk dies. I think a few people even had to have theirs swapped out.

[Hi state]

Lee dies. Therein lies your problem. I have not read a ton of good things on here about the Lee 300blk dies. I think a few people even had to have theirs swapped out.

Thanks I guess I'll have to call Lee up tomorrow and ask them what's going on..

[reiney]

I cut the cases, debur inside and out, file off any rough edges, etc; then lube
and resize. Might be your type of brass. The "Good, Bad, Ugly" brass thread has just been
updated. Could be a case thickness issue, which might explain why you have to run
them through several times.

I researched 300 BO reloading pretty heavily before I jumped in and there are posts on
here from people who are having success with *all* of the different dies. To me, that seems
to indicate that all of them will work; once you've figured out your particular "system" for the
combination of press, dies, and raw materials that you are working with.

[Hi state]

I thought it might be the brass also that's why I tried using different types of brass but all of them are doing the same thing so as of now I think the brass is not the problem I also measured case thickness and all are around .011-.012.I also deburr the inside and outside of the mouth and lube before sizing. I'll go and read through that brass thread but I thought many people were having success with LC brass.

[RobertMT]

I was having issues with my Lee die also. It was leaving shoulder too high, not enough headspace, for my tight chambered SOTA AR barrel. I ended up stoneing, 0.002" off my shell holder. I measured both my 300BLK die shellholder (0.249" thick) and 223 shellholder (0.252"), I stoned it to 0.247" thick, giving me extra 0.002" headspace.

[Zapp]

A lot of the commercial ammo I have seen seems to sit between the go and no-go gauge level. This is where the max saami brass length is, and it appears most manufacturers are making it closer to the max than the min. But only .003 under the no go gauge level is too long.

Did you try the brass in your rifles chamber after the first resize?

[Hi state]

A lot of the commercial ammo I have seen seems to sit between the go and no-go gauge level. This is where the max saami brass length is, and it appears most manufacturers are making it closer to the max than the min. But only .003 under the no go gauge level is too long.

Did you try the brass in your rifles chamber after the first resize?

No I didn't try to chamber those that were .003 under the no go level thinking that was to close. I only chambered the ones that I put through the die a couple of times those were measuring around .001-.002 above the go gauge level.