Resize die scratching brass

[Muggins]

My resize die occasionally gets excess material embedded in the carbide ring and then scratches the brass casing during resize. It starts with a single vertical scratch then quickly escalates to multiple vertical scratches as additional material gets embedded in the carbide ring then more and more vertical scratches appear in the brass.  I tumble my brass for several hours in corn cob media before resizing with Hornady dies. I’ve sent the resize die back to hornady twice before for them to clean and polish the die back. I reloaded thousands of rounds before the first time it happened, then a couple thousand before it got gunked up again. I purchased another resize die thinking that maybe I just needed to replace that particular die, but now the new one too has a bit of garbage stuck inside the die that I can’t remove. I tried spraying the die with brake cleaner then attacking with a bronze brush in a drill. Soaking the die in brake cleaner then again attacking with an oversized bronze brush. I’ve pounded a wooden dowel inside trying to dislodge, and then I’ve tried Flitz polish to try and clean it.  I clean the dies every 500 rounds or so in an attempt to prevent this now frequent occurrence. 
 

Since this has happened more than once to two separate Hornady dies resizing 38 special brass I’m assuming I’m doing something wrong.  I’m culling split cases and necks but maybe some of the older brass is depositing material inside the die? I’m at a loss for what is causing this and I can’t seem to get the gunk out. Sending the dies back to hornady every 5k rounds doesn’t seem to jive with what other reloaders are doing. I’m sure the fellows with the blue machines will tell me to just buy the blue Dillion dies, but before I do, any insight on what I might be doing wrong?

 

Picture has one vertical scratch down the center. It’s hard to see with the reflection on the brass, but it’s there - the other spots and lines are just the reflection. 

 

[Kid Rich]

Try making sure your brass is CLEAN before you resize it. Maybe you will have to rinse it with soapy water and then clean water after it is cleaned in the corncob mixture.

 By the way that piece of brass in your picture is not clean, look down by the base.

kR

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

Do you clean your brass before reloading? 

What brand is the size die?

[Eyesa Horg]

It also looks like the issue I've had with brass filings. The mouth looks rough as did mine. Maybe the brass is just plain old or needs annealing. I switched to brand new brass and will see how it does. I was concerned it was due to wet tumbling as I never had the issue with corncob.

Are you possibly putting too much in the hopper dinging up the mouths?

Good Luck

[Boggus Deal #64218]

If you’re wet tumbling, are you lubing the cases? I know the dies are carbide but after wet tumbling, they still need some lube.

[Boggus Deal #64218]

Never mind. I see your tumbling with corn cob. I still lube with Hornady One Shot.

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

Do you add anything to the corncob to clean the brass?

I use a couple of shotglasses worth of Turtle Wax Polishing Compound. 

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

A cap full of paint thinner and a used dryer sheet are always added to my vibrator bowl media when I clean brass.   I use Lizard Litter (walnut hulls) because it CLEANS brass better than corncob does (which is very soft, not at all abrasive).    The dryer sheet because it sucks up the dirt and grime that comes off the brass, leaving my media pretty clean and dust free, and the brass even better.  Only run my vibratory cleaning cycle about 30 minutes.  And I spray Hornady One Shot case lube on all pistol cases before sizing.

 

I would say you are trying to size somewhat dirty cases without any lube.    Did Hornady give you any recommendations about what they thought?

 

I find I like RCBS or Dillon carbide dies much better than Hornady.  good luck, GJ

[Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971]

Plus one to crushed walnut hulls, dyer sheets and automotive polishing compound.  BTW, crushed walnut media is available at Harbor Freight as blasting media at $28/25-lbs.  A box lasts me for years.

[Rip Snorter]

2 minutes ago, Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971 said:

Plus one to crushed walnut hulls, dyer sheets and automotive polishing compound.  BTW, crushed walnut media is available at Harbor Freight as blasting media at $28/25-lbs.  A box lasts me for years.

Also at PetSmart Reptile Bedding.

[Muggins]

I add this stuff and a dryer sheet. Maybe there’s too much brass in the hopper when I tumble. Maybe the media is too old. Some of the cases were range brass pickups with BP residue that doesn’t seem to come off when tumbled in the corn cob. It all looks shiny when I take it out after two hours except for those cases that have some BP marks. 

[Von Dutch, SASS # 7995]

About 40 years ago I had that problem with RCBS carbide dies so I called RCBS and they ask me if I had sized any Nickle plated shells and I told them I had and they told me that Nickel was hard enough to get embedded in the carbide die. Sent the die to RCBS they fix it for free. I never reload nickel brass again and I have never had that problem again! They said if a particles of brass get stuck on the carbide die to use some Flitz polish on a polishing wheel and a dremel tool and it would polish out! And I have had to do that and that work.

[I. M. Crossdraw, SASS# 8321]

I agree with the pards to use crushed walnut media as this media will remove the accumulated gunk on the brass wall.  Corn cob media will only put polish on a clean brass but will not remove the gunk.  I use wet tumbling for both BP and smokeless brass. 

 

In the case of the Hornaday dies, I had this experience of scratching the brass during sizing due to accumulated gunk on brass wall, this is the reason I went to wet tumbling rather than dry tumbling.  I also use a 1500 grit emery cloth wrap on a dowel rod and just rub it on inside the carbide ring and that removed those crud that accumulated on the ring and that solved the problem, no more scratched brass.  This worked for me.

[Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971]

1 hour ago, Muggins said:

I add this stuff and a dryer sheet. Maybe there’s too much brass in the hopper when I tumble. Maybe the media is too old. Some of the cases were range brass pickups with BP residue that doesn’t seem to come off when tumbled in the corn cob. It all looks shiny when I take it out after two hours except for those cases that have some BP marks. 

 

The tarnish on brass fired with black powder comes off more slowly than other surface material.  The brass reloads fine with some of the tarnish remaining.  I shoot some black powder and just set aside the discolored brass for another reload with black powder.  I do this just for esthetics as the discoloring does not affect how the brass loads and shoots.

 

Your brass polish sells for ~$10/8-oz.  Automotive rubbing compound sells for ~$7/18-oz.  It works as well as Frankfort Arsenal Brass Polish and is available without shipping.

[El Sobrante Kid]

If you buy a a brass polish that is not specifically made for cartridge cases, be VERY SURE that it DOES NOT have Ammonia as an ingredient. The ammonia can react with the copper in the brass and could weaken the case.

[WOODFOX , sass#34179]

I had the same problem with my Dillon die for my 45's I called Dillon and they told me to polish the die with a Dremel or whatever you have with polishing band . There will be brass particles stuck to the I.D. of the die if it's a carbide die you won't hurt it .Unless you use a diamond wheel 

 

 

[Cinch]

If ever in a jail with carbide bars you can escape by rubbing nickel brass on them. 

[Bullett Sass 19707]

Had the same problem with 38 357 dies RCBS.  These were steel dies and I sent them back to RCBS 4 times.  They never were right and always put major scratches  that were so deep you could feel them.  I bought a lee resizing die and dont use the RCBS and problem went away.  I use walnut media from the pet store and I have sized nickel cases.  Bullett 

[Rip Snorter]

Simply, you must only ever process clean brass and clean your dies when there is any visible coating.  How do I know?  Glass, particularly armor glass is harder than dog claws, but embedded grit in their toenails is hard enough to do harm.  I have Hornady, RCBS, Dillon and before that CH.  Clean dies and clean brass no issues in decades of reloading.  I have a used Lee set as yet untried, but it has been better than half a century since I have used Lee.  Inspect, clean as needed and operate will be the keys.

[watab kid]

can i ask why this bothers you so much ,?if you do as sugested it wont happen but really id it the end of the worlds that it did ? 

[Bullett Sass 19707]

If I understand your question this very much shortened the life of the brass.  It spits much faster and possible while used in the rifle causes more difficult or lack of proper extraction.  Bullett

[Muggins]

Thanks for all the suggestions and tips.  I think when I run out of cobb I'll give walnut a try in the tumbler.  I like shiny brass, but I'll settle for clean brass with hopefully less gunk sticking in the die.

[watab kid]

6 hours ago, Bullett Sass 19707 said:

If I understand your question this very much shortened the life of the brass.  It spits much faster and possible while used in the rifle causes more difficult or lack of proper extraction.  Bullett

i get that - if that is the issue , ive not had it with my walnut media , but mine arent shiny new either - they dont need to be in this game , but hey ill not cast stones at those that like theirs like "new" its a personal thing to be sure 

 

2 hours ago, Muggins said:

Thanks for all the suggestions and tips.  I think when I run out of cobb I'll give walnut a try in the tumbler.  I like shiny brass, but I'll settle for clean brass with hopefully less gunk sticking in the die.

add used dryer sheets to the mix , it mitigates the dust well and adds a little slick without adding anything else , 

im ok with less than shiny brass , but i agree on not damaging to increase the decline of its useful life , ive not had issues with my walnut media - and used dryer sheets , im getting way over 20 reloads per piece on the ones ive tracked , i cant say on those ive not tracked - i really dont care as i have somuch at this point that im fixed for life as at 75 my life is now limited 

[Lead Monger]

The Hornady dies have a TN coating that crap gets embedded in. I like to use the less expensive Lee carbide dies for sizing brass without lube. The Lee dies are less expensive to replace if it ever gets scratched. RCBS makes a nice carbide sizer die also but it is more expensive.

[watab kid]

6 hours ago, Lead Monger said:

The Hornady dies have a TN coating that crap gets embedded in. I like to use the less expensive Lee carbide dies for sizing brass without lube. The Lee dies are less expensive to replace if it ever gets scratched. RCBS makes a nice carbide sizer die also but it is more expensive.

ive been using carbide dies since i started this game