Straight walled case head separation in sizing die

[Echd]

Here's a new one (to me...)

I was depriming some 45-70 brass of indeterminate age when one actually ripped off the head in the sizing die. The entire head, pop! It looked like someone had neatly cut it with a hacksaw. The only time I've seen anything similar is with 303 british in rifles, and I used a broken shell extractor for that. My extractor won't fit a 45-70, unfortunately, and as its a straightwall case I'm a bit skeptical of how much good it would do anyway. Brass was lubed with Redding imperial, so I guess it was just time for that piece to die.

Is there a good cheap recourse to this? I can't figure how to get a piece of brass like this out. I've only ever stuck a piece in dies before without breaking off the head, so I'm not sure how I will find any purchase for a threaded tool.

[MT Chambers]

You could try a tight fitting brass or steel brush that will enter but not pull out, figure out a way to use the press to pull that brush and the case out.

[country gent]

Depending on what tools you have available it may be tricky. There are several things you can try. First is to remove the decapping rod from the die body. Hopefully the die has the larger threads for the decapping rod. Fit a dowel to the case and glue into case with super glue or good epoxy and let cure. then install in press and lightly ap with a punch thru the die body. ay work and be best bet. You can also try a 50 cal bronze brush push into case on cleaning rod and pull out may bring the case with it if not stuck to tight. Turning while pulling out may help break it loose. Freeze over night the thin brass case should shrink more than the die body does and can be pulled with brush. Trying to work a steel ice pick or awl in between the case and die to collapse it will likely result in scratches in the die body.Soaking in a copper solvent may help to loosen it also but takes alot of time to work thru. I have removed cases by using the fitted dowel and epoxy with good results. Clean inside of case roughen wood dowel with coarsest sand paper available, roughen inside of case clean both with alchlol and let dry. Mix epoxy and very carefully spread in case up from edge insert dowel just short of case mouth and let cure. with a punch tap it out. If small threaded hole a long bolt may be found of correct thread size to use as a thread jack to push it out that way. Normally once the move a little bit they drop right out.

[.22-10-45]

You might try forcing a bolt to cut it's own threads a turn or two in broken case..just make sure it's outside dia. is smaller than I.D. of die. and tap out. I used this method to remove a broken .22 Hornet case from chamber once.

[EDG]

You can cast a plug of cerrosafe inside of the case body and knock it out or just put the die in a small container of Hoppes #9 for a week or two and let the Hoppes destroy the brass.

[Echd]

I'll give the solvent method a shot, it's just a Lee size die so it's not worth too much material expense or brainpower, and I don't have any cerro safe handy. Thanks for the insight!

[Ballistics in Scotland]

It sounds like this was a case which was close to head separation anyway. If you simply forgot to lube it, I think the rim would have come away from the head. So it is worth probing with a wire hook inside the others you have, in case one more is ready to go.

The first thing I would try would be filing a piece of brass to a point, and driving it between the case and the die, reducing it to a D shape with the usually straight part concave. Mild steel wouldn't harm a die, which is probably nitrided. Another possibility is to anneal a carbon steel hacksaw blade, try it on the lip of the die which doesn't contact brass to make sure it doesn't scratch, and saw a slot into the brass. A high speed steel blade won't anneal, and will scratch, but I think all the blades made for the small junior hacksaw are carbon, and narrow enough to go inside the case. If it isn't stiff enough to saw without being in a hacksaw frame, you could bend a strip of metal double to make a stiff back for it, like a mitre saw.
I think simply screwing in a bolt would just tighten the case in the die. Tapping the tube might be better. A 12mm. tap might be right. Then I would epoxy the bolt into the case, and drive it out from the top.

[Echd]

The hacksaw is an interesting idea. Might give that a shot.

And yeah, this brass wad a grab bag I got from a gun show dirt cheap. Dinged up necks, grimy... but with some cleaning most all of it has been very usable.

[noylj]

If carbide die, you might be able to size another case and have it lift up the remaining case.
Brass brush has worked for me in a barrel when I got a case separation when the round fired--came right out.
Could call Lee and ship it back and have them take care of it.