... the bottom of the case wasn't lubed as I was just dabbing some on with my finger. I lubed the base of the half sized case and it finished easier.
Failure to properly lube the lower part of a case accounts for more sizing difficulty and stuck cases than anything else. A finger tip is a poor "paint brush", apply your lube with thumb and finger tips rolled and rubbed over each case as you pick it up to size; after you get the hang of it, and develop a rhythm, lubing will add no more than a couple seconds to your sizing time.
No thin brass neck will collapse during seating any bullet that can set on/in the case mouth after flairing, the necks WILL expand to accept any reasonable bullets. The only thing I know of that will set a neck back in collapse is having the seater's crimp ring set much too low. When adjusted correctly, Lyman's M die does an excellent job of neck expanding & mouth flairing and it works equally well for both jacketed and cast bullets.
I've used Lyman's dies (and all others except Dillon) since '65 with complete satisfaction. The ONLY difficulty I have experienced with sizing by ANY dies has been my own failure to properly lube the cases in my learning days; no die can fix the loose nut holding the press lever.
Surprising but true, a mirror polish in a sizer is not easier to use. A soft matt finish holds case size lube in place much better than a high shine, that's why the cylinder walls of auto engines are never polished shiny!