I did a really dumb thing (stuck case related in the utmost sense of the words) ...

[poppy42]

Well I’ve been reloading since the 80s the only case I’ve ever gotten stuck is 223. Always from acquired brass and I suspect rounds they were fired out of a machine gun. With that being said there’s a way to get a stuck case out without destroying to die but I have no idea about one that’s got a bullet in it. As a matter of fact I have no idea why you were trying resize a loaded round but that’s besides the point. Things happen. If you decide to scrap the die before you start messing with it send me a PM I’ll send you the shipping and play with it I like a challenge. I don’t really think I’ll be successful but like I said I like a challenge.

[Brassmonkey]

So the rim is gone? Hmmm I would press the pill into the case hold it in with a piece of wire to get the powder to trickle out then proceed with less danger. Some fool told me I didn't need lube with carbide dies when I began to load .223 and I found out on the first case he was wrong.

[Conditor22]

Just brainstorming:
Wrap a 1/8" drill bit with tape so it just fits down the top, clamp the die in a vise and slowly drill a hole through the boolit. remove powder. enlarge the hole until you can get a lee decapping pin down there and tap out the primer

I disagree with what a previous poster wrote, the sizing die bod will size the case neck down smaller than the expanding ball and the expanding ball will bring it back out to size (some dies have 2 different expanders for different diameter boolits ie.7.62x39 )

on a side note, running a loaded case through the sizing die will downsize the boolit to where it usually falls out of the case.

[dtknowles]

flood with coolant (fill the top of the die with cutting fluid), drill out the bullet, drill slowly (makes less heat), dump the powder, decap and remove stuck case in the normal manner for stuck cases. It is the bullet stuck in the neck jamned into the neck of the sizer that is holding things tight, start with the smallest bit you can get in far enough to cut into the bullet, go up one drill size at a time. If it is a lead bullet, jacket lead or cast, you should be able to drill it out without much heating. Completly different story if it is a solid copper bullet.

Tim

[VariableRecall]

Perhaps you could get an awl or sharp steel item to poke a hole in the case so that you can soak the powder?

[Airborne Falcon]

Thank you Sir ... may I have another.

I deserve it. And that's putting it nicely.

I exhibit my shame for educational purposes and as a means of self-flagellation.

push the whole thing out with grease - I have a lathe so a threaded adapter to add a zirk fitting to the decap pin opening would be an afternoon task.

I wish I had the means to do that, along with the knowledge and the wherewithal.

I've done the same thing. as hard as it is getting to find dies, you might want to give this a try. Safety gear is a must as always.

Here is what I did.

I put the die in my vise (away from everything)
I used a fine tooth hack saw to very slowly cut between the primer and die.

This took a few minutes of slowly cutting. I used some cutting oil to help keep everything cool.

After the primer was out of the way, I dumped the powder and soaked the die in some Kroil. I was then able to use a bolt to gently thread it into the case and pulled it out.

My next course of action ... although I might try drilling small holes in the upper rim and injecting some fluid up in there with a hypodermic needle or something ... I dunno.

I have an ingrained fear of blowing my face off.

I have done something similar. I do not recommend/promise anything but here is what I would do.

1. Drill two opposite holes through the web 1/16" diameter, shake out as much powder as you can.
2. Through the two holes you drilled. Fill the primer flash hole with WD40 and leave it soak for a couple days, repeat. This should kill the primer.
3. Drill out carefully the primer, use a sharp ice pick like tool to remove the the dead primer.
4. Take a smaller that bullet diameter brass punch and drive the bullet back into case. This should relieve pressure on the neck.
5. Heat die up with propane torch and drive out case. I have done this with success.
Not cherry red, just hot enough to upset the metal and allow for separation.
As a welder I have done this many times on stuck or broken bolts and seized nuts.
Stick the die in the vice and keep tapping and heating until it lets go.

Not for faint of heart but with the powder gone and a dead primer I don't see a problem.
Let me know how you fare.

That's sort of the way I was leaning ... if I can know for sure that all the powder is out and the primer is deactivated. Then I'm thinking ... if I can just gently remove the base, primer and all, then dump powder ... it would leave one helluva stuck case and pill in the die but I could go-to-town heating and freezing and banging and making this dang inanimate object pay for its transgressions against me.

I would consider going the other direction (down) using a drill press. Here is my thoughts/logic:

(1) Any action against the Primer could set off the "Live Round" which in essence is currently contained in a barrel (the die) with an open chamber (the base sticking out of the die). Should the primer be triggered; then the bullet will be expelled from one end with the ability to harm/maim/kill someone - while the gases generated from the other end will push the primer out at best; but probably also rupture the portion of the brass not inside the die and sending potential shrapnel out the end.

(2) If I were attempt to work this problem personally; I would place the die with the bullet end up in a drill press. Pass a small diameter mill bit (.198 or less?) onto the nose of the bullet to make a flat nose area. If this were not done then the next step could skew the bit to the side wallow the die). I would then use a drill bit of say .195 diameter or slightly less to drill through the bullet all the way to the powder. Remove the drill shavings. Take the die and shake out the powder through the drilled hole in the bullet. Then the primer could be "Popped" and use a stuck shell remover such as RCBS to pull the case and remnants.

(3) DANGER WILL ROBINSON DANGER Warning. If I were to attempt this - I would recognize that the Bullet End of the Die could have a live round come out of it. This would:

(a) potentially damage/ruin the drill press and could send shrapnel ut from the impact. A shield of some sort should be implemented.
(b) potentially send shrapnel from the exposed base should the round go off. A shield in this area should be implemented.


Now - In my youth I might have tried this. But; the older we get we often become Risk Averse. My recommendation is that you go to Brownnel's or other site and order a Small Base Sizing Die for $40.00 plus shipping. An order now will be placed on back order and filled when available. https://www.brownells.com/reloading/...rod111554.aspx

This is a much safer solution, and as it is 5.56/.223 we are speaking of - somewhere along the way you will probably acquire brass that was shot in Machine Guns and the base will be oversize and need to be sized in a small base sizer or thrown away.

Yeah ... all of the dangers you noted are noted and well taken.

My face read along with me and said, "don't blow me off ... I'm your face ... you need me."

I am seriously giving drilling down through the bullet some thought though ... after I somehow manage to get the ignitables removed.

[Scrounge]

Thought about that but then I thought that pill being squeezed in that sizing die like it ... looking down in there .... no way I could possibly generate enough inertia to cause that bullet to release. Plus I factory taper crimped those bad boys. Just slightly, but still.

7/8-14 die? Got an appropriate nut? Screw it in the nut, grab the nut with vise grips, and whack a wooden table until the bullet pops out. Then drop it in a bucket of water, oil, or alcohol to kill the primer, and decap. Then do the stuck brass thing, and get the shell out of the die.

[Scrounge]

flood with coolant (fill the top of the die with cutting fluid), drill out the bullet, drill slowly (makes less heat), dump the powder, decap and remove stuck case in the normal manner for stuck cases. It is the bullet stuck in the neck jamned into the neck of the sizer that is holding things tight, start with the smallest bit you can get in far enough to cut into the bullet, go up one drill size at a time. If it is a lead bullet, jacket lead or cast, you should be able to drill it out without much heating. Completly different story if it is a solid copper bullet.

Tim

Disregard my previous post, and follow this one! Scrounge/Bill

[onelight]

you could file a cut around the base of the case
with a dovetail file with the safe side against the die.
Or try hand drilling with a sharp drill bit that will fit in a screw drive handle at about a 45* angle up away from the case head in the extractor groove and or you could try this submerged in water to keep it cool and getaway with a really slow power drill or yankee drill .

[pastera]

Drill press? Yes, then use it as a ghetto lathe
Chuck up a hardwood dowel and go at it with a rasp/file until you have a section that will fit tight into the die and extend down to the bullet tip.
grab a NEW small drill bit and clamp it in your drill press vise (if you don't have one this can be hacked too) and align under the center of the dowel (still chucked). Lower the drill press spindle slowly and watch the tip of the drill bit when it just contacts. move the vise the way the bit moved. Once you don't see movement then drill the dowel to create a centering bushing.
Now with the bushing you can drill through the bullet without the bit getting pushed off center.
Just work your way up drill sizes until you can fit a decapping pin through (You can use your new ghetto lathe to make one from 1/16 bit and 3/16 round stock or dowel)

Drilling the bullet isn't an issue - brass, copper and lead don't spark. As long as you don't go nuts on it while drilling nothing will get hot enough for anything bad to happen.
If you are uncertain then flood the hole with oil or rubbing alcohol (a very good cutting fluid for soft, gummy metals)

[leadhead]

Just throw the whole dang thing in the river and buy a new die.....
Better than having a K-boom and loosing body parts or worse.
leadhead

[cwtebay]

I believe there's enough room there to use a tubing cutter on the case, shouldn't create too much heat with that.
Can also start an appropriately sized nut onto the case head and use a wrench to "screw" it out.
Also can use an inverted can of compressed air directed at the case to shrink the brass before trying to pull it again.

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

[ih772]

That's what you get for calling the bullet a pill.

I wish you the best getting it apart safely.

[Airborne Falcon]

So here's where I stand at the moment.

I was able to use the decapping nut as a guide ... screwed it back down into the top of the resizing die as far as it would go and took a drill bit wrapped in tape so as not to damage the threads on the locking nut (thank you to whomever recommended that very important step) and was subsequently able to slowly drill through the pill (having flattened-it actually helped) until I got all the way through into the case and powder. I had filled the cavity, as I was drilling slowly, with Kroil and it all drained into the case and flooded the powder when I punched through. When I pulled the bit out and knocked out all the jacket shavings a lot of gunk saturated powder came out with the shavings.

I refilled the case with Kroil a couple of times, let it soak for awhile, then kept repeating the process knocking out shavings and powder gunk ... and then refilled the case and let it soak some more.

Next step ... try to tap the base, thickest part just above the rim, and punch through to make sure the Kroil has saturated all the way down to the primer.

[Joe504]

Wont brass and steel contract differently in cold temps?

Could you use dry ice to freez the entire thing, and then pull the round put that way??



Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[smithnframe]

In post #26 I am quoted but I can’t find my original post........what gives? Not PC I assume!

[Airborne Falcon]

Well I’ve been reloading since the 80s the only case I’ve ever gotten stuck is 223. Always from acquired brass and I suspect rounds they were fired out of a machine gun. With that being said there’s a way to get a stuck case out without destroying to die but I have no idea about one that’s got a bullet in it. As a matter of fact I have no idea why you were trying resize a loaded round but that’s besides the point. Things happen. If you decide to scrap the die before you start messing with it send me a PM I’ll send you the shipping and play with it I like a challenge. I don’t really think I’ll be successful but like I said I like a challenge.

Yep, same here, .223 is the bane of my existence. It is the only thing that has ever caused me stuck case problems and I've always tried to follow good case prep and resizing practices ... until I did this incredibly stoopid thing.

Just throw the whole dang thing in the river and buy a new die.....
Better than having a K-boom and loosing body parts or worse.
leadhead

Would have already done that, believe me, were it not for the fact that .223 dies are hard to come-by these days. I'll have two sets next time the opportunity presents itself.

That's what you get for calling the bullet a pill.

I wish you the best getting it apart safely.

haha ... yeah, the "pill" thing comes from years in the military. Hard habit to break. (Now that Chicago song is gonna be stuck in my head the rest of the day darnit.)

Wont brass and steel contract differently in cold temps?

Could you use dry ice to freez the entire thing, and then pull the round put that way??

I'm seriously going to give that a try now that I think I have the explosives inactive ... hopefully.

So I got the base tapped and the Kroil seeped-out so I know it is saturated. I'm going to plug the hole now and fill it up with WD-40 and let it soak overnight (although the Kroil is probably just as good at penetrating if not better in some ways) ... and then I am going to drill this primer out tomorrow and hold my breath.

Once I get that primer out (I've tried decapping it from the topside down and couldn't punch through ... I think part of the bullet blocking the way) I can get this thing unstuck hopefully.

[nhyrum]

Redacted

[Moleman-]

How big of a hole in the bullet did you make? Big enough to make a skinny decapping rod made from some 1/8" rod? It only has to work once.

[remy3424]

Maybe keep drilling-out the bullet, stepping up in bit size until the biggest allowed is used. That pressure the die is putting the case neck is going to be a crazy lot! That bullet is going to have to collapse/relax a little before that death grip is let loose. I think you are going to totally redeem yourself!