Lyman M die with 32-20 case stuck, really stuck

[ohland]

I recovered a Lyman M die plug w/stem that has a 32-20 case stuck on it and the rim about half gone.

Looking at the case, it appears the plug is over half-way down the case. The plug number is not on the knurled stem, so it must be on the tip of the sizing plug inside the case. I will make a guess that it is a longer "R" plug since it looks to be into the case@ 1/2".

How could I proceed? My first guess is putting it into an M die body, drilling the primer pocket out and proceeding as with a stuck case...

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

Put penetrating oil on it right away. Give it a chance to work before you proceed with the stuck case remover. I would stand it up and pour some into the hole you drill through the primer pocket.

If it appears the stuck case remover will not do the trick, hit the case neck with a torch and try for another pull. Brass expands more than steel.

[Bent Ramrod]

If you hold the assembly on a flat hard surface and tap with a plastic hammer, while rotating, you should loosen the brass pretty quickly. Then pull it off with pliers.

I use a "311 R" expander for my .32-20s and have sometimes expanded the shells far enough so a .311 boolit sits in the shell 3/16" or so. Never had one stick, though. Is there enough rim left to read the brand of the brass?

[ReloaderFred]

Was this by any chance new Starline brass? They wash their brass in a strong detergent as the last step before packaging, so it needs some type of lube on the inside of the neck prior to sizing and expanding. I've had this problem with new Starline .38 Special brass, and even pulled a piece of brass in half, with half left stuck on the expander.

I used a cutting wheel in a Dremel tool and very, very carefully cut a groove lengthwise in the stuck brass, being very careful not to go all the way through the brass. With the groove in place, it was simple to pull the brass off with needle nose pliers. Then I had to polish the galled brass off the expander on a buffing wheel.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[ohland]

Is there enough rim left to read the brand of the brass?

Yes, it's late, I'll get it tomorrow.

[ohland]

I used a cutting wheel in a Dremel tool and very, very carefully cut a groove lengthwise in the stuck brass, being very careful not to go all the way through the brass. With the groove in place, it was simple to pull the brass off with needle nose pliers. Then I had to polish the galled brass off the expander on a buffing wheel.
Fred

Not sure of the maker right now (almost 10PM). The groove will be method #2 after d/t for stuck case...

[ohland]

Put penetrating oil on it right away. Give it a chance to work before you proceed with the stuck case remover. I would stand it up and pour some into the hole you drill through the primer pocket.

If it appears the stuck case remover will not do the trick, hit the case neck with a torch and try for another pull. Brass expands more than steel.

Have to see what I got. Not sure I have Kroil, might just be WD40.

[armprairie]

I have used a brass wood screw along with a socket and washers to pull out stuck cases. Just drill out the primer pocket a little smaller than the screw, slip the washers and the right size socket on and you'll pull it right out usually. Once I had to go down into the neck ID, but finding a brass screw the right size for the 32-20 would be tough.

[armprairie]

Whoops! I just realized you were talking about being stuck on the expander. Ignore above post, please.

[Mk42gunner]

If all else fails, you could heat the brass with a propane torch then grab the case with vise grips to pull it off the expander plug.

Robert

[blpenn66502]

I'd be careful putting it back in an M-die as when this happened the first time it is likely that the threads were partially stripped out on either the plug or the die when it got struck. Use your stuck case kit but I think all you really need to do is drill and tap, sufficiently secure the case and then use the bolt in the kit to push the plug back out.

[ohland]

but I think all you really need to do is drill and tap, sufficiently secure the case and then use the bolt in the kit to push the plug back out.

How the plug threads could be munged is a bit beyond me, but the ideal of d/t, then just screwing in a bolt seems to be pretty simple. Simple is good.

[Green Frog]

If all else fails, saw the rim off of the case and unscrew the expander stem up and out of the die. Hold the top of the stem firmly in a padded vise and peel the offending case off of the stem. This is the "nuclear option" but it should work for the small 32-20 case.

Froggie

[David2011]

Or try Froggie's solution before messing anything up. Always work on the cheapest part!

David

[ratitude]

I stuck a case on a trimmer pilot, twice actually, and successfully removed it after placing it in the deep freezer a while so it got good and cold. Always something to consider and is another tool in the tool box. This can be particularly effective with dry ice or liquid nitrogen on a thick wall section like a big bushing.