Broken sizing die?

[Valerko]

Can you break the sizing die?
I was reloading .45 ACP , when all of the sudden case came out of resizing die with a little ring around it.
Is die busted ? I can stick the ring back in , but it won't stay there. If I run a case thru it it pops out again.

http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/hh539/Valerko/semi/8BE9AB1A-B29D-4258-B4A9-1F30103F1328.jpg
http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/hh539/Valerko/semi/DDDB8494-B143-4156-B15C-EA74560C864F.jpg
http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/hh539/Valerko/semi/81E40881-D899-4BD7-A163-31C13E76CC1B.jpg
http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/hh539/Valerko/semi/A4AD453E-3F2E-4CD1-A74A-B1D7BAADEC13.jpg

[Idz]

Looks like the carbide insert came out. I suggest contacting the manufacturer and they should replace it for free since those inserts should not come loose under normal use.

[RobS]

If you still need to reload, then I would clean things up and then go for red locktite. It that doesn't work then Lee will take care of you.

[Mk42gunner]

Yep, its busted; you pulled the carbide sizing ring out of the die. Solution is to either send it back to the manufacturer, if it is still in warrantee (it looks like a Lee die to me) or buy another one.

Even though most of the instructions say you don't need to lube cases when using carbide dies, a little bit of lube on the occasional case helps things run smoothly.

Better luck next time,

Robert

edit to add: Wow, I type slow.

[billyb]

send Lee a picture of the die and they will replace it. Bill

[country gent]

The carbide rings are normally shrunk in place for a life time fit. Diebody is heated ring is frozen and set together. when normalized temps they are an interference fit of .002-.003. If it came out its probably been working on this fit for awhile and is loose. With the force being applied to it I cant see loctite or epoxies holding for very long. You could possibly clean the ring, die body, flux and hard silver solder it in place. For the cost of a lee die I would just replace it if the manufacturer wont stand behind it.

[Valerko]

Thanks for the replies. Got more then my money's worth out of this die.
Might try loctite as temp fix and just add new die to next midway order.

Come tho think of it , I have 45 LC die set. Can I use 45LC sizing die ???

[geargnasher]

High-strength, red Loctite is NOT a temporary fix provided you don't heat the parts past about 300F and there is a good fit between the parts when you put it together. If the carbide ring isn't cracked, or even if it is, the fix should be quite permanent.

Gear

[WallyM3]

It's more than entirely possible to split a sizing die...I've had the honor of doing it, and therein lies a story on myself.

In the early 80s I acquired a Winchester 1876 chambered for .45-75. This was well before the upsurge in interest in "obsolete" cartridges. The handbook I had for case forming indicated that .50 Bell Basic was the starting point. RCBS provided the first set of dies, then the first replacement forming die, and IIRC the second replacement form die. I think Bill Keys (that name sticks in my mind for some reason) was handling technical foul balls from customers at this time. He tumbled to the fact something was wrong and asked about my forming process.

The fact that I should have been using .348 Winchester cases (the Bell basic stuff was way too much for the project and the dies) didn't matter to them. All the dies came no charge!

BTW, this was done on a 1970s vintage Rockchucker, a press which outlived all those dies, many stuck cases and anything I could throw at it (or through it), and still resides in my work shop bench.91335

[wrench man]

I would NOT recomend "red" LocTite, the correct stuff is the GREEN "sleave retainer" LocTite, if you get it CLEAN you'll tear the rim off of the case before the ring comes out again!, we've set bearings into gears with the green stuff when the OE snaprings were destroyed disaembling, when the next service came around the LocTite hold was far superior to the steel snapring!

[geargnasher]

The sleeve retainer works great IF your tolerances are quite tight to begin with. I've used a ton of both and it's a judgment call when to use them. If you REALLY want to make it stick, use Caterpillar anaerobic primer on the parts before applying Loctite.

Gear

[dudel]

Thanks for the replies. Got more then my money's worth out of this die.
Might try loctite as temp fix and just add new die to next midway order.

Come tho think of it , I have 45 LC die set. Can I use 45LC sizing die ???

Looks like you've made yourself a universal decapping die, if you get a replacement die.

[varmint243]

Loctite will work.
I have even used blue Loctite for such things when that was all I had available.
Clean up the parts well with alcohol pads first.

[dbosman]

For half the cost of a new die, Lee will replace it.
If you have to purchase Locktite ???

[bhn22]

In case nobody answered, you can use 45 Colt dies to size 45 ACP. Many die sets show both calibers on the label.

[Valerko]

Yup, tried 45 LC die and works like a charm. No issues.
Thanks everybody.

[MarkP]

Send it back the carbide nib may crack due to not having an interference fit between the carbide and the steel die body.

[Iowa Fox]

The sleeve retainer works great IF your tolerances are quite tight to begin with. I've used a ton of both and it's a judgment call when to use them. If you REALLY want to make it stick, use Caterpillar anaerobic primer on the parts before applying Loctite.

Gear

That Caterpillar primer really does make retaining compound bite. geargnasher I'm curious, do you work for, or did you work for a Cat dealer?

[HeavyMetal]

concern here is the age of the Lee sizing die and if the carbide ring is cracked.

Suggest hitting it with brake cleaner under a strong light and a magnifiying glass this will act as a poor mans magna flux and flow out of the crack after a blow off with light air pressure.

If you don't have a crack in the ring the green loctite is the hot ticket! We use it to retain 12 point bolts on Hydrualic motors and need heat to break them loose during a reseal job.

Make sure the area is absolutely clean before appling and wait 24 hours for it to cure.

[gunoil]

Loctite make a preprep too!

[wrench man]

The sleeve retainer works great IF your tolerances are quite tight to begin with.


Guess you've never used either of these?

http://www.henkelna.com/adhesives/product-search-1554.htm?nodeid=8797921640449

http://www.henkelna.com/adhesives/product-search-1554.htm?nodeid=8801761984513

[Char-Gar]

Send it back to Lee with a note to fix or replace the die. No sense paying money to fix a poorly made die.

[MtGun44]

For tight fit, red Loctite is fine. For a very loose fit, the green bearing retainer
is better - fills gaps. I keep red in stock and would at least try it if it were mine.
If it pulled out again - back to Lee.

Bill

[Char-Gar]

My policy has always been to send the broken item back to the maker. If I try to fix it and it doesn't work, some makers walk away from their warrantee. They will fix their own screw ups, but not yours and they can't tell who did what, if you work on it.