primer residue scratched up a set of dies of mine

AkRay · Post by **AkRay** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 8:37 pm

I used Lee Hand Presses to reload 500 L ammunition. With these presses, the primers are collected in the hollow space under the shell holder. When that space would fill up, I'd just tip the press over and dump out the empty primers, and the dust. The problem with this practice is that I didn't bother to take the sizing die out beforehand, and the primer crud would go into my resizing die. I continued to use the resizing die, and eventually noticed that my cases were coming out of the die with scratches on them. I figured out what the problem was, and I don't do that anymore. Watch out for those used primers.

AkRay · Post by **AkRay** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 9:01 pm

This post is a goof. It was supposed to go along with someone else's about primer residue goofing up his RCBS press. I must've pressed "new topic" instead of "reply."

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 9:22 pm

AkRay,

That would be my thread: viewtopic.php?t=4735 , and it's clear back on page three already.

I've got one of those Lee hand presses too and haven't used it too much.
So I dug it out and checked and sure as shooting all the primer junk goes down in the hollow ram. DUMB DESIGN. From the looks of it, you could lower the ram all the way down and shake the junk out with out getting it in the die if you were very careful. But I don't like it too much.

Joe

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 10:38 pm

I keep a 3 gallon shop-vac under the bench for things like this. If you put the skinny nozzle on, it will suck out just about anything. Not only is it handy for jobs like this, it will keep you from breathing deadly primer dust.-----------------Sixgun

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 10:44 pm

AND, you have to watch how many primers you get in that hole. I've stuffed a couple too many, had a devil of a time getting the shell holder off to dump. I only use mine with a Universal Decapping die, and bullet seaters, so I haven't done that. Frankly it's just too much effort to use it for sizing... or I'm a weakling!

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 11:03 am

I recently noticed the same thing, but was just using a de-prime die, so no sizing/scratching was involved.

It looks like you could drill a hole in the side of the ram, and provide an 'exit' path for the primers, and that's what I plan on doing when I get a chance. Anyone ever try that...?

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 11:22 am

AJMD429 wrote:I recently noticed the same thing, but was just using a de-prime die, so no sizing/scratching was involved.

It looks like you could drill a hole in the side of the ram, and provide an 'exit' path for the primers, and that's what I plan on doing when I get a chance. Anyone ever try that...?

I had the same thought, but then wandered if the ram was hardened steel?

Joe

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 10:34 pm

It drilled easy. I'll let you know how it works. Had to use a countersink and then stone it to get it to slide easily through the press sleeve, but now it's nice and smooth.

I have a few hundred .38's to deprime, and that is one operation I do while watching a movie with the family, so I use the little hand-press.

(I agree with not doing most other reloading tasks while not fully focused on-task, but de-priming is hard to screw up...)

alnitak · Post by **alnitak** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 11:52 am

I've been using the hand press for a couple of years now, and wondered if I was getting any dust in the sizing die, and if it would make any difference if I did. Seems like the answer is yes in both cases.

Is there anyway to take the die apart and clean it, maybe with Q-tips and alcohol? Suggestions (BTW, I only reload pistol cartridges with carbide dies)?

Griff, I've done the same thing before, so now I limit it to 25 cases before dumping (with either small or large pistol primers), keeping it nice and symetrical -- 2 dumps per box.

AkRay · Post by **AkRay** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 6:38 pm

The dies are threaded and adjustable, so all you do is unscrew them to take them apart. My sizing die was expensive and hard to replace, so I got a dowel of approximately the same diameter as the sizing die, along with various fine grades of sandpaper and carefully polished the inside of the die out. It still works fine, and the scratches on the brass cases are gone.

Post by **Chuck 100 yd** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 8:09 pm

I have a 38/357 die that I have had to polish 2 or 3 times. I havent used it for years since buying a carbide set.

alnitak · Post by **alnitak** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 4:56 pm

Will the dust hurt the carbide dies? Can one even polish a carbide die?

Post by **Chuck 100 yd** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 9:18 pm

I think the primer dust is mostly carbon, a very hard substance, but I heve never even heard of a Carbide die being damaged by dirt. I doubt it would cause a problem with carbide dies.

primer residue scratched up a set of dies of mine

primer residue scratched up a set of dies of mine

I would just blast the die out with brake cleaner