Lake City 72 Match .308 WIN brass problem

bald1

New member
I've been reloading for over 30 years and have never used GI brass. I recently picked up a lot of once fired Lake City 72 Match brass and proceeded to process some. What I encountered has me a tad frustrated.

I'm using a Lyman T-Mag with 308 Redding dies . Cases were cleaned and lubed with Hornady One-Shot for insertion into the full length resizer.....no joy! The base of the brass is simply too thick to go all the way into the die which is properly adjusted. This same brass when I attempt to chamber it in my rifle also will not go all the way in as the last 1/4" is (as with the dies) too damned thick (outside diameter). That rules out simple neck sizing and fire forming too. I mic'ed the stuff and yup it is thicker. It simply resists my efforts to compress to SAMMI specs.

I've had to put these 300 cases aside and forget using them.

Any one else ever run into anything like this????

-=[Bob]=-
bald1@usa.net

[This message has been edited by bald1 (edited February 27, 1999).]
 
May have identified the problem.... my old T-Mag is a "C" style press which may not have sufficient leverage to resize these cases as they are about 0.007 oversize from hot match loads in a gas operated semi-auto. Then there's my choice of lube...works great for routine stuff but may not be the right ticket for this most difficult of full-length resizing jobs.

Anyone think I have the answers?

-=[Bob]=-
 
Maybe it is the press. I've been loading my 308s in Lake City 82 to 84 brass for several years with no problems. However, resizeing is tough on my old Rockchucker press with the thicker military brass. Maybe you can try doing some on a friends press to test your theory.
 
Cheapo, I have no trouble using the Redding Ultramag and lanolin. I have had this problem a few years ago using lighter presses. The chambers in automatics are of necessity larger and the once fired cases are often from these rifles. Lake City is my favorite cases for fun shooting. For competition, I swear by Lapua. I don't full length size them. I only neck size them enough to hold the bullet in,~0.25". Thanks for the info on the transonic .308.
 
Cheapo, I have no trouble using the Redding Ultramag and lanolin. I have had this problem a few years ago using lighter presses. The chambers in automatics are of necessity larger and the once fired cases are often from these rifles. Lake City is my favorite cases for fun shooting. For competition, I swear by Lapua. I don't full length size them. I only neck size them enough to hold the bullet in,~0.25". Thanks for the info on the transonic .308.
 
Thanks for the replies here and by e-mail. Doc, no problem about the wrong handle :)!

I have tested and found that the meager amount of lube I'd been accustomed to just didn't cut it. Once the brass was heavily coated, no "one-shot", turn and one shot again by the way, things improved. The dies required no adjustments, but the amount of pressure needed on the press still far exceeds what is required for commercial brass.

I also used a "probe" inside the cases to ensure that there were no cracks developing which could lead to seperations.

-=[Bob]=-
 
Back
Top