Once fired brass

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Joined
Dec 25, 2007
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missouri
I bought some 'once fired' brass for my 224 Valkyrie. OK, so what?
I sent the seller a message that if this brass was fired in his rifle, he may have some serious chamber issues. The shoulder is expanded so much that I can barely get the brass started in a small base sizer die. I also had to put the 'long handle' on my press to get sufficient leverage to actually size the brass. Other than those 'relatively minor' issues, the brass looks great. :(
 

NikA

Buckeye
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Nov 2, 2014
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Yrisarri, NM- high in the Manzanos
Hot new cartridge. Lots of manufacturers getting in the game at a variety of quality levels.

I have a bunch of new Starline if you're looking. Not looking to get rich off it, was part of a package deal and I don't have a Valkyrie.
 
Joined
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I'm making progress. I've NEVER had to use this much UNIQUE sizing lube before but I haven't broken my press or stuck a case in the sizer die--YET.
I also got some 6.5 Creedmoor once fired (not from same place) and it's nearly as bad.
Maybe the small base dies are doing their job too well but that's what it takes to assure full bolt closure on the AR.
 
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I spoke too soon. With maybe 50 cases left, the machined aluminum linkage of the LEE Challenger broke. OK, it's a high stress point that fails now and then. Only a minor problem that takes 15 minutes to fix. Finished the last of the stubborn buggers and got the lube cleaned off. Next rainy day, I'll get them trimmed and primed.
 

GasGuzzler

Hunter
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Oct 22, 2012
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DFW Area, Texas
I spoke too soon. With maybe 50 cases left, the machined aluminum linkage of the LEE Challenger broke. OK, it's a high stress point that fails now and then. Only a minor problem that takes 15 minutes to fix. Finished the last of the stubborn buggers and got the lube cleaned off. Next rainy day, I'll get them trimmed and primed.
I broke my old design cast link arms on my Lee single stage too and the parts were obsolete. Luckily Lee has a "conversion kit" and sent me all the stuff for the price of shipping (approx $14).

Before:


CBD99-D6-F-7251-456-D-A73-C-C6-DBB578-F8-C6.jpg


During:
AE5626-FC-BE2-E-4161-8218-200-C7-BADCE46.jpg


After:

8-ABEAADE-9-F6-E-4034-987-F-06-A72-C44-C572.jpg
 
Joined
Dec 25, 2007
Messages
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missouri
Yup, that's what happens. Several years back lots of folks got into reloading with LEE presses. Then they upgraded equipment or sold out and ebay was full of lightly used Challenger presses at very modest prices. I was buying them for $20 +/- and stuffing them under the bench. Now, I'm reaping the harvest of parts/replacements from those.
I probably should look into one of those linkage upgrades as there's only one of the presses left intact under the bench.:)
 

blammer

Single-Sixer
Joined
Oct 6, 2007
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283
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Nebraska
If both the 6.5 and 224 brass, from different sources had problems, the common denominator may not be the brass. I've used SB dies on 556 and don't recall a huge amount of extra force (as opposed to de-crimping 556!).

Are the 6.5 and 224 SB dies new? From your comments I assume you tried regular resizing first, but that did not size them enough so you then used the SB dies.

Trying different case lube might be a useful experiment to see if they lessen the pressure needed to resize. Not from experience, but could it be possible that there was too much lube that somehow bunched up at the base to cause some kind of clogging????

Hopefully the case will now reload normally for the rest of their useful lives.
 
Joined
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I've been using Hornady Unique paste lube for the 3-4 years with excellent results. It's usually 'a little dab'll do ya". Maybe not as good as Imperial but certainly adequate for most jobs.
Judging from the appearance of the cases and some crude measurements, the 6.5 chamber had been oversize at the shoulder and the 224 chamber seemed to have excess headspace. Reducing these back to specs that will allow function through a semi-auto is/was more difficult due to these problems. Probably won't buy anymore fired brass for a while.
It's all fixed now.
 
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