Help! Weird wrinkling on brass

[Tall Shadow]

Hi all!,
I've reloaded before, but always straight walled pistol cases. I've never done bottle necked rifle cases before.

I'm heading out west soon, and I'm starting the reloading process to develop the rounds I'm taking out there with me.

..But there is trouble in paradise!

I finally have everything to begin (Don't even get me started about the prices!)....and set up my press with the FL resizing die for .223rem.......just to see...to get a feel of how things were going to work and all.....

Well the first few cases I ran through the die were (for want of a better way to describe it) wrinkled, or (almost) fluted just above the shoulder..:confused:

(I will include a picture ASAP)

I removed the die, disassembled it (again) and cleaned it (again) to make sure It wasn't grease, oil, gunk, Etc. inside...but it (and the patches/swabs I used) looked pretty clean...I'm not sure what else it might be.

I'm pretty sure I set them up correctly.

I cleaned them inside and out when I got them.
I screwed the die into the press, with the correct shell holder in the ram.
I ran the ram up to it's highest point.
I then screwed the die down until it just bottomed out on the shell holder, and locked it down...lightly for now.
I set the deprimer to just be down far enough to pop the old primer out, without bottoming out on the case bottom.

Lube the cases, insert and pull the handle.

Am I missing something, or doing something wrong with the above set up?


I'm just trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong..

Thanks Guys!

Tall Shadow

[Catfish]

My first guess is that you have set your die alittle to deep and you are pushing the shoulder back alittle to much. Back it out a little and try again.

[Rocky Raab]

That's possible. but the more likely thing is simply too much lube. Those are called "oil dents" and they happen when lube gets trapped in the shoulder area with nowhere to go. So it collapses the shoulder into grooves or wrinkles.

Swab or spray out the die again (sorry!) and repeat, but this time make sure there isn't excess lube. How much is excess? If you can see any, that's too much. Also try to avoid getting any at all on the shoulder, and be VERY sparing on the outside of the neck.

I bet that fixes it.

That's why I prefer Imperial Sizing Die Wax. I just wipe my thumb and first two fingers across the top of it. Just picking up the cases and placing them in the shellholder is enough. I reswipe the tin with my fingers every ten cases.

[Gil Martin]

Probably too much lube is denting the cases. Reduce the amount of lube and wipe excess lubricant off the shoulder area. That should solve the problem. All the best...
Gil

[Ol` Joe]

I have too agree with the others you have lube dents. The outer neck and shoulder area of the case needs no lube, a touch every couple on the inner lip of the mouth to aid the expander balls movment and you are set. It takes very little to dent a case.

I`d take the die apart and spray with carb cleaner/ bore solvent and very lightly oil with a gun oil. Run a dry cloth over them to remove excess oil before useing them. (no oil on the expander) I oil and dry my dies for storage after use because of a problem with rust on one of them in the past.

[Tall Shadow]

Hummm!?!
Oil dents might just be the problem......I did notice a little bit of lube "Trapped" in the dents/area around the dents....Hummm!?!?

It makes sense....maybe I got a little to "Happy" with the lube.....

I'll tone it down a notch and see what happens.

I'd post a picture, but my daughter has my *$*%$*! camera :rolleyes:

Kids!....or should I say, teenagers!

I'll let you know what happens.....

Thanks Guys!

Tall Shadow

ETA:
I'd like to try the sizing wax...I'll have to see if I can find it....

[Rocky Raab]

Miday carries it, TS. Don't be worried that the tin is only two ounces. I bought one five years ago, and I'm still on that first tin. Have hardly created a depression in the top of it, in fact. You use VERY little of it!