Anyone who engages in reloading rifle ammunition will, sooner or later, get a case stuck in the sizing die (photo #1).
This is generally caused by inadequate lubrication of the case.
RCBS makes a Stuck Case Remover to remedy this very problem. The kit is a "universal" one in that it can be used with other brands of dies. It goes for
$17.99 at Cabela's and is composed of five parts (photo #2). The instructions for use are printed on the plastic package and are not very detailed.
For this review we used the RCBS Stuck Case Remover on a Lee Precision Full Length Sizer/Decapper in .223 Remington caliber.
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Procedure
The following steps detail how to use the RCBS Stuck Case Remover.
1. Remove the die from the press, then remove the lock ring.... it will unscrew with finger pressure (photo #3).
Note the exact position (depth) of the decapper rod for later reassembly. On my Lee die the top of the decapper rod was approximately flush with the
top of the collet (photo #4), which is the factory setting.
2. Place the bottom of the die in a vice. Do not allow the vice to grip the threads on the die, and note that although the die is held by the vice, we
will not use the vice to prevent rotation of the die. The vice is merely steadying the die. You may want to use two pieces of wood to protect the die
in the vice... personally I found this unnecessary if you are careful.
3. Next remove the decapper device, which is held tightly in place by a collet. Use two wrenches (in this case an adjustable wrench and an open end
wrench)... one secured to the flat surfaces near the top of the die, and the other to the decapper collet (photo #5). Do not require the vice to become
involved in preventing the die from turning... that is the job of the wrench attached to the die. The collet is initially very tight, but after a turn
or two (counterclockwise as viewed from the top) it will loosen quickly. Remove the collet and the decapper rod (photo #6).
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4. Reverse the die in the vice... place the two opposing flat surfaces on the top of the die (shown in photo #7) into the vice to hold the die
securely... do not involve the threads on the die (photo #8). Again, you may want to use two pieces of wood to protect the die in the vice.
5. Use the supplied drill bit in a power drill and drill all the way through the primer pocket and the flash hole. Make sure the drill bit fitting is
very tight since there will be considerable initial resistance as you drill into the case. Drill until the bit is well into the case and is "running
free". A 2x4 placed beneath my hand helped align the drill bit with the primer hole (photo #9).
6. Now use the supplied tap to drill threads into the case (photo #10).
I initially tried to do this by hand, but had trouble maintaining a good alignment. I then tried a power drill and found it worked well. However, be
careful to keep the drill steady and "square" with the case. Make sure the drill bit fitting is very tight since there will be considerable initial
resistance as you drill the tapper into the case. Apply moderate force to push the tap in as you drill, and be careful not to over-rev the drill...
keep the revolutions fairly moderate and under control as you tap the case. Once you are well into the case, the resistance will decrease
significantly. Continue until the grooves of the tapper are well into the case... all the way in or almost all the way in.
7. The supplied cap screw will now fit into the threads you just created in the case as shown in photo #11, however, this is not how to use it.
Instead, place the case body over the die, then insert the screw using finger pressure to tighten (photo #12)... when you encounter resistance, use the
Allen wrench to continue tightening the screw (photo #13).
8. Tightening the screw will supply an even pulling force on the stuck case... after a few turns the case will come out easily.
Photo #14 shows the threads that were tapped into the case in step #6 above.
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Conclusion
The RCBS Stuck Case Remover does just what it says it will do, and does it quite well. In my opinion, considering the hassle caused by a stuck case, I
would definitely have one of these on hand at all times... it is well worth the cost.
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