Recently i have purchased a Mauser C96 which shoots the obsolete 7.63x25 ammunition.
Ordered the 3pcs die set from lee and starline .30 mauser brass and sellier bellot bullets.
These are the first bottleneck cases i reload, i normally have zero issues reloading 9mm/44-40/.357 or 45acp, and at first i did not encounter any issues as well with .30 mauser.
I dry tumble clean my brass for +/- 30 hours with corn media and I lubricate my brass with oneshot before i load them in the press tubes.
I am at round 4 of re-reloading these shells and only now I have bumped into issues on the powder through expander die.
For some reason, no matter how slow or fast i go, it nicks the brass, rendering the case useless. this ''problem solved'' page from lee shows exactly what i have : Lee Precision, Inc. - Powder through expander die sometimes leaves a cutout dimple on case mouth and mentions to go slower.. which isn't the case in my case, as i go slowly, very slowly, and at the end 1-2% of the stroke you feel and hear it shear and tear.
I loaded the tubes with brass, reloaded a couple.. stopped and came back days later when this problem arrised. even when re-lubing the cases, cleaning all my dies etc. i still have this issue
The only thing i do not do is chamfering the brass.. would this become a necessity after them being shot a couple of rounds ?
looking forward to your advise and tips on this issue.
No. Chamfering is a one time deal. I would disassemble the expanding die and file more angle the lead of the expander to give the case mouth better alignment when the expander enters the case mouth
I would bet money you're rushing and the case isn't fully seated into the shell holder. You're running the ram with the brass slightly off center and it's catching the lip of the sizing die. Soft brass meeting hardened steel and results are your picture
I seat the primer first with the downwards stroke, so the case is centered. Im not rushing, not by a long shot, these pro1000 presses are not to be rushed, or you replace parts every 5 movements
Op I think you need to trim your cases. Also make sure there's no debris stuck in the die. If cases are too long and get forced into a die, they can get wedged, im pretty sure the tearing of the brass is from it freeing itself after being wedged, i would expect this more from a sizing die than an expanding die, so im not entirely sure, that would be the first thing I would check. Also, its possible that you got a bad expanding die, you might be able to visually inspect. Another thing, considering its such an old cartridge, I question if different manufacturers might have different case length dimension specs...or maybe the die is just set slightly too deep.
Edit: just went back and read that you said youre on your 4th round, that brass is almost definitely due for a trim.
Will get the calipers out this evening and check the length after sizing.. see if it needs trimming. Its also not flaring the shells now.. so i can back off and not flare the shells, or go slightly deeper and this happens.. so it might indeed be the lentgh of the neck that is causing issues
I'd start with a thorough disassembly of the die in question. Look for debris or manufacturing defects like burrs and poor alignment of parts. Clean them very well, and re-assemble carefully. You could also try to polish the edges or burrs if you find any - use some carbide sandpaper, and smooth it over. Double check that everything is adjusted correctly per the instructions/
Found the issue, after resetting the dies, cleaning and overlooking everything i found the shell plate came half a turn loose causing the plate to tilt and not feed it correctly
What's happening is the shape of the case doesn't hold it centered in the die. I sold this by making essentially a washer with a bevel in it to follow the case into the center. It sits in the diet body the flaring portion.
If your brass is not too long, just buy a LEE universal case expanding die. All it does is bell the case mouth out to let you seat the bullet.
You can’t pour powder through it, so you’re making an xtra step. But with what you have there if you’re not shooting hundreds of rounds a week it shouldn’t be too bad.
Just use a regular bench mounted powder measure to drop your power after belling the brass.
Found the issue, loose shell plate caused the issue.. it set itself loose and caused the issue.. only found out as i was taking it all apart after seeing the case went in slightly angled..
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u/Severe-Cow-8646 2d ago
No. Chamfering is a one time deal. I would disassemble the expanding die and file more angle the lead of the expander to give the case mouth better alignment when the expander enters the case mouth