Is my 9mm sizing die worn out?

[hatman1793]

Currently using a Hornady titanium nitride sizer for 9mm in my Dillon RL550. Seems like after reloading and re-sizing the case a number of times, the die begins to swage the brass down to the base somewhat. If I don't catch it, a small ring develops around the base. This swaged ring sometimes prevents the newly loaded case from chambering, or gets stuck almost all the way in the chamber. Once the case is detected in this condition is a junk and gets trashed. But more and more of these cases are being created.
Is the die trash, or have the cases been worked too many times, or perhaps the brass is flowing down to the base under the pressue of sizing?

 

[BEARMAN]

I can't see how anything that hard could wear out. But if it was a little undersize it could be working the brass down to form that ring at the base . It also could be a combination of the HORNADY DIES IN THE DILLON PRESS causing this to happen, maybe continue to use the Hornady dies just replace the sizer with a Dillon sizer.

 

[hatman1793]

Wore out 2 Dillon sizers

Go figure. I wore out two dillon sizers so I went to the Hornady one because the Dillon didn't stand up X 2.
When I say wore out, what happened was that over the course of re-sizing thousands of cases, the odd case here and there would have some gunk or junk or small stuff left on the case after the case was tumbled and polished. The junk got into the die and scored it so that every time after that a clean case would now be engraved/scored with a line. Got sick of it and put another Dillon die in. Same thing happened. Replace with the Hornady one.

 

[Janeau]

The problem is not with the die. Your brass expands more at the base and bulge. Much factor -hot load in unsupported chamber might create this - weak spring in the gun (early unlocking) and just brass that has been reloaded too much time. You cannot wear out a carbide-sizing die. The sizing die must be adjusted in such a way that it almost touch or kiss the shell plate. Dillon die use a solid carbine insert, Hornady a coating. I will take Dillon die anytime over Hornady.

A special sizing die tool exists to recondition bulged case - they size base first - but are an expensive proposition. Better trash the brass that has developed this condition.

 

[acrashb]

It also could be a combination of the HORNADY DIES IN THE DILLON PRESS

Certainly not. If the die can be adjusted down to touch the shellplate, you're done. Brand doesn't matter (except on the Square Deal, where only Dillon will fit).

Try moving the die down, it may be too far away from the shellplate. Or, as others have mentioned, your loads may be too hot, recoil spring weak, etc.

 

[Janeau]

Go figure. I wore out two dillon sizers so I went to the Hornady one because the Dillon didn't stand up X 2.
When I say wore out, what happened was that over the course of re-sizing thousands of cases, the odd case here and there would have some gunk or junk or small stuff left on the case after the case was tumbled and polished. The junk got into the die and scored it so that every time after that a clean case would now be engraved/scored with a line. Got sick of it and put another Dillon die in. Same thing happened. Replace with the Hornady one.

The Dillon carbide die cannot be scratched easily.If you ever pass sand soaked brass in a sizing die and scratch the carbide insert - it can be polished. The Hornady die as a coating and if you think that you will fair better with it you are wrong. If the coating is damaged, you are done. A guy that can damage a carbide die will not run too long a a coated die. I think you imbedded grit in the insert and it needed to be cleaned up and polished. In any way, you should have returned them to Dillon. They stand behind their product better than any.

As for durability, my Dillon .45 ACP have reloaded more than 140,000 rounds in the last 28 years and are still working perfectly...



PS : A local commercial reloader sell reload made on Dillon 1450 using Dillon die since 1985. He have reloaded more than 1 million rounds on 4 Dillon without having to replace any die...

 

[hatman1793]

Knew you guys were up to it.

Many thanks for responding. Perhaps my problem is a combination of all the maladies that affect the 9mm.
The die is down as far as it can travel. Any farther down would push the shell plate down.
I gave up reloading NATO spec brass and WCC brass because the brass was too hard, and too much effort to deal with the primer pocket reaming to remove the crimp. Another member suggested I go to another brand sizer die and I might try that too. Perhaps its time to inject some new brass into my 9mm system.

 

[steve5412]

I agree with Janeau carbide is 300% harder than brass and scratching one would be like trying to scratch your window with a soft butter knife. The only thing I would suspect that could possibly scratch one is if your case lube got contaminated picked up some fine grit from an outside source.

Question,
Do you use your tumbler for something other than brass cases? If YES then is the media gritty?