Shell holder quality?

Riven

Riven

CGN Regular
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Location
Burks Falls Ontario
I have a Lee single stage press running Lee 308 dies & i had a case get stuck today. The brass failed but so did the shell holder.
Just wondering if there is any better quality shell holders I can buy or are they all basically the same?
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I have been reloading for over 47 years and never had a bad shell holder. "BUT" this doesn't mean you won't find a shell holder out of specifications.

What I have found is the problem is caused by defective cases or cases loaded too hot and the base expanded, causing binding in the shell holder.

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Above the flash hole web adds radial strength to the base of the case. And a case with a thin flash hole web will expand more at lower chamber pressures that causes oversize primer pockets.

Below flash hole web thickness on .223/5.56 cases and why primer pockets become loose sooner. Also note military cases have harder brass in the base "and" thicker flash hole webs.

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Bottom line, you had cases that did not get stuck in the shell holder so the most probable cause is a defective or poorly made case. If all the cases bind and will not spin freely then you have a bad shell holder. The case should have room to move in the shell holder and be self centering with the sizing die.
 
I was sizing 7.62x51 not 308 but have been set up to do so for the last 200 cases. Its possible i did not use enough lube but this case was a little hard to size but not as bad of some i have done.
 
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I was sizing 7.62x51 not 308 but have been set up to do so for the last 200 cases. Its possible i did not use enough lube but this case was a little hard to size but not as bad of some i have done.

Hard to see from this bad pic but the left side is mostly gone where it matters and some chips on the back as well.
 
just a bad one is my guess, i have 12 lee shell holders and 5 shell plates, yet to see any break. I've even modified a few to accept different cases without issues.
 
You got the one in a milion that had a built-in defect.

Shellholders are made of stell, brass is made of brass. Even bad steel has multiple times the tensile strength of brass, so brass will always break, bend or chip the shellholder is any force is applied to the both of them, unless the steel has a defect.

SH that are out of specs are more or less common.What you got is rare, not matter what brand you consider.
 
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