Bent/broken decapping rod
Quote from Reloader on April 23, 2013, 2:23 amBe on the look out for steel cases too. An easy way to seperate steel from brass is to hold a magnet on the side of a small cardboard box filled with empty cases. Give it a shake and the steel sticks to the side of the box. Just run the magnet to the top and there they are. Or get a large plastic tub and run the magnet around in it. Those steel cases will mess up your dies. Also you are using 7.62 NATO brass so know that it is operating at a higher pressure than .308 .
Be on the look out for steel cases too. An easy way to seperate steel from brass is to hold a magnet on the side of a small cardboard box filled with empty cases. Give it a shake and the steel sticks to the side of the box. Just run the magnet to the top and there they are. Or get a large plastic tub and run the magnet around in it. Those steel cases will mess up your dies. Also you are using 7.62 NATO brass so know that it is operating at a higher pressure than .308 .
Quote from Reloader on March 25, 2014, 3:08 amDon't feel too bad - I told my wife that I've studied this reloading business harder than anything I've ever done before. I guess it's because there's a real and serious practical test every time you shoot a reload. In response to your question, though, you need to read everything you can find and pore over the reloading websites on line. Just Google the topic and you'll find tons of info. You may need to sift through it a little, but if you keep reading, you'll find out if there's an opposing viewpoint. I recently deprimed about 500 pieces of 5.56 brass and bent two decapping rods. Fortunately, the LAST time I bent one, I ordered extras (always a good idea). The culprit, as someone else mentioned, was Berdan primers. I knew they couldn't be reloaded (with regular gear) but had not come across any in 5.56. I guess they're out there. You can feel it when the decapper hits resistance - stop and check. With a flashlight, you can see the two holes in the base. Trash it immediately so it doesn't get mixed up again. Study hard.
Don't feel too bad - I told my wife that I've studied this reloading business harder than anything I've ever done before. I guess it's because there's a real and serious practical test every time you shoot a reload. In response to your question, though, you need to read everything you can find and pore over the reloading websites on line. Just Google the topic and you'll find tons of info. You may need to sift through it a little, but if you keep reading, you'll find out if there's an opposing viewpoint. I recently deprimed about 500 pieces of 5.56 brass and bent two decapping rods. Fortunately, the LAST time I bent one, I ordered extras (always a good idea). The culprit, as someone else mentioned, was Berdan primers. I knew they couldn't be reloaded (with regular gear) but had not come across any in 5.56. I guess they're out there. You can feel it when the decapper hits resistance - stop and check. With a flashlight, you can see the two holes in the base. Trash it immediately so it doesn't get mixed up again. Study hard.