32 Long Brass
Moderators: pilkguns, m1963, Isabel1130
I have noticed that it depends on what size I am expanding my brass to dictates which brass I should use. The easiest to size large is the RP and CBC brass followed by Lapua, GFL, and then Hirtenberger or FC being the tightest. I only have a hundred Hirtenberger but have not had any problem installing primers in any of the brass. If you are using Wolf primers they are a bit tight in everything. If you want to try lubing your case inside so your expander doesn't stick, I think I might try powdered graphite first because it won't goo up your powder. It can be bought at any hobby shop as it is popular to lube Pine Wood Derby car wheels with it.
Just spray the new cases with a good spray case lube, i use hornady. Just a quick spray across the primer pockets and the same across the open ends and they will load like butter, after the first fire they will load easy if you tumble the brass with a good case polish like dillon or Frankfort arsenal . I have to do the same thing for my new 45 brass.
Difficulty with new brass
Greetings,
Working with new brass is a pain. It is so clean (free of lubricant) that the expander plug starts to gall and pick up brass making press operation more forceful.
Same with the primer pockets.
Being frugal, I seldom load new brass favoring once-fired as the light coating of carbon inside the case acts as a lubricant.
I wet wash my brass with Palmolive dish soap and regardless of the amount of rinsing there is a slight amount remaining which acts as an excellent lubricant.
I recently purchased 100 new 45 Colt cases for a friend to be loaded with cast bullets. I think i will experiment with washing the new cases in Palmolive soap to see if loading goes any better.
Stay tuned.....
Cheers,
Dave
Working with new brass is a pain. It is so clean (free of lubricant) that the expander plug starts to gall and pick up brass making press operation more forceful.
Same with the primer pockets.
Being frugal, I seldom load new brass favoring once-fired as the light coating of carbon inside the case acts as a lubricant.
I wet wash my brass with Palmolive dish soap and regardless of the amount of rinsing there is a slight amount remaining which acts as an excellent lubricant.
I recently purchased 100 new 45 Colt cases for a friend to be loaded with cast bullets. I think i will experiment with washing the new cases in Palmolive soap to see if loading goes any better.
Stay tuned.....
Cheers,
Dave
Dan and Oldcaster are giving you good advice.
I had RCBS make a custom expander that is .3145
I'm having no problems running it in to the cases after sizing them
in a standard RCBS carbide sizing die but...
All my brass is fired 3 or 4 times with cast bullets only. I do tumble them
in crushed corn cobb media before reloading. Most is RP with maybe 100 or
so WW. I use a Hornady Lock n Load progressive and can feel a little more
effort when a WW goes thru the expander station...but not much.
I guess what I'm saying is after the brass has been cycled a time or two you shouldn't have any more problems.
Good luck!
JLK
I had RCBS make a custom expander that is .3145
I'm having no problems running it in to the cases after sizing them
in a standard RCBS carbide sizing die but...
All my brass is fired 3 or 4 times with cast bullets only. I do tumble them
in crushed corn cobb media before reloading. Most is RP with maybe 100 or
so WW. I use a Hornady Lock n Load progressive and can feel a little more
effort when a WW goes thru the expander station...but not much.
I guess what I'm saying is after the brass has been cycled a time or two you shouldn't have any more problems.
Good luck!
JLK
An oversize sizing die that Lee sells might help you but I am guessing that your brass is tight enough that you hardly size it now. They are available in .002 over and I use it with a .314 expander if I am loading for my original barrel. I use standard if I am loading for my .312 barrel with a .3105 expander. If I load my original barrel I use Lapua or CBC brass and for the .312 I use the rest. There can be a lot of work to get a 32 to shoot well and barrels that should be identical can act quite differently, even if cut from the same blank.