Ooops! Dang it!! Hornady to the rescue!

[Skeezix]

Started to load some .270 Win yesterday evening.  Put Hornady New Dimension FL resize die in the ol' Rockchucker.  These are the dies with the new Zip Spindle in them with the elliptical expansion ball.  I really like them.  Anyway, adjusted everything out, check tightness and concentricity of the spindle in the die.  Checked shell holder for any debris.  Put first cleaned, lubed case in the press and pulled the handle.  Something didn't quite feel right towards the end of the stroke, but nothing really that unusual.  Raised the handle, took case out of holder.  Noticed the neck was really warped.  Looked at bottom of die.  AWWW CRAP!!! (or something like that... )




Still don't know exactly what happened.  Checked the case for any debris in it.  Checked shell holder for any debris or anything that would have kept it from centering the case in the die.  Checked case for proper sized and centered flash hole.  SOMETHING sure happened.  Best I can tell, for some reason the decapping pin was off center and missed the flash hole and everything wadded up because I didn't pay enough attention to the slightly increased resistance in the press handle.  I know it's my fault, I had to have missed something basic.

Called Hornady Technical Customer Support this morning.  Talked to Gary.  Told him everything and told him that whatever it was, I probably missed something basic and it was my fault.  Started to give him my credit card number.  He wouldn't take it.  Said that they'd send me another spindle assembly today, "no charge".  I repeated that it was my fault and they shouldn't have to eat it.  He said "No problem.  We'll keep this moving for you and get you what you need to back to loading. No charge." .......  Now THAT's customer support!

He also suggested that there could be a piece of brass down in the case, left from when the flash hole was punched, that could have deflected the decapping pin.  I'll autopsy the case this evening and see what I find. 

I wanted to report this incident to let y'all know about Hornady's excellent customer support.   And BTW, their recorded messages on their phone system are a HOOT, about good enough that it's worth calling Hornady just to hear them.  And they keep you updated where you are in the queue when you're on hold.    Top notch outfit!

[necchi]

Good news about Hornady, always nice to hear when something works out.
 To be honest I've rarely heard anything bad about any of the reloading equipment makers,,
 
[qoute] everything wadded up because I didn't pay enough attention to the slightly increased resistance in the press handle.
 
Wow!    What happens when ya gotta force something??    I'l bet it fit's whether it's sposta or not !! 

[bigvarmnt]

Thanks necchi, I really needed a good laugh
 
Crap and Dang it weren't my words when I saw the pics
 
Please let us know if there was some boiler plate or some other debris in the case that caused this.
 
"Nothing really that unusual"  

[yooper77]

Hornady, Redding and RCBS has replaced parts for me for free everytime over the years, as they do for everyone else no questions asked.
 
yooper77

[geezerbiker]

If the bent rod was caused by flashing from when the primer hole was punched, this is a simple fix and I do it to all my cases.  Find a drill bit that is both long enough to get to  the bottom of the case and small enough in diameter to go inside the case neck without touching the neck. 

Put a ring of masking tape around it where it would touch the neck, grab the bit in a vice grip and proceed to debur all the flash holes.  I learnt this trick from an old bench-rest shooter and it's supposed to help the charge burn more evenly.  I figure it's easy to do so why not?

Tony

[noylj]

I don't lock the decapping assembly until the primer has been ejected. While the case is in the die, I lock the assembly down.

[tdoor]

Looks like what happens when you run into a berdan primed case