Loaded and fired new Starline brass in my resently aquired Browning. Set up the Lyman dies I got with the rifle per instructions by screwing the die down until it touched the shell holder. Lubed and sized the first piece and there were wrinkles about an inch down from the mouth, all the way around the piece. I had a brand new RCBS set of dies, set them up the same way, and the same type of wrinkles happened. I then backed the die up 1/2 turn, and again no change. I've sized 45-70 brass for years without anything like this.
Could the once fired brass be too long? I haven't found anywhere that states the max length of 40-65.
Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance.

Quote:

I'll second this ... too fast on the down stroke and too much lube.
Best lube for FL sizing the same calibers and reforming other calibers ... Bag Balm.  Just a light swipe of the finger on the case is all that is needed
(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)
PS: A can will last 5 life times!

try imperial sizing lube and use very little..  have used since the early 60's   great stuff..

vp146b4,

Assuming the Browning .40-65 is the BPCR model with the 1/2 octagon 1/2 round heavy barrel (made by Badger), you have a potential advantage reforming .45-70 brass.  The Browning chamber (I precisely measured several for my book on the rifles and for my reloading) needs a full length case of 2.125" to closely match the chamber length.  If I were you, after reforming, I'd trim the brass to 2.130", which will allow for some shortening when fired.  Afterwards, if you plan on reloading the "fire formed" brass without full length resizing, they should be close to the ideal length, maybe .001" to .002" shorter.  If you plan on full length resizing each time you reload, then you do not need to trim the resized cases until they exceed 2.130".

Wayne

I got out of the lube dent business right after I started reloading.  I was told to not use lube.  No lube, no dents.  After I got up the courage to try it, I never went back to liquid lube.

What the secret is to avoid liquid lube is to use paraffin wax to keep the brass from sticking to the die.   

Hold the case in your fingers, and roll it across a piece of paraffin held in your other hand.  You end up with a little snail trail of wax around the case.  If you think you need it, do two or three of them.  The first time you do it, do a lot of them on the first case.  When I get going, I do only the area of the case that is sized the most in the die, usually a bit behind the shoulder.  If it's a necked case, I do a bit on the neck and also behind the shoulder.   

What the paraffin does is lube the die for the NEXT round you size.  The slight taper of most cases does a good job of rubbing the wax upwards and over all the surfaces of the die.  Occasionally, you will have a small thin scrap of wax fall out of the die, where the neck of the case has scraped accumulated wax off.  If you forget to lube one case, it will work.  Two won't.   

I was told this was good only for straight wall cases when I started.  I have since experimented, and use it for everything.  It works particularly well for reforming brass, as it doesn't cause dents or wrinkles.  Just roll a bit more on the neck/shoulder area of the parent case before you start.

A side benefit of this is that the cases don't come out sticky with lube and make a mess of everything.  They're ready to load and use, no mess, no wiping off, no tumbling in corn cob, no cleaning.

dave

Oddly one of the best lubricants I have found when full length resizing or case forming was a 1 foot square piece of cloth impregnated with silicone. It leaves no visible trace on the case but it leaves them  as slippery as a greased pig. Each cloth did about 5,000 cases before it needed renewing. It was sold as a gun wiping cloth and cost about £1.50p or just under a couple of bucks in US greenbacks back then, but it is probably twice the price these days. 

Harry

I know this is an old thread but figured best to revive rather than starting another... Being my question is  sizing related.

Recently picked up a Marlin 1895 in 40-65.    Also have a Ballard in for reline.

Picked up a set of RCBS CB dies and was disappointed to find the FL sizer brought the neck down to .421 or .422.    I'd like to size that 1/2" neck no more than .427.    Does anyone know the size of the Lyman neck sizing die they sell?   Or if any available dies run large in the neck?

I was thinking of homing out my CB but it's hardened so that might be a real project, plus I'd likely break through the hardened depth.

That CB sizer is a consistent cylinder for 1/2 inch, so even short stroking for a partial sizing would get you back to .421 or .422 for whatever depth of your neck sizing you chose.

Fwiw, I can seat a .409 bullet in an 'as fired' case and that would work for the single shot but neck tension wouldn't work for a lever.   Plus the fire-formed case from the lever only leaves you about a 1/4" of neck tension since the chamber taper in runs way up into the neck area.

Figure a neck sizer with a half inch neck at .427 would serve both rifles.

Any thoughts?

I do this for both the .405 Win and .40-65.

Partially FLS just enough so that expanding works.  Found by experimenting.

Expanding I use a 2 or 3 diameter expander made from cold rolled steel that fits the WILSON 7/8-14 holder.   

First is the small diameter - leaves .001 to .002 tension on the bullet.  Second diameter is .001 clearance - so the bullet JUST slides in.  Then either a bevel or a slightly larger diameter so bullet can be inserted into the case without shaving it.

Minimum sizing and minimum expanding.