So recently I've been finding that my 223 brass that I've been reloading is getting split necks...sometimes horizontal and sometimes vertical.

Lake City military brass only shot once..I know because I shot it.

So this is what I do...
1. decap w/Lee universal die
2. clean w/ss pins
3. lube with spray lube (one shot)
4. full length resize

this is when stuff starts splitting

5. wipe off lube
6. re-prime
7. powder
8. bullet on top
9. seat and crimp die

on step 3. I have used One Shot, but during this winter I found the can was squirting out in a stream and I thought it was due to the cold in the garage where I work. So I started using Imperial wax and brushing the neck inside with Imperial wax....still got split necks

Then I used dry media on the interior of the necks....still got split necks

I then measured the expander-ball and it was .222
Then I took some 2000 wet/dry paper and polished the expander-ball to a mirror finish-it's still .222.

TODAY, I tried using the One Shot and I got 30 split necks out of 50 pieces i was trying to prep....

WHAT am I doing wrong, or what has happened??

I do not know what is going on? The splits that I find in my LC brass is before I resize them.

If you checked your brass for splits before step 1, then I would think your issue may be #4. Recheck your die and make sure it is set properly. I can't see how steps 5,6,7 or 8 will have an effect on the brass' neck but seating may case brass damage. If you are lubing the brass too much you will see dents in the case shoulder after sizing.

How many times have you reloaded the brass before you see splits? Are you loading at max pressure?

AZ,
The brass is once fired.
I inspect it before and after cleaning..it's not split then...it's getting split as i bring the ram to the upstroke and withdraw the expander-ball..

If I go slow, it's even worse

I just tired spraying the ever living shit outta five pieces-literally rolling the brass around in my hand as i sprayed into the interior of the neck...4 split.

They are all LC86...

Maybe it's a batch of brittle brass???
I've got like ten gallons of mixed once fired Lake City brass,, I ran the range they were picked up at the day they were fired....I've only cleaned it and re-bagged it into 500 piece bags to keep it orderly....

I've got about 5000 rounds that I reloaded with this same brass (maybe not the same LC86) and none of them are split....

What make sizing die?

RMD

quote:

Originally posted by rduckwor:
What make sizing die?

RMD

RCBS

and I've reloaded literally 5000 rounds with this one die and none of that stuff was split...
(I know it's 5000-because I've still got it loaded up in ammo cans in the boonker)

I'm beginning to think it might be the LC86 stuff...

Probably a bad batch of brass.
I had that happen many years back in a batch of two large flat rate boxes.
This was from a mil base Alabama.
was mixed and stowed in 55 gallon barrels stowed in weather,some was black and really tarnished.
That brand split on the sizing at the neck.
The other brand went just fine.
I got to the point of head stamp reading and just trashing those.

I'd also have to vote bad brass.

If you want to save them, you could try annealing them.

I've honestly never had a piece of lake city brass split (though admittedly I don't have anything that old, mine are all 06 & newer).

If you have plenty of brass, and either don't have an annealer or don't feel like messing with them, still don't trash it. Sell it or give it to someone who makes blackout brass. I'd use them for that if it were me.

I also suspect overly hard brass. If you want to anneal, try "Anneal Rite". I have it and it does a decent job with not to much investment.

http://shop.cartridgeanneal.com/Anneal-Rite_c2.htm

or here:
https://www.amazon.com/Anneal-..._encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I find LC to be a bit more brittle than other brands. I use the RCBS 'X' die & start losing the necks about 7-8 firings. I use no lube during bullet seating, a no-no. Try sizing w/o the expander. If the necks are round, you don't need the expander ball.

quote:

Originally posted by exx1976:
I'd also have to vote bad brass.

If you want to save them, you could try annealing them.

I've honestly never had a piece of lake city brass split (though admittedly I don't have anything that old, mine are all 06 & newer).

If you have plenty of brass, and either don't have an annealer or don't feel like messing with them, still don't trash it. Sell it or give it to someone who makes blackout brass. I'd use them for that if it were me.

Dammit,
Step 2.5 is annealing, my bad...

So I scrapped all the LC86 I was using for bolt gun ammo and sorted my brass horde....

now sporting some LC13 brass for the Rem700...

same steps
1. decap w/Lee universal die
2. clean w/ss pins
2.5) anneal
3. lube - started using Impereal wax
4. full length resize

this is when stuff starts splitting

5. wipe off lube
6. re-prime
7. powder
8. bullet on top
9. seat and crimp die


not one of them split.

Seems like the LC86 stuff was brittle...I may gift it to someone who makes 300Blackout.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:
So I scrapped all the LC86 I was using for bolt gun ammo and sorted my brass horde....

now sporting some LC13 brass for the Rem700...

same steps
1. decap w/Lee universal die
2. clean w/ss pins
2.5) anneal
3. lube - started using Impereal wax
4. full length resize

this is when stuff starts splitting

5. wipe off lube
6. re-prime
7. powder
8. bullet on top
9. seat and crimp die


not one of them split.

Seems like the LC86 stuff was brittle...I may gift it to someone who makes 300Blackout.

Either that or it was somehow contaminated.

I've had that happen with some lc before, gunshow bulk brass purchase, fresh from a DLA sale. They were hard to size and trimmed a lot. split in funny places, including a great learning opportunity in how to extract a broken case. My best guess is that an out of headspace SAW had at them first. I recycled it all and avoid gi brass now.