My new Lee die is scratching brass

[chris in va]

I just bought the 223 Pacesetter three die set last night and decapped about 400 cases. The case neck shows a shallow but noticeable furrow in the brass which I can feel with a fingernail.

I took it apart, can't see or feel anything using a flashlight and pick. Before I give Lee a call on Monday, is there some way to buff it out?

Here's what it does. I had to turn the flash off for it to be seen. Might not be anything serious but still...

 

[Sevens]

I have a Lee full length sizing die in 8x57 that does the same thing.

Problem is -- it's something I did, because it didn't do that when I first got it and it didn't do that to the couple hundred pieces I sized until I screwed it up, somehow.

I was under impression that sizing dies were ridiculously tough, but I messed it up somehow.

I'm sure Lee will replace it, but I haven't gotten around to contacting them simply because I don't use the die much at all.

I'll be watching your thread to see if anyone offers some help. (mine wasn't much help!)

 

[chris in va]

Do you find it causes neck splits after a while? If not I probably won't worry about it.

 

[salmonfood]

I really can't see the picture well, but I had a similar problem sizing my 243 with the Lee dies.

The solution - use less case lube, just a very tiny bit

I don't know if your problem is the same thing, but its worth a try.

 

[wncchester]

Looks like a tiny burr may be at the die's shoulder-neck junction. I've lapped such things out of various brands of dies several times.

I take a loose fitting wood rod that will slip into the neck; split one end for a tightly wrap fitted inch wide strip of very fine - 400 grit or so - black sandpaper and chuck the other end in a drill motor (Walmart has it in the Auto Touch-up Paint section). Spinning that lap in the die's neck a minute or so usually fixes it. (Sizer dies are case hardened so it takes a LOT of such lapping to really change the dimensions so don't worry about that.) Clean it well and try sizing another case to see if you need another treatment.

 

[William T. Watts]

I second everything wncchester says up to 400 grit sand paper, sand paper is too aggressive, use cleaning patches on the wooden rod/Dowel and flitz, flitz will remove the burr but will not remove too much metal nor damage your die. I've used this method a number of times, it's fool proof, you can't screw up! William

 

[noylj]

Did you clean the dies out before using them?
Run a solvent soaked brass brush through the die and then clean it with a decent degreaser.
Did you chamfer the case mouths first?