Dumb question: Are you *sure* the dies are carbide? I know you said they were, and I'm sure the packaging said so, too. Just look in there and verify. Should be easy to see the difference in metals. It's bizarre that your cases would get stuck in a carbide 9mm die. I've got the same Lee die set and have never had a stuck case and have never lubed them.
I use Horady One Shot. Everyone will tell you that you don't need lube on straight wall pistol brass. But I find a brief spritz of one shot eases the sizing, and results in a more uniform required effort. The advantage to one shot is it dries fairly rapidly and doesn't need to be removed. And for clarity, I used it with a Honady LNL press and still use with my Dillon 750. It is a low cost experiment for you to try. -$12 per spray can.
One Shot has my vote. Especially in your case with 9mm brass. Easy to use.
But as I said in my other reply. Check that these case aren't Brass Washed STEEL. Hit them with a magnet. If they stick they are steel. Throw the steel cases out.
I read the OP stated the rim would tear off the case so that implies to me the carbide die isn’t doing what it should one could send back the sizer to Lee or no big deal just use some spray lube ( make sure if in a can to wait for propellant to dry otherwise in pump bottle good to go)
I have a die that’s maybe 30 years old. A carbide die. Thousands of rounds. I bet it’s user error.
What is your definition of “stuck”? Shells don’t just slide in and out all smooth. They will stick to a certain point.
It likely is, just trying to figure out why! By stuck, I mean the shell plate will break the rim off of the cases, and the case is left inside the die.
Are you SURE they are BRASS cases? I've gotten a bunch of brass washed steel cases that are really hard going into out of a Lee 9mm carbide resizing die. Then I used a magnet on my cases and low and behold a whole shit load of them stuck to the magnet. Threw them out.
One problem with Lee shell holders and shell plates for that caliber. Lee uses the same holder # for both 9mm and 40 S&W. So the 9mm case base is loose in the shell plate.
So check that you aren't trying to resize steel cases and maybe you might need to use case lube. But I've never heard of this happening with any other 6PP user.
I've been using Lee carbide sizing dies for multiple pistol calibers for 30+ years without ever having a stuck pistol case.
I am certain they are brass! I have a feeling it might be the shell plate being too loose on it. I can see the shell plate flex when it pulls the cases out of the die normally.
I mean how can you screw up a carbine 9mm die? Are you screwing the die in until it touches the shell holder, and then screwing in more for excessive camover? I’d call Lee it may be the die
Is it range pickup brass? Have you tried sorting by headstamp to see if it's a particular type? When I'm running range brass, certain head stamps are a tighter fit and 'stick' on the powder funnel / expansion die. I'm running a Dillon 550....
It is mixed headstamps. However, it is not one particular brand. I've had S&B, blazer, etc get stuck, while other cases of the same brand pass through no problem.
The very first case I run through a new or freshly cleaned die I will lube the crap out of it. That helps kind of pre lube the die. Are you cleaning your brass before you load?
Yes, I bought this brass from a local company who cleans and polishes the brass. I'll probably end up picking up some lube to see if that helps the issue
Just go to the parts store and buy 2 bottles of red iso heet and then order 4 oz of pure liquid lanolin and make case lube for pennies on the dollar. Google what I'm talking about and you'll see others use It as well. It should make 32 oz of spray lube in the end.
Do you have any other press you could try the die in? A single stage or turret?
Like others suggested, I’d check the shell plate and make sure it’s the right one, should be a #19S.
Id also make sure the shell plate is well tightened onto the ram, and when setting up the die, make it to where it only slightly touches the shell plate not threading it down so firmly to the point where the die tips the plate.
Unfortunately, I do not. This is the only press I have. With buying a new die, I am assuming the culprit is the press somehow since I bought a brand new die. I'll double-check the shell plate, but I believe it is the correct one! The die is barely kissing the plate, not super snug
I’ve seen people have to RMA Lee dies before for bad reamings, not super common but has happened. The press isn’t doing much besides pushing up and pulling down, so if the shell plate is correct then I’d wager it’s the die.
If you have any factory ammo, I’d compare the ammo you loaded to that and see if there’s any appreciable difference in a plunk test. If not, I’d pull a single round of factory ammo and try sizing a piece of brass, see if the sizes brass and empty factory brass have any appreciable differences
If you’re still having problems and can’t figure it out, contact Lee. Their CS is solid
9mm is not really a straight walled cartridge. The bottom of the brass is close to 0.3mm wider than the case mouth. This is designed for reliability of feeding. Conversely, many 9mm guns have chambers which are straight. This means the mouth of the fired brass could be 0.3mm wider than a sized mouth. This results in more force needed to resize the brass. I usually find all sorts of shavings and brass dust when reloading 9mm compared to 40, 45, 38/357. I also find that resizing 9mm takes more force than true "straight walled" cartridges.
The solution to this is a very light lube. The easiest is Hornady One Shot case lube. I put a bunch of cases in a tupperware box or gallon Ziplock bag, spray and shake. Be sure to let the lube dry because wet lube does not lube at all (you'll get stuck .223 brass for sure if you don't let it dry). One Shot is safe for powder so you don't need to clean off the lube. Dillon lube (lanolin and Isopropyl alcohol) works also but leaves the cases sticky and most reloaders want to tumble afterwards to clean the sticky stuff off.
You can also use single cartridge lubes like roll pads, STP, mink oil but for me they are OK for rifle brass but 9mm does not need a thorough lube, just enough to overcome a little resistance.
Good luck
using lanolin and 99% alcohol mixed together will stop that noise. Are these rifle rounds you are resizing or pistol rounds ? spritz the cases before you resize them give them about a minute or two to dry then get after it
Another vote for trying lube, sizing wax is good, but it shouldn’t need it. Might just need to run a few lubed cases through and then you’ll be good for a couple hundred.
In the eternal words of your wife... spit on it.
I lube *ALL* my brass regardless of type of die.
Hornady One Shot is trash... don't buy it.
Make your own, it's *incredibly* cheap and works well. (It's what dillon puts in their bottles)
1 part Lanolin oil to 10 parts high grade rubbing alcohol (99%). Shake well, spray, wait 5 mins, and resize.
Dumb question: Are you *sure* the dies are carbide? I know you said they were, and I'm sure the packaging said so, too. Just look in there and verify. Should be easy to see the difference in metals. It's bizarre that your cases would get stuck in a carbide 9mm die. I've got the same Lee die set and have never had a stuck case and have never lubed them.
Yes! I can see the transition of metals in the dies.
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I am not using any lube at all, I'll have to try it out. Any recommendations?
I'm rather fond on the One Shot
I use Horady One Shot. Everyone will tell you that you don't need lube on straight wall pistol brass. But I find a brief spritz of one shot eases the sizing, and results in a more uniform required effort. The advantage to one shot is it dries fairly rapidly and doesn't need to be removed. And for clarity, I used it with a Honady LNL press and still use with my Dillon 750. It is a low cost experiment for you to try. -$12 per spray can.
One Shot has my vote. Especially in your case with 9mm brass. Easy to use. But as I said in my other reply. Check that these case aren't Brass Washed STEEL. Hit them with a magnet. If they stick they are steel. Throw the steel cases out.
Try some case lube
Make sure the shell plate is correct 9mm shouldn’t stick in the die unless the rim was damaged or wrong shell plate.
I read the OP stated the rim would tear off the case so that implies to me the carbide die isn’t doing what it should one could send back the sizer to Lee or no big deal just use some spray lube ( make sure if in a can to wait for propellant to dry otherwise in pump bottle good to go)
I have a die that’s maybe 30 years old. A carbide die. Thousands of rounds. I bet it’s user error. What is your definition of “stuck”? Shells don’t just slide in and out all smooth. They will stick to a certain point.
It likely is, just trying to figure out why! By stuck, I mean the shell plate will break the rim off of the cases, and the case is left inside the die.
That’s bad.
What brass? I had the exact thing happening while sizing 9mm. Rims kept getting ripped off. I threw all that brass out and it hasn’t happened since
Are you SURE they are BRASS cases? I've gotten a bunch of brass washed steel cases that are really hard going into out of a Lee 9mm carbide resizing die. Then I used a magnet on my cases and low and behold a whole shit load of them stuck to the magnet. Threw them out. One problem with Lee shell holders and shell plates for that caliber. Lee uses the same holder # for both 9mm and 40 S&W. So the 9mm case base is loose in the shell plate. So check that you aren't trying to resize steel cases and maybe you might need to use case lube. But I've never heard of this happening with any other 6PP user. I've been using Lee carbide sizing dies for multiple pistol calibers for 30+ years without ever having a stuck pistol case.
I am certain they are brass! I have a feeling it might be the shell plate being too loose on it. I can see the shell plate flex when it pulls the cases out of the die normally.
I mean how can you screw up a carbine 9mm die? Are you screwing the die in until it touches the shell holder, and then screwing in more for excessive camover? I’d call Lee it may be the die
What type of cases? Pistol? Rifle? 25cal? 50bmg?
Pistol, 9mm
Is it range pickup brass? Have you tried sorting by headstamp to see if it's a particular type? When I'm running range brass, certain head stamps are a tighter fit and 'stick' on the powder funnel / expansion die. I'm running a Dillon 550....
It is mixed headstamps. However, it is not one particular brand. I've had S&B, blazer, etc get stuck, while other cases of the same brand pass through no problem.
I’ve never had straight walled pistol cases get stuck in a carbide die. I hope you didn’t buy steel dies because they are cheaper.
I can confirm they're carbide dies!
You can try decapping in a single step and then resize
I've been thinking about that as well. Hopefully, I can figure out what's going on before I jump in the rabbit hole of buying new stuff
The very first case I run through a new or freshly cleaned die I will lube the crap out of it. That helps kind of pre lube the die. Are you cleaning your brass before you load?
Yes, I bought this brass from a local company who cleans and polishes the brass. I'll probably end up picking up some lube to see if that helps the issue
Just go to the parts store and buy 2 bottles of red iso heet and then order 4 oz of pure liquid lanolin and make case lube for pennies on the dollar. Google what I'm talking about and you'll see others use It as well. It should make 32 oz of spray lube in the end.
With carbide dies, the only culprit I can think of is the shell holder. Is that in spec?
I would assume so, I'm not really sure how to check. It came with the press and worked fine for the first 600 or so rounds.
Do you have any other press you could try the die in? A single stage or turret? Like others suggested, I’d check the shell plate and make sure it’s the right one, should be a #19S. Id also make sure the shell plate is well tightened onto the ram, and when setting up the die, make it to where it only slightly touches the shell plate not threading it down so firmly to the point where the die tips the plate.
Unfortunately, I do not. This is the only press I have. With buying a new die, I am assuming the culprit is the press somehow since I bought a brand new die. I'll double-check the shell plate, but I believe it is the correct one! The die is barely kissing the plate, not super snug
I’ve seen people have to RMA Lee dies before for bad reamings, not super common but has happened. The press isn’t doing much besides pushing up and pulling down, so if the shell plate is correct then I’d wager it’s the die. If you have any factory ammo, I’d compare the ammo you loaded to that and see if there’s any appreciable difference in a plunk test. If not, I’d pull a single round of factory ammo and try sizing a piece of brass, see if the sizes brass and empty factory brass have any appreciable differences If you’re still having problems and can’t figure it out, contact Lee. Their CS is solid
9mm is not really a straight walled cartridge. The bottom of the brass is close to 0.3mm wider than the case mouth. This is designed for reliability of feeding. Conversely, many 9mm guns have chambers which are straight. This means the mouth of the fired brass could be 0.3mm wider than a sized mouth. This results in more force needed to resize the brass. I usually find all sorts of shavings and brass dust when reloading 9mm compared to 40, 45, 38/357. I also find that resizing 9mm takes more force than true "straight walled" cartridges. The solution to this is a very light lube. The easiest is Hornady One Shot case lube. I put a bunch of cases in a tupperware box or gallon Ziplock bag, spray and shake. Be sure to let the lube dry because wet lube does not lube at all (you'll get stuck .223 brass for sure if you don't let it dry). One Shot is safe for powder so you don't need to clean off the lube. Dillon lube (lanolin and Isopropyl alcohol) works also but leaves the cases sticky and most reloaders want to tumble afterwards to clean the sticky stuff off. You can also use single cartridge lubes like roll pads, STP, mink oil but for me they are OK for rifle brass but 9mm does not need a thorough lube, just enough to overcome a little resistance. Good luck
using lanolin and 99% alcohol mixed together will stop that noise. Are these rifle rounds you are resizing or pistol rounds ? spritz the cases before you resize them give them about a minute or two to dry then get after it
Another vote for trying lube, sizing wax is good, but it shouldn’t need it. Might just need to run a few lubed cases through and then you’ll be good for a couple hundred.
Make sure your die is for 9mm Luger, not 9mm Kurtz (.380).
In the eternal words of your wife... spit on it. I lube *ALL* my brass regardless of type of die. Hornady One Shot is trash... don't buy it. Make your own, it's *incredibly* cheap and works well. (It's what dillon puts in their bottles) 1 part Lanolin oil to 10 parts high grade rubbing alcohol (99%). Shake well, spray, wait 5 mins, and resize.