case head separation - how to get the case out?

[peaceman]

I experienced my first case head separation on a 300WM. This was the 2nd loading of the brass and I FL resized the case one to true up the factory Winchester brass. The second reload was neck sized only. I apparently have the die screwed down to much when sizing it the first time but was following the recommnendation of the die manufacturer (Lee).

I have read about using the nickel between the case holder and the die. Any concurrence to this practice.

How do I get my stuck case out? I tried putting a bore brush through to no avail. I haven't tried catching the lip with just a rod yet but seems like very low probability of success.

Thanks.

[BrownBear]

Easiest way is to get some of this. Plug the stem hole of the die, melt about a teaspoon of it (it melts below the temp of boiling water), pour it in and let it harden (seconds). Reverse the die and tap out the case. Reheat the extracted case to melt the alloy and save it for next time. Good for head seps in rifles, too.

[gunbugs]

Get some Cerrosafe alloy from Brownells. Vise the rifle muzzle down. Insert a patch into the chamber and push it just past the neck of the case into the throat to plug the barrel. Melt the cerrosafe and pour it into the chamber just past the back of the separated case. Let it cool for about a minute or two to harden. Now take a ONE PIECE STEEL cleaning rod and insert it from the muzzle end and knock out the cast and the case from the front. A nickel between the shell holder and the die is probably too much clearance. You should probably try to be more precise than that. I would get your case out for free if you were to stop by, but I'm in Fairbanks.

[Homer Oz]

G'Day Fella's,

Peaceman, I have had this happen a couple of times with my .350 Rem Mag bolt action (don't ask what velocities I was achieving)!
What I do is remove the bolt from the action and then use a 12mm Taper Tap (I imaging a 9/16" Taper Tap might also be OK?), on a 12" long, 3/8" square socket spanner extension (I use Electricians insulation tape to hold everything together and in place) and then VERY CAREFULLY insert the tap into the chamber of the rifle. I then use a Tap Wrench to rotate the tap and cut into the inside of the remaining portion of the stuck case! One half of a turn was all that I needed to get the Tap to cut into and grip into the inside of the severed/stuck case portion, and I then pull the remainder of the case out of the chamber!
And "Bob's ya Uncle", ya back in business!

What it is you are doing is, is inserting the Tap into the inside of the case, which is slightly smaller than the chamber diameter.
If you don't do this correctly, you could end up cutting into and or marking the chamber and ruining the rifle. so if you don't understand what it is I have explained, please pay a professional to do if for you!

Hope that helps

D'oh!
Homer

[gunbugs]

Using a thread cutting tool in the chamber of your firearm is fraught with danger. You run a high risk of ruining the barrel. Do not do this. I have rebarreled/ recut chambers on several guns over the years because of this.

[Homer Oz]

G'Day Again,

Precisely Gunbugs, hence my note of Caution and the advice to seek a professionals assistance if he wasn't able to do this himself!
The reason I put forward this advice was, if Peaceman is way out in the Boonies and has a problem Bear in the area and is desperate to get his .300 operational again.

Regards
Homer

[knikglacier]

peaceman,
You have been given solutions to a case stuck in the rifle chamber and also stuck in a reloading die. Its time to clarify where the case head separation is.

[peaceman]

In the chamber, not the die. Sounds like cerrosafe is the way to go.

[mart]

The simplest and fastest way I've ever done it is to use an appropriately sized easy out. You have to be extremely careful as you can easily damage the chamber if you get too heavy handed. Determine what size easy out will fit inside the separated case in your chamber. Run the easy out in gently, twist it just slightly to engage the spirals in the brass, then one or two gentle taps on a cleaning rod from the other side will dislodge the case. I've never had it fail and I've never damaged a chamber. GENTLE is the key word here. Brass is very soft compared to the steel in an easy out and it doesn't take much force to engage the tool in the brass. An easy out is a spiral bit with a left hand twist designed to be used in a broken bolt to back it out. FWIW, I've never had the brass brush trick work and I've had to do this for several guns, most of them customer guns when I worked at a large sporting good store in the 90's. The easy out trick worked every time.

[peaceman]

I was able to extract the case and used the Cerrosafe method...piece of cake. There are good youtube videos on how to do it and also on Midway's website. I felt much better doing this than using an ez out which could damage the metal. The cerrosafe didn't even burn through a plastic bag and is just like plumber's solder. It is very forgiving to work with.
If anyone is reading this and needs to remove a stuck case, I now have the material and would help out, just PM me.

Thanks to all who offered their opinion.