How to recover a collapsed shoulder case

[lazyengineer]

Some seating steps went awry and resulted in a few cases with collapsed shoulders.


Ruined brass, right? Won't fit in a Grendel die to even try to fix. But, how about a 30-06 die to compress that blown out shoulder back in just a bit.



Will it fit now?




With a bit of effort ..


Tadaa!




Probably not my best brass. Sounds perfect for 90 TNT field hunting brass I can just leave.

[lazyengineer]

url=https://postimg.cc/Yv9GwHZV][/url]

[VASCAR2]

Glad I’m not the only guy to muck up a case like that. Good idea thanks for posting.

[EastTNHunter]

I’ve done it before, but tossed the casings out. I would be concerned about work hardening the brass in the areas that have flexed that much. Maybe anneal?

[lazyengineer]

I’ve done it before, but tossed the casings out. I would be concerned about work hardening the brass in the areas that have flexed that much. Maybe anneal?

You could, but really, the neck wasn't worked and tension was never altered (accuracy), and the actual pressure seal is only important at the bottom half inch (safety, which is why broken shells and head separations don't kaboom, you only need the bottom half inch orneven less to seal). If it cracks there at the shoulder (which I doubt), it doesn't actually matter. But all the same, these will be going to the fire and forget pile for where recovery may be difficult.

[Stugotz]

I'll give you a solid "A" for effort, but unless your absolutely desperate on saving/using the brass, I would also throw it out.

[Old Bob]

I've also crunched a shoulder or two when seating bullets, but not to the degree the OP did in his first pic. What I did was remove the neck sizing bushing from my L. E. Wilson die, apply a little case lube at the bulged section of the case & then run the still loaded cartridge slowly into the die. That squeezed the bulge right out of the case. Wiped the lube off the case & verified it would still fit in my Grendel cartridge gauge with the correct headspace.