Did I just ruin this?

[RifleBowPistol]

Based on the lock ring it appears to be a Hornady die would scrap the die and just get a new one. For the record I have reloaded for roughly 15 years and the only cases I ever stuck were in the new Hornady dies. I don't know if there is a correlation there or not.

Yep, they are not worth saving.

[RifleBowPistol]

If you can get the decapping rod out, I would try driving a pin punch through the die, into the case and let it bottom out on the bottom of the case. Then try to drive it out with a hammer. If that's not possible, possibly a smaller pin punch to try and drive the broke piece of the tap out of the case.

I have broken taps off multiple times in the past. If they are broken off in steel and they are a good hard tap, that will break easily. I will drive a center punch down the grooves of the tap and break it up in pieces. Basically very hard taps, end mill bits, hard drill bits, such as carbide bits, will shatter, if you hit them with something hard. That can take some time, but if the tap is hard enough, it works. The softer cheaper taps, that area also duller, usually can't be shattered or broken, by hitting them with a center punch. The tap you broke off, does not look like it is very hard, I doubt it can be shattered.

Other ways I have removed broken taps, is to take a center punch and a hammer, then tap on the flutes of the tap, on alternating sides, trying to turn it counter clockwise. In softer metals such as aluminum or brass, that often does not work but it does at times. Brass, is not all that soft, but softer than steel and has a tendency to cause taps or drill bits to get stuck and are hard to unstick. I would bet it would be very hard to turn that tap, by hitting it with a punch, probably just cause the tap to dig into the opposite side of the hole, from the direction it's being struck from, but you might get lucky.

Possibly chuck the die in a lathe, then turn the case head down till more of the tap is exposed. Then less of the tap is in the brass and there should be enough of the tap exposed to grab hold of it with pliers.

I have made small hole saws, for various purposes, when there is a stuck bolt going through a aluminum cover. I have made hole saws that the ID was just a little larger than the bolt that was broke off. Then used the broken bolt as a pilot. Then drilled out the metal around the broken bolt. I do this with aluminum timing cover bolts, that are seized in blocks and the timing cover won't come off, because the bolt is partially seized to the cover, with rust and corrosion. I used to just break the covers to get them off, so I could remove the seized bolts from the block. But once I came up with the hole saw idea. I drilled the metal out around the broken bolts and have been able to save many timing covers and they are a lot faster to remove that way than busting them up with a sledge hammer. But having someone make you a custom hole saw of that size, would probably not be feasible, unless you are good buddies with a tool and die maker or a machinist. But if you could hole saw that tap out, then you have a larger hole to then tap out with a good quality, sharp tap. Dull taps are the quickest way to break off a tap. Also tapping fluid is a good idea.

As a last resort, you might find someone with a plasma cutter, someone who is talented with a plasma cutter can likely just blow that tap right out of there. But lack of talent, might make a mess of your die.

[Radar]

A tap is made of tool steel, very hard but a bit brittle. Having the right knowledge and the right tools go a long way to success. So does using enough case lube lol



It's a 308 Win case that's stuck.




They woud most likely use a tap extractor that's been mentioned a couple times. Carry on....

Tap extractors do not always work especially if the tap is broke off tight in the hole. I wonder if the tap is broke from being started crooked or it bottomed out.

[sir shovelhands]

A tap is made of tool steel, very hard but a bit brittle. Having the right knowledge and the right tools go a long way to success.

Yeah I'm aware of the material properties. The one I was dealing with was in a 1500 lb gate valve hydraulic operator, and was tapped 1/2" NPT (so the tap was super stuck) at a 45 degree angle with an interference 10" opposite, plus the tap broke in such a way that it shoved material into voids where a tap extractor would go. It couldn't be rotated using a punch/hammer, and all we could fit in there was an angled die grinder.

I've extracted a good number of taps, but this was in reference to trying to drilling one out. Huge waste of time.

[BBReezen]

Put it in the freezer for a while then get a good pair of vice grips and twist it out by grabbing around the case rim.

When using taps, especially small ones, good oil (3 in 1) and short strokes back and forth. You break them when you just try to turn and burn right through it

[Hammer-1]

Last ditch effort......use a dremel to cut the web (head) off the case. You’ll be left with only the case wall stuck around the outer edge of the die. Use something thin/skinny and a softer metal than the die. Slide it down between the die and the case wall. Work it a bit and you’ll be able to collapse the case wall in on itself. Once you have a 1/4 of the wall collapsed in, just pull the whole thing out with some needle nose.

Yes......I’ve done this and had zero damage to the die.

Been there, done that.


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[UncleBubba]

A machine shop could get it out. Once you figure how much they will charge, you might as well buy a new die.

I agree and I, sadly, probably wouldn't be charging enough!

[cricman]

TIG weld an old screwdriver to the tap tip and turn it out! If you don't have a TIG machine, use the needle nose. If you have an old pair of needle nose, grind the end to a usable point. If you don't have a grinder, then, well,......no need to tell you that you can re-grind the tap for shallow thread cutting.


cricman

[Graysonhogs]

A tap is made of tool steel, very hard but a bit brittle. Having the right knowledge and the right tools go a long way to success. So does using enough case lube lol



It's a 308 Win case that's stuck.




They woud most likely use a tap extractor that's been mentioned a couple times. Carry on....

Not this shop. But since it’s prob not bottomed out it would probably work.


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[gatt40]

Get a new die

[Fajkus7]

What caliber is it? I have 2-3 sets of many many calibers. I’ll save you the agony and send you one free of charge.

Hey I appreciate the heck out of that but there is really no need. I messed with it a little bit and just gave up to go buy a new one. Thanks for all the advice everyone. Just confirmed what I figured the best solution would be.

[muzzlebrake]

Freezer method works sometimes. Another way is to quickly heat the die body with a bernzomatic and twist & pull it out with channel loks. Don't heat too long or the brass will swell. Just heat the outside of the die quickly.
The decapping pin can also be removed and a short cleaning rod can be inserted and the case tapped out with a dead blow.

Oh, and properly lube those cases next time

[Graysonhogs]

I have to ask. How much to replace?


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[Gummi Bear]

Hornady will remove a stuck case for $10.00

Give them a call

https://www.hornady.com/support/faqs/what-do-i-do-if-i-have-a-stuck-case-in-a-sizing-die

[Mike D]

Hornady will remove a stuck case for $10.00



Give them a call



https://www.hornady.com/support/faqs...n-a-sizing-die

By the time you do this and pay freight you can just about replace the die.

Only case I’ve ever gotten stuck was in a Hornady die.


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