Checking your work - What I've learned about reloading

olyroller · Mar 14, 2017

Caveman Jim said:
Just thought I'd give a little update on my trial and tribulations of getting into reloading and some of what I have learned. I know enough right now (as all n00bs do) to be dangerous as with any new hobby, we kind of get the mentality that this is so easy even a caveman could do it. I have not had any mishaps (knock on wood) but I do check ALL test loads. As for my 40 Smith & Wesson that I just had a feeling about, nothing really stood out as the cases looked fine but when I ran them through the case checker (which I do all my ammo that I make) I found a surprise that not all ammo that we produce it's going to work for some reason or another.
5 out of 50 did not gauge so they were pulled, measured & inspected to find that they must be caused by bullet misalignment because the cases themselves were within specs.
One of the nogo rounds did pass when turning it while in the gauge.
Pics tell the tale.
Thoughts?

View attachment 348191 View attachment 348192

I don't use a Lee, I use a Dillon, but in my Dillon seating die there is a little dingus inside that can be rotated using one side if you are using flat nosed or hollow point bullets, and the other side if you are using round nosed bullets. Using the wrong side can affect bullet seating. Maybe the Lee die has something similar?

EricJK · Mar 14, 2017

I load .40 S&W. Usually around 500 rounds at a time, as I use up my stash before reloading. I started out with an FNX-40 pistol, traded that for an S&W M&P 40. I mention this because I've had experiences with cases not loading correctly in chambers.

For the less experienced: an issue that occurs with the .40 S&W (and 10mm Auto) is that cases just ahead of the case head can expand upon firing, and even after resizing, cases won't cycle through a firearm correctly. Expansion is more significant as pressure of the loaded round increases, and is also dependent on the gun barrel maker's ideas about what constitutes an appropriate chamber. I've seen some barrels that don't do a good job of supporting the case.

Handloader magazine (I think it was in 2014) talked about this issue with .45 Colt brass fired in a lever-action rifle, which is another situation that causes a noticeable bulge in cases (i.e., lever actions have overly generous chamber dimensions). In the article, the author noted that not all carbide dies are up to the task of ironing out the bulge, with Lee and Hornady dies (and the dual-ring Redding) getting better marks. This is based on how the different companies shape the nose of their carbide sizing rings.

For my situation, the FNX had a slightly larger chamber than the S&W, and rounds that I loaded when I owned the FNX would not chamber in the S&W M&P 40. I use Hornady's die set with a Lee taper crimp die, and the taper crimp die on its own doesn't solve the issue.

Lee has a little accessory called the Bulge Buster Kit that - at least for the moment - has addressed the problem for me. Basically, remove the taper crimp bushing and stem from the Lee taper crimp die, then push cases all the way through the taper crimp die into the Bulge Buster - a container that holds about 80 rounds of .40 S&W. (I believe RCBS has a similar tool.)

The need is (basically) to get the cases squeezed back down to where they'll cycle in your firearm (or fit in the case gauge). Since brass expands and then shrinks on firing a round, you will probably see case neck splits before you have to push rounds back through the Bulge Buster. I get about 4 to 5 loads before I get neck splits.

Hope this provides some additional insights.

EricJK

ageingstudent · Mar 14, 2017

EricJK said:
I load .40 S&W. Usually around 500 rounds at a time, as I use up my stash before reloading. I started out with an FNX-40 pistol, traded that for an S&W M&P 40. I mention this because I've had experiences with cases not loading correctly in chambers.

For the less experienced: an issue that occurs with the .40 S&W (and 10mm Auto) is that cases just ahead of the case head can expand upon firing, and even after resizing, cases won't cycle through a firearm correctly. Expansion is more significant as pressure of the loaded round increases, and is also dependent on the gun barrel maker's ideas about what constitutes an appropriate chamber. I've seen some barrels that don't do a good job of supporting the case.

Handloader magazine (I think it was in 2014) talked about this issue with .45 Colt brass fired in a lever-action rifle, which is another situation that causes a noticeable bulge in cases (i.e., lever actions have overly generous chamber dimensions). In the article, the author noted that not all carbide dies are up to the task of ironing out the bulge, with Lee and Hornady dies (and the dual-ring Redding) getting better marks. This is based on how the different companies shape the nose of their carbide sizing rings.

For my situation, the FNX had a slightly larger chamber than the S&W, and rounds that I loaded when I owned the FNX would not chamber in the S&W M&P 40. I use Hornady's die set with a Lee taper crimp die, and the taper crimp die on its own doesn't solve the issue.

Lee has a little accessory called the Bulge Buster Kit that - at least for the moment - has addressed the problem for me. Basically, remove the taper crimp bushing and stem from the Lee taper crimp die, then push cases all the way through the taper crimp die into the Bulge Buster - a container that holds about 80 rounds of .40 S&W. (I believe RCBS has a similar tool.)

The need is (basically) to get the cases squeezed back down to where they'll cycle in your firearm (or fit in the case gauge). Since brass expands and then shrinks on firing a round, you will probably see case neck splits before you have to push rounds back through the Bulge Buster. I get about 4 to 5 loads before I get neck splits.

Hope this provides some additional insights.

EricJK

Along those lines I think it's double important to inspect your .40 brass closely around the web. I sent a bunch of range brass through the bulge buster once and came out with a few like the pic below. Some chambers will bulge the web so badly that the case is no longer sound, even after passing through the buster. It isn't always easy to see the crack before it gets sized down and they don't clank like neck splits. Note the fissure by the web, I wouldn't risk firing that in my gun.

Member 5605 · Mar 15, 2017

Any bulged brass should be recycled period. Their structural integrity and your hands are not worth $.035 and .40 brass is plentiful and easy to get.

Caveman Jim · Mar 25, 2017

All great information and greatly appreciated.

Crohnos01 · Mar 25, 2017

I have been reloading some 40 cases as of late. I had a couple of bags of unfired brass that processed just fine, but I started to have some issues with the primer shuttle on the press every 30th case or so, so decided to pull all the dies and powder measure from the press to cycle cases in a priming only mode and see if I could determine the cause of the primer feed issue. Midway through the diagnosis, I ran out of fresh brass and threw 50 or so range brass cases I to the hopper to continue my diagnosis. I found and fixed my issue with the primer shuttle, so now put all the equipment back together and pulled the decapping pin from resizing die to process all the primed brass I had just created. Everything was going fine, and I passed the finished rounds through a Wilson gauge before they went into my bulk ammo box. About 6 of the rounds failed the gauge due to bulged cases. I set them aside with the intent to look them over closer today, but now I am going to REALLY look them over.... My guess is the ones I had issues with were from the range brass lot and may have unrepairable issues if the look like the photos above.

ageingstudent · Mar 25, 2017

Crohnos01 said:
I have been reloading some 40 cases as of late. I had a couple of bags of unfired brass that processed just fine, but I started to have some issues with the primer shuttle on the press every 30th case or so, so decided to pull all the dies and powder measure from the press to cycle cases in a priming only mode and see if I could determine the cause of the primer feed issue. Midway through the diagnosis, I ran out of fresh brass and threw 50 or so range brass cases I to the hopper to continue my diagnosis. I found and fixed my issue with the primer shuttle, so now put all the equipment back together and pulled the decapping pin from resizing die to process all the primed brass I had just created. Everything was going fine, and I passed the finished rounds through a Wilson gauge before they went into my bulk ammo box. About 6 of the rounds failed the gauge due to bulged cases. I set them aside with the intent to look them over closer today, but now I am going to REALLY look them over.... My guess is the ones I had issues with were from the range brass lot and may have unrepairable issues if the look like the photos above.

It's pretty common with .40 for the case to have a slightly swollen look. Those are what I consider normal for that cartridge. That picture above comes from a pregnant guppy looking case that really isn't suitable to be used again IMOP. We all draw the line somewhere based on our experience and that of others. There's no denying that the .40 s&w is a fairly hot cartridge as is and there's loose chambered guns around firing all that hot factory ammo.