[cozyc]

Hi, I have reloaded rifle shells for about a year now and I notice how the bullets fit tighter in the chamber because of the form fitting, but does this make it hard to chamber a pistol or a revolver? revolver being 44 mag the pistol being a 40 s&w.

[caz223]

Use a Lee carbide factory crimp die for your ammo, problem solved.

[armoredman]

Double check OAL with every load - that got me in trouble just a few weeks ago!

[Navy joe]

I assume you mean you are neck sizing your rifle reloads. Any pistol reloads will be full length resized. If with the correct OAL for your pistol reload it does not drop into the chamber or case guage and drop back out again as easy or easier than factory rounds, you have a problem. As for the factory crimp die, resizing makes your reloads fit the chamber except for the very slight bell you should be putting to aid bullet seating. Also, unless you are using a heavy roll crimp for a heavy recoiling revolver cartridge sizing holds your bullet, not crimp!

[The Bushmaster]

You didn't say how many times you have loaded these rifle cases. If you are having sticky chambering problems you may have too much brass movement to the case mouth which will raise chamber pressures when firing the round. Check for this as it may cause a chamber failure. :eek:

[caz223]

Where'd you guys get rifle from?

[The Bushmaster]

Aah...Reread the first post "Hi, I have been loading rifle shells for about..." Or did I read that wrong. I've done that too...

[mr. e]

I reload with an RCBS single stage press. When I first started out, I adjusted the sizing die to just come in contact with the shell holder plate. I then found out that this method would create jams in any pistol or rifle that had a precisely sized chamber.

I then changed the way I adjusted the die. Now I screw in the die to first touch the plate, then I open the press and screw the die in another 1/4 to 1/2 turn. I could feel the press flex when I closed it, but the die was not seated so low that I couldn't move the lever arm to its full downward position.

This method solved my chambering problems.

[LHB1]

Cozyc,
If your rifle reloads fit tighter in your gun, something is wrong. Proper reloads fit as well as factory loads in rifle, shotgun, pistol, or revolver. I have been reloading ammo for 40 years and shoot reloads exclusively in my guns. See posts above and read information in reloading manuals on correct techniques for sizing cases, seating bullets, adjusting reloading dies, etc.
Your tight rifle reloads could be caused by improper sizing (whether neck only or full length), seating bullet too far out, using bad brass (pick ups, damaged, mismatched brands, etc.), primer not seated deep enough, wrong bullets, misadjusted sizing die, misadjusted seating die, damaged dies, or just poor technique. Find and correct the problem.

Good shooting and be safe.
LB

[kimbernut]

Yes it is possible to jam both revolvers and semi autos if your die adjustments are not quite right. With revolvers once your dies are set up properly you are good to go.You still need to make sure everytime you reload that nothing has changed in your die settings.Lock rings can loosen up and move which can affect sizing,bell,OAL,and crimp.If you experiment with different projectiles you will be changing die settings as well. With semi autos some are finiky and will not feed all types of bullets well and some have bullets that they won't feed at all.You must find one or more that is reliable in your gun at the same time you will learn the ones to stay away from.

[g56]

You didn't mention if you are trimming the cases in the rifle loads, the only time I had trouble chambering reloads was when I first started reloading rifle shells and didn't realize the empty cases were getting too long. I had been reloading pistol for a year or more, and didn't understand that rifle cases get a little bit longer every time they are fired.

[The Bushmaster]

So do revolver rounds especialy .357 Magnum.

[brickeyee]

Repeated neck sizing (using either a neck die or a full length die off the sheel holder) will allow cases to grow as they are used repeatedly. The brass work hardens and the spring back after firing becomes less and less.
I normally only neck size .22-250 AI and 6mm Rem AI shells, but about every 5-7 loadings a body die must be used to reduce the overall size of the case body and shoulder position. Usually after 3 runs past the body die (15-21 loadings) the brass is geting stiff enough to require annealing or replacement.

I have never had a problem with straight wall cases since they are normally full length sized every time anyway. The usual syptom for wear out from hardening is neck spliting. Low pressure cartridges seem to last almost forever. I have .45 ACP shells that have been loaded 20 times with very few splits (jacketed bullets for less belling). .357 Magnums seem to start having problems around 10 reloads from excessive neck splitting. Since this brass is cheap (and less work than a tight neck AI shell) I usually just pitch the batch when neck splitting has reduced the batch size by around 20%.

[The Bushmaster]

I must be doin' something wrong, because my .357 magnum cases require trimming about every other reloading. Granted my auto cases have never required trimming. Although, my .38 Special (or some of them) will be needing trimmed one of these days.
Brickeyee...How do you get away with not having to trim your straight wall cases? :scrutiny:

[SASS#23149]

Maybe yo're 'particlular' about your oal's in your .357?
I almost never trim straight wall cases as I don't sweat oal's that much.Now if I was shooting bullseye I might,but steel plates aren't bullseye.

[brickeyee]

I check about 10% of any batch before reloadiong and so far none have ever needed trimming.
The .357s are fired in a Python, the .45 and .38 super comps in very tight 1911 guns. May loads and headspace issue are likely to be the drivers for stretching (just like in a bottle neck). IF there is any headpsace in a .357 (frame to cartridge) the hammer wil dive it forward, the pressure will drive it back, and stretching is likely. There has to be some clearnace for function, but it should not be very large. You can slide a feeler gauge between a cartridge and the frame (needs to be the one in firing position)to see how much excess is present. Should be no more than a few thousandths. This can be harder to do on cylinders with rebated rims.

[The Bushmaster]

Yeah..You're right SASS#23149. I am a bit fussy about my .357 mags. I kinda' like them all to crimp in the same place on the bullet. You know...Somewhere around the cantilier. SASS...I tend to load a little heavy in my Magnums and I believe that is why they need more attention at the case trimmer then most others.

[Roadkill]

I reload both the .44 mag and .40SW, the .44 is for a Hawes Western Marshall
Matt Dillon (I like to think so anyway) revolver, the .40 is for a Beretta 96. I've had no problems with either, you really have to size the long pistol cases all the way because of the flat chamber face, no throat for feeding like a semi auto. Never hurts to fit them in the chamber before you box them up, saves a stuck case on the range. The .40 has been very easy, the Beretta is a great gun and feeds very well. I've probably shot 2,000 reloads through it and can't recall a problem. There's a business called "Masterblasters" that make a teflon coated bullet, they do well in my pistols, I reload for six 9mms, two .45s, and one .40.

Here's a link

http://masterblastersbullets.com/page6.html

rk