Brass isn't fitting in shell plate Lee Pro 1000

[Dewey 68]

I just started reloading .38 special, with mixed headstamp brass. I'm having quite a few that aren't sliding completely into the shell plate on my Lee Pro 1000 press. The odd thing is that some of the same headstamp fits fine, and some doesn't.

Has anyone run into this problem before? I've read some people on here have polished their shell plate, but I didn't see any posts that were from Pro 1000 owners.

Really slows things down to pull the offending brass out.

 

[Jumping Frog]

You should mark the shellplate with a sharpie to number the openings and see if there is any correlation with the failure to load the shell. Is it the same opening every time or does the opening vary.

Check that there isn't a machining chip or other debris lodged in the shellplate. I knew a guy with feeding problems that finally solved it by looked very closely.

Look at these pictures:
http://i744.photobucket.com/albums/xx87/Missileman1/Defect.jpg
http://i744.photobucket.com/albums/xx87/Missileman1/Normal.jpg
http://i744.photobucket.com/albums/xx87/Missileman1/CIMG0111.jpg

It was jammed in there so hard that he had previously tried to scrape it out with several items (knives, nails, etc...), but it would not budge. Just scratched. After posting the pictures and getting advice, he went back out and used a hammer and very small pin punch. It moved.

 

[fguffey]

Fitting the plate is not the problem,, not having a standard for fit is (the problem). I have found Lee shell holders with excessive room, when compared to RCBS I have found Lee to have .005 more slack, for me that is good because I use shell holders for case forming, Lee's loose fit allows me to reduce the length of a case from the shoulder to the head of the case an additional .005 thousands, for some cases that is a total of .017 under a go-gage chamber, then there are the shell holders that are aggravating to use, for room they are stingy, when a case will not fit the 'GOOD FITTING' shell holders the case has a problem.
The thickness of the rim and diameter of the case specifications are included in published data of the case. I would start there and compare the cases that will not fit the plate., I would also rotate the case, it is possible the cases that will not fit were fired in a chamber that is not round or over sized.

F. Guffey

 

[Dewey 68]

Thanks for the ideas guys.

I checked and all three slots are the same, if a case doesn't fit in one, it won't fit in all of them.

I measured some cases that fit versus cases that don't, and the rim diameters on the one's that don't fit appear to be a little bigger than the ones that do.

I may take my Dremel and polish the front edges of each slot to see if that helps. Some will fit if I push them in by hand, rather than letting the shell feeder do it, but it's a snug fit.

 

[LiveLife]

The odd thing is that some of the same headstamp fits fine, and some doesn't.

Dewey, I would check the case rims to see if they were bent before I took the Dremel to the shell plate.

If some of the cases fit fine, then your shell plate is OK.

If you needed to straighten the bent case rim, I guess you could find a 12 point socket that fit the .38 case and lightly tap until they fit the shell plate.

 

[kestak]

Greetings,

I had the same problem with my 223 shell and the LC brass.
I just used my dremel with the cutting wheel and I grinded a little bit of material on each side of the "entrance" of the shell to help the brass slide in. I have no problem anymore.

Thank you

 

[Dewey 68]

I polished up the feed on the shellplate and it helped, but I still have some that don't fit. Instead of taking off too much metal from the shellplate, I think I'll just use the shellplate as a gauge and run through the cases while I'm watching TV one night or otherwise wasting time and pull out the ones that don't fit.

Thanks.

 

[rfwobbly]

As a suggestion to check....

Remember there are at least 2 measurements that would make brass "not fit" your shell holder...
• Diameter of the opening not wide enough to fit the OD of the brass
• Height of the shell plate opening not high enough to accept thicker rims

You may wish to investigate both as possibilities, since their corrective actions would be completely different.

 

[RealGun]

I run a Pro1000 for 9mm also. Since I remove primers before final tumbling, I will have already discovered tight case heads, assuming a close correlation in fit between the shellholder and the shell plate.

9mm cases are a mess, so there really needs to be some serious sorting before they get to the progressive press. To avoid excessive bullet pulling I might even size the cases during decapping and check them with a gauge for bulges that prevent freely chambering. That also catches extractor dings and burrs that keep a case from freely dropping in the gauge the whole way without coaxing.

 

[Red Cent]

Dewey, there are a number of off brand brass in 38 that will not prime easily (or at all) and there are some 38s that have different rim groove measurement.
The 38s have a headstamp of R-M- or R-C something I believe but it is an off brand. I have the same problem with 9mm brass. Probably one in 50 or so.
I toss them. I ain't cuttin' my shellholder.
The shellholder/shellplate fit does not occur in my 650s. They do in my Lee Turret.

 

[Dewey 68]

I culled the ones that don't fit and have them in a baggy for recycling or emergency use only. If I push them in by hand they will fit, but I probably won't use them. I have plenty that do fit. I just found it interesting that some of the same head stamp fit, and some don't, and it's not just "off brand" stuff either. Some Winchester fits, some doesn't, etc.

9mm is the only other caliber I've loaded in my short reloading stint, but I haven't run into the same issue. Having said that, 99% of what I've reloaded in 9mm is Winchester brass, so I haven't run as much mixed headstamp brass in 9mm.

 

[Jeff H]

I had that problem with Win brass in 38spec as well. I have a particularly tight Blackhawk and if I load any of those Win brass with the thicker head, it will jam up the gun. My other revolvers fire it fine so they must be in spec, just on the thick side. They all fit in my shell holder but some have to be pushed in with some force.

 

[Dave P]

Using a caliper, measure the cases that don't fit. I say there is a good chance they are too big, having been blown out with too hot reloads.

I have been know to use lee caseholders to determine when my hot 10mm cases need to be trashed.

Do not assume the Lee is wrong!

 

[wrangler5]

Have you tried spinning a case that won't fit? Turning it 90 or 120 degrees may move a rim ding out of the way and let the case go in "front to back" where it wouldn't fit "sideways." (I have seen this work on more than one occasion with 9mm cases, but never had a similar problem with 38 Special.)

I'm with Red Cent - don't cut the shell plate, the problem is almost certainly with the brass.

 

[ultralightbackpacker]

I just last week had that same issue with My dillon shell plate #2 using 38 or 357. I had used this shell plate for thousands of rounds. Went to reload again and blamo, one station on the shell plate would literally scratch the heck out of my brand new starline brass. Hmmmm. Shook my head a bit. Cleaned it up real nice. Still to no avail. Finally gave up and on Sunday night placed an order (should have called for no BS warranty), got the shellplate 3 hours ago today. No problem whatsoever. 32 bux, but she now just created 250 rounds of 357 JHP.

I can see no damage to my original shellplate, I even wire brushed it lightly thinking maybe a kernel of powder was interfering. Nope.

Good luck.

 

[Red Cent]

Loaded some 9mm today. Turned out every time I had trouble no matter whichaway I stuck it in, the headstamp said "9MM Luger". If it didn't have the Luger on it, it would fit. Lee Turret.

 

[LiveLife]

Dewey 68/Red Cent, I am curious.

If you have some new factory ammo, try them in the shell plates. If they fit fine, you do not have problem with your shell plate but problem with your spent brass - sounds like the case rim is being damaged/distorted.

 

[Dewey 68]

Dewey 68/Red Cent, I am curious.

If you have some new factory ammo, try them in the shell plates. If they fit fine, you do not have problem with your shell plate but problem with your spent brass - sounds like the case rim is being damaged/distorted.

I'll give it a try. I'm sure it's the brass though. I loaded 250 tonight without any problems. Of course this was using the brass that I already had tested in the plate with it off the press.

 

[noylj]

Brass doesn't fit

Maybe this a sacrilegious, but I simply throw those cases away. They are almost always range pick-up and they are damaged in some way. Not worth it to save.
The two worst offenders are .38 Special and 9x19 (there are some really off-spec military rounds in 9mm that show up).
I still can't believe that some shell plates (Lee) are sized such that the same shell plate is used for 9x19 and .40S&W. I assume that the large primer on the 10mm Auto (or simply too few in use) is why they aren't referenced for the same shell plate.

 

[Red Cent]

Dewey, definitely blaming the brass. I have a M39 and a M59 that I bought in the 60s. Used to load for them quite a bit. Same machine. Cannot remember having the problem then. I simply toss them.

 

[Five of Clubs]

Some Winchester brass I use has what seems like a rim that is too thick. They won't fit my Pro1000 or the holder on the single stage either. BTW, I'm not talking about damaged brass. I just toss them (gasp). I have never had that problem with any other brand.