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- Joined
- Dec 2, 2010
- Messages
- 839
I am having an reoccuring problem when resizing brass that I cannot quite figure out. MY resized brass will not give enough neck tension to hold the bullet in multple calibers. It first started about four months after I got my LNL AP press. I had been using a Lee classic turret press with my lee dies, but I got to the point that I needed somthing faster. After shoping around I decided that I would get the LNL press. I also got the free hornady bullets in 40s&w. When I went to load these, I was not getting enough neck tension, so I ordered some more of the berrys bullets in 9mm and 40 cal, since I was out, and they normally are larger than true FMJ bullets. When I loaded my 40 cal berry's bullets the neck tension was a little better, but I was not satisfied. I measured the bullets with my caliber ( my micrometer was and still is MIA) and they measured at .400 ( hornady's were .398). I first emailed berry's, but I didnt get much help. I then called LEE and they sent me an undersized die. This die solved the neck tension issue with my 40 s&w reloads.
Fast foward a few months I was low on my stock pile of 9mm ammo. When I started loading these berry's 9mm bullets on my LNL believe it or not I had the same problem. :banghead: Though with the 9mm it was only with certin headstamp brass. Win and and remington brass was ok, but fed and a few others gave me problems. I understand that some brass is thicker and thicker brass leaves a smaller inside diameter when sized. So I went to the trouble to sort my brass by headstamp for the next year or so. A few months ago I decided I had an excess of Fed headstamp 9mm brass and that I needed to get it loaded. I ordered a Lee undersized sizing die for 9mm and loaded these.
Not long ago I decided to start reloading 380 acp to feed my pocket pistol. I ordered a 250ct of berry's 100 grain bullets. And who would have guessed it, I could not get enough neck tension with these either. So I ordered some 95 grain MBC bullets and today I had the same problem, but not as bad. :
:banghead: :banghead: This was with all headstamps ( rem, win, S&B,and federal). None had enough to keep the bullet from settimg back under pressure.
This is a long post to read so let me sum it up. First off I am not new to this game, but I have only been using my LNL for a little over two years. I am having problems getting enough neck tension with regular dies. I started with my new press with tried and trued dies ( except 380 acp dies), but with a new lot of bullets in 40 S&W, 9mm, and 380. The dies worked fine in my Lee classic Turret press with all the bullets I loaded previously, but I sold the press and cannot try the new bullets on it. The sizing die is adjusted to the shell plate , and I even set it up where the press would cam over to see if that would help. I have had this problem with three different calibers of lee dies. My 45 acp and 38/357 mag dies work fine, but maybe due to me only loading my casted bullets in them, which I size oversized. My casted 9mm and 40 cal bullets also work fine in the standard dies, but they too are oversized. I have also noticed that when I resize .223 on the press that the shoulder is not pushed back as far as it was on the Lee press. This was verified by my hornady compator, and with both presses the die does hit the shell holder.
I have gotten to the point that I am :banghead: and cant think of what to try or if it is a die, bullet, brass, operator, or press problem. I have adjusted and readjusted the regular dies more times than I can remember, but always with the same outcome. I am not putting too much pressure when I press the cases, and I have similar results by just cycling the rounds in a gun, by hand.
Fast foward a few months I was low on my stock pile of 9mm ammo. When I started loading these berry's 9mm bullets on my LNL believe it or not I had the same problem. :banghead: Though with the 9mm it was only with certin headstamp brass. Win and and remington brass was ok, but fed and a few others gave me problems. I understand that some brass is thicker and thicker brass leaves a smaller inside diameter when sized. So I went to the trouble to sort my brass by headstamp for the next year or so. A few months ago I decided I had an excess of Fed headstamp 9mm brass and that I needed to get it loaded. I ordered a Lee undersized sizing die for 9mm and loaded these.
Not long ago I decided to start reloading 380 acp to feed my pocket pistol. I ordered a 250ct of berry's 100 grain bullets. And who would have guessed it, I could not get enough neck tension with these either. So I ordered some 95 grain MBC bullets and today I had the same problem, but not as bad. :
:banghead: :banghead: This was with all headstamps ( rem, win, S&B,and federal). None had enough to keep the bullet from settimg back under pressure.
This is a long post to read so let me sum it up. First off I am not new to this game, but I have only been using my LNL for a little over two years. I am having problems getting enough neck tension with regular dies. I started with my new press with tried and trued dies ( except 380 acp dies), but with a new lot of bullets in 40 S&W, 9mm, and 380. The dies worked fine in my Lee classic Turret press with all the bullets I loaded previously, but I sold the press and cannot try the new bullets on it. The sizing die is adjusted to the shell plate , and I even set it up where the press would cam over to see if that would help. I have had this problem with three different calibers of lee dies. My 45 acp and 38/357 mag dies work fine, but maybe due to me only loading my casted bullets in them, which I size oversized. My casted 9mm and 40 cal bullets also work fine in the standard dies, but they too are oversized. I have also noticed that when I resize .223 on the press that the shoulder is not pushed back as far as it was on the Lee press. This was verified by my hornady compator, and with both presses the die does hit the shell holder.
I have gotten to the point that I am :banghead: and cant think of what to try or if it is a die, bullet, brass, operator, or press problem. I have adjusted and readjusted the regular dies more times than I can remember, but always with the same outcome. I am not putting too much pressure when I press the cases, and I have similar results by just cycling the rounds in a gun, by hand.