is something wrong with my 45 ACP dies

[mohunter55]

Alright, I'm about ready to go out and buy some new 45acp dies. I currently have all RCBS dies for pistol loading. I reload 9mm, 38 special, 40 S&W, and 45 ACP. I have no problems reloading anything other than 45 ACP. I did reload lead, but recently switched to Berry's plated bullets. I use Dillon Case Gauges and I never have a problem with any of the 9mm, 38 special or 40 s&w loads gauging. I have a problem with about 1 out of ever 5, or sometimes more of the 45 ACP rounds gauging. This is whether using lead or plated bullets. I can see the problem on the case where it rubs against the gauge if i really try to push it in. The bullet is pushing on the case at the base of the bullet. I save these rounds until the end of my reloading and then i reload them seating them a little bit deeper with a little bit tighter crimp and they usually all turn out fine. The problem is not that i am not crimping enough or seating deep enough. For example if the next time i reload i keep the dies set at the same settings which fixed the previous bad reloads, i will still get bad rounds popping out which can only be fixed by setting deeper once again (which becomes unsafe that this point). I am using an OAL of 1.258 and I am crimping to just a little past right where the case passes the case gauge (of course assuming my test round is not one with a bullet that is pushing on the case). I've been trying to get ahold of RCBS to see if something is wrong with my seating die, but they are impossible to get ahold of on the phone. Do you guys think this is a problem with the dies or is there still something I'm missing. Perhaps i should try buying a set of dies from someone else and see if the problem goes away.

Also, forgot to mention. I have tried 100 rounds of seating and crimping in separate steps. I have also tried belling the heck out of the case, all still give me the same problem. I am also experiencing the same problem whether using Round nose or Semi wadcutters. I use the round seater stem for round nose and flat for Semi wadcutters.

 

[ranger335v]

Okay, so you don't like how the cartridges fit the gage. Real question is, how well do they fit your pistol and shoot?

Your choice of bullet punches is real good, match the bullet to the punch and all will be well. ??

 

[Jeff H]

Real question is, how well do they fit your pistol and shoot?

+1
Pull the barrel and check the round in your barrel. The gauge maybe unusually tight.

There will probably be some posts about how the FCD fixes this, but IMHO, I have never found a properly made round that would not fit in my barrel.

 

[jcwit]

Strip your pistol and use the barrel as your case gauge. If the finished rounds fit freely into the barrel there is no reason for them not work, if they still don't you then have feeding problems, but I doubt that.

Forget the FCD. It only fixes a none existant problem.

 

[mohunter55]

I think I'll just call RCBS and sit on hold tomorrow...or email them. I have never been patient enough to sit on the phone that long. They have been great about responding to my emails on other issues when i first started reloading and broke a few decapping pins. The rounds do fit my barrel, but thats not the issue here. They do not fit the case gauge and I want to know why. Last time i posted something like this, everyone said if they fit the barrel don't worry about it. Well i do worry about it, it just doesn't make since that some fit and some dont. I'm either doing something wrong, or the dies or something is out of spec. To me, fitting the barrel and not the case gauge is not good enough. It's one of those things that just bugs the heck out of me that i can't figure out.

 

[Maj Dad]

I have the same phenomenon (not a problem) with my lead & plated bullet loads in 45s & other straight wall/slightly tapered cases - they are big enough that they make the case bulge slightly but visibly, but taper crimping them seems to obviate any loading problems. As they say, YMMV. I avoid the gauge issue by not using them.. Rarely do I ever have a problem, but if I do, it is solved by pushing on the rear of my Combat Commander & it will seat easily. I have never had a problem with the Glock 21 (230 Berry or Ranier plated) or revolvers. If you keep having issues, check out the Cast Boolits Forum ( http://castboolits.gunloads.com/ ) - those guys are all lead (and plated), all the time.

I have never had a problem getting help from RCBS - either from the person who answers or the fellow in back who listens to my problem (usually of my own making) and helps me through it (and on several occasions sent new parts that I trashed, or that were missing in a marked-down-for-that-reason auto primer seater). Try calling at a time when you estimate call volume might be low, but by all means call them. They helped me with the details of using their swager die when I was where you were & about to chuck it in the trash bucket. They have been tops for me...

 

[rtpzwms]

some pictures would be helpful.

 

[jcwit]

Well i do worry about it,

Why? What is the reason to worry? Do you have a match barrel? Might be a tight fit, supose? Set up the dies to fit the barrel and forget the gauge, then you'll never know and have nothing to worry about.

Except getting back and forth from the range in one piece.

 

[mohunter55]

sorry rpt, but no camera. I think what i decided is to just wait as long as it takes to get through to RCBS tomorrow. I will post back here to let everyone else know the verdect. Hopefully the problem is me, I'd hate to have to send my seater die in to them, but given all other calibers go fine for me, i just dont get it.

 

[Canuck-IL]

Have you mic'd the bullets? It's not unheard of for Berry's QC to slip up significantly. I had to return a box of 500 that were all undersized and others have had oversized.

As I recall, they're also sized to .452 whereas real jacketed are .451 ... .452 is usually used for lead.
/Bryan

 

[Ol` Joe]

The fact a cartridge fits a gage is moot if it fits the barrel of your pistol. gages are made to min SAAMI tolerance to insure a cartridge that fits in it will fit in ANY SAAMI chamber. The fact your cartridges hang up every so often means nothing as long as they chamber. You are worrying about nothing.

 

[pcwirepro]

The bullet is pushing on the case at the base of the bullet

Is that the base of the CASE or the base of the PROJECTILE?
Are these your cases or once fired from a Glock perhaps? Is your size/deprime die all the way down on the shell plate? If you're loading on a single stage, is ther any way you're short stroking the press on occasion during the sizing process?

Have you mic'd the bullets?

Good question. Many of my early Berry's Double Struck bullets were a little on the fat side.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

mohunter55,
There's nothing wrong with wanting everything to be right, I'm like that myself BUT, you are making something out of nothing. A case gauge is made to check you ammo to insure it will chamber in your gun. If the rounds chamber in your gun, like said above this "matter" is moot. There is absolutely no reason to worry about rounds not fitting properly in a gauge but chamber fine in your handgun. The other way around would be a problem but there is no problem here, other than the one you are inflicting on yourself.

Your dies seem fine, the ammo is in spec, the ammo chambers correctly in your barrel BUT, not always in the gauge. IMO the gauge is possible faulty, not all the rest...

 

[redneck2]

I had (I think) the same thing at one time. The length of the empty cases can vary significantly from brand to brand. Supposed to be the same or close to the same, but they weren't.

If one of the longest cases is crimped, it gives a considerably harder crimp than a short case assuming the dies aren't changed. This can make the case wall bulge out. This is where the FCD helps. Straightens out the wall of the loaded round.

 

[Steve Marshall]

Does an empty, resized case fit your gage? What is the diameter of the bullets? Do your loaded cartridges look straight? Can you see or feel the belled mouth after crimping?
It is possible to overcrimp with a taper crimp. If everything else looks okay up to that point, try backing out the crimp die. You should be crimping in a seperate operation than seating.

 

[Ironsight]

I had the same problem. I had the seater die set wrong. Go Ironsight's 8-8-10 thread, scroll down to my aug. 12 reply.

Remove the decapping pin from your resizing die, lube the cartridge and run it thru the sizer....voila!.....it will fit!!

 

[CHEVELLE427]

i have a Dillon oal case Gage as well and sometimes i still have a round not chamber when all was good in the gage.

i have stated before and got a lot of BS from it but i went to a lee carbide factory crimp die, it will resize the loaded round and fix any problem with a bulge from a bullet that might not be sq in the case or out of spec for what ever the reason.

have used this type die for 45acp, 40sw, 10mm, and have yet to have any FTF anymore.

most of the time problem was the crimp and i would use to use my SF1911-A1 barrel, if it fit it it would feed in the rest of my 45acp's. then i bought the Dillon gage and it helped some what, the lee die takes care of everything now.



IT IS A CARBIDE FACTORY CRIMP DIE FOR A LOADED ROUND.

paper work states.
will not seat the bullet. bullet should be seated with your reg bullet seating die, but not crimped. bullet should be seated to the crimp grove however this is not absolutely necessary---- THE LEE CARBIDE FACT CRIMP DIE will form a crimp grove in the bullet.

the case is sized as it inters the die and again as it is pulled out, this assures you EVERY CASE will freely chamber in any standard gun. it is a fail safe tool for the occasional bad round that could ruin your day.

trim length not critical
impossible to buckle the case
crimps bullets without cannelure


part number is 90862 (40sw & 10mm) midway has them go check it out

 

[Walkalong]

The Lee Carbide Factory Crimp die will not "form a crimp groove" in the bullet. It taper crimps just like any other .45 ACP die with the exception that the crimp part is separate and has some play with the rubber O-Ring, which might help if you have a really long case here or there. (The case length doesn't matter part) Regular taper crimp .45 dies don't care if the cases are all the same length either though.

The only real difference is the carbide insert squeezing the round into submission. Load them straight and it is not needed.

It sounds like your "bulge" is normal from cases being sized real tight. A looser sizer would make some of that go away, but it doesn't hurt anything unless it is really bad from a crooked or oversized bullet.

 

[RustyFN]

Last time i posted something like this, everyone said if they fit the barrel don't worry about it. Well i do worry about it, it just doesn't make since that some fit and some dont. I'm either doing something wrong, or the dies or something is out of spec.

Like others have already said. If they fit the barrel and not the case gage what makes you think the case gage is not defective.

 

[CHEVELLE427]

The Lee Carbide Factory Crimp die will not "form a crimp groove" in the bullet.

only stated what the paper says,

BUT WITH THIS SAID

i have pulled bullets that did have a grove around them that didn't have one before i ran it through the die

 

[highlander 5]

If you got a groove in your bullets then you've crimped to much. I see no reason for the Lee FCD. I set my crimp die by running a sized case to the top of the ram stroke,then screw the die down till it touches the case mouth and then a /16 or lees turn down and lock the die.
I agree with the above your cartridge gauge is faulty,if your ammo feeds without a problem chock the gauge in the trash. Your only going to drive yourself nuts.

 

[jcwit]

Your only going to drive yourself nuts.

We're almost there now!

The Lee Carbide Factory Crimp die will not "form a crimp groove" in the bullet.

He's got one of a kind!

 

[kragluver]

I load lead (Lasercast 230s) and they will not fit the case gauge. They shoot just fine in my pistol though. The gauges are usually set up for a minimum chamber. Your pistol probably does not have a min chamber. The Lasercast bullets typically run .4520 - .4525 which is why they leave that little bulge in the cartridge sidewall. Its also just right for a cast bullet in the 1911.

 

[Walkalong]

i have pulled bullets that did have a grove around them that didn't have one before i ran it through the die

Any crimp die will indent a bullet. That is not "will form a crimp grove in the bullet", as posted.

If you got a groove in your bullets then you've crimped to much

That is absolutely true for .45 ACP, which is the caliber in discussion.

 

[CHEVELLE427]

Your only going to drive yourself nuts.

We're almost there now!

it always get that way when this question comes around

not 1 of a kind just one that does what the packet states, i can smash a bullet with the std crimp die as well but that is not what it is made for . if the bullet in question wont fit right or has a flaw and this die makes it fit so bid, you can spend all day pulling and redoing and scratching you head or run it in the die ONCE and SHOOT THE THING

I'm sure lee didn't spend big bucks to make something that a crimp die would do as well.

as long as mine works like it is suppose to I'm a happy camper.

THIS POST WILL END AS IT USUALLY DOES.
off topic and saying 1 is better then another,

NEXT TIME this ??? comes up my answer will be the same until the die does not work as described, and so far 5000 rounds have worked well. BELIEVE IT OR NOT ,this is just what has worked for me,
might be why this die sells out as soon as it comes in because it doesn't work.

next thing is someone will tell me i cant shoot .452 255-260 gr lead in out of my 1911