MBC PPC#2 DEWC Case Bulge??

[Denny Crane]

I had loaded several hundred 148gr DEWC's in .38sp mixed brass before I noticed some had a bulge in the case about where the bottom of the bullet is when seated almost flush. The bulge is bad enough they will not chamber.

Some were fine? Then I noticed that about 98% of the bulged cases were PMC. I had to resize them to shoot them.

What's up? Is it the PMC brass or something I am doing?

Thanks

 

[918v]

The pmc brass is not meant for flush seated wc. I think all you can use is jacketed stuff up to 158gr.

 

[Denny Crane]

I believe you but I have to ask what is different? Does the wall thickness increase?

Other than this problem is the PMC brass ok?

Thanks

 

[Jesse Heywood]

Sounds like over-crimping. Were the PMC cases any longer (sized) than the others?

 

[Denny Crane]

Same length, I just measured a few again.

Very little crimp to start with but I tried backing it completely off. I tried seating some not as deep, same result every time.

The PMC brass does it every time and a few other odd ball head stamps that I don't recognize also had a bulge but not many. None of the nickel did it.

 

[popper]

Brass is thicker toward the case head. Brass has to go someplace. Don't seat soo deep?

 

[Walkalong]

Some .38 Spl brass is too thick down below where most bullets seat to use hard cast 148 Gr DEWC's. Softer HBWC's may work though. Just have to try it.

If you used the sizer to "resize them" to shoot them as you posted, I cannot believe you did not get leading from undersized bullets.

 

[Notoast]

I've seen that with PMC and that bullet too and only seated to the crimp groove. I chamber checked a box of 100 handloads from the same loading session and didn't see it with Starline, R-P or Winchester; just the PMC. Running the fat rounds through the sizer or Lee FCD will fix the chambering issue but if you have a lot to shoot check for an increase in leading since you are also squeezing the bullet a bit smaller when resizing.

 

[Denny Crane]

Leading? That was my next question!

I had not considered that I might be resizing the bullet too small, I was only interested in removing the bulge so they would chamber so I removed the decapper and resized the bulged ones.

Of course once I figured out that it was mainly the PMC brass that had the bulge I quit using it.

Do I have leading? YES! And it must be more than just the ones I resized.

I have tried faster, slower, 2 or 3 different powders and all have resulted in leading. Fairly bad I think......unless I don't know what bad is?

I have tried many different guns from Python's, Officers Model Special, Match, Diamondback, Model 27, 14, ........long tubes, short ones.....all have leaded. Some were hard to clean after only 6 rounds using a Lewis Lead Remover!

I have gone from about 700 fps to over 900.

Just last eve I loaded a few with 2.7 gr BullsEye that were going about 730 fps. In the OMS the leading wasn't bad, just the first 1/2" or so but I only shot about a dozen before dark. These were not resized.

I will certainly not load/resize any more PMC but they were not the only ones causing the leading.

Always open to suggestions!

Thanks

 

[Walkalong]

The bullet needs to match the throats. The throats need to be at least as big as the groove diameter in your gun (Often called the bore). It should really be .001 to .0015 over the groove diameter.

If the throats are under groove diameter, your pistol will lead no matter what you do because the bullets are sized by the throats and are now undersized for you barrel. Not real common, but does happen, especially if makers are trying to set the gun up for jacketed.

If you sized the loaded round with the sizer, which you haven't answered yet, they would be terribly undersized. If you mean you post sized them with an FCD, it would be less harmful to the bullets, but could still cause undersized bullets which would then lead no matter what.

I am assuming .38 Spl, and it should be easy enough to find a load that does not lead, assuming your barrel is .357 or .358 at most, your throats are over that by .001, your bullets start at .358 or .359, and you are not sizing them down after seating reducing the diameter.

Enough pressure to bump them up to seal the throats and barrel is another requirement unless your barrel, throats, bullets, and bullet hardness are a perfect match.