I need some advice.

 

I load mixed brass and went out today with a "new to me" firearm and shot some of my reloads as well as factory ammo through it. No "major" problems.

 

About half a dozen rounds wouldn't go into the cylinder and I resisted my genetic heritage which is to grab a bigger hammer. I'm loading DEWC and noticed that the majority of the problem cases were PPU brass. The entire case looks weird. I will see if I can post a photo but until I do, any ideas??

round did not fit in cylinder ? or

primer may not be seated in the primer pocket all the way, sticking out to far to close the cylinder, the primer binding against frame ?

try a box of factory ammo, since reloading is dangerous and not recommended for firearms because it voids the manufacturers warrentee.

Dan, being that I am just getting into reloading I wanted to ask if they hung up in the chamber and didn't eject, wouldn't chamber at all??

 

Were they being fired in the gun you were loading for or another, did they check in a chamber gage?

 

Are you using a normal resizing/de-priming die or under size die?

 

Not trying to diagnose your issue but trying to learn, and maybe looking at this with fresh eyes might add a question that normally wouldn't be asked by a long time reloader.

 

Harry

Dan

 

I've reloaded a lot of 38SP and the only time I've seen something like that is when there is build up at the end of the cylinder. Are you sure it's clean through? You can also try a Lee factory crimp die if you're sure it's the cartridge.

1) This is for a revolver...

2) I'm quite sure it is the cartridge.

3) Rounds would not go all of the way into the cylinder - only went about half way in, not a primer issue at all.

4) @Rick - I may need to do that. This is the only set of dies I have without a Lee factory crimp die.

5) @Ray - shut up.

I'm gonna be brutally honest here and say that Rick (Sigman) is probably the best person to contact with reloading issues here. I've shoot some reloaded ammo from members here and to be blunt it was bad.

 

+1 to Rick

1) This is for a revolver...

2) I'm quite sure it is the cartridge.

3) Rounds would not go all of the way into the cylinder - only went about half way in, not a primer issue at all.

4) @Rick - I may need to do that. This is the only set of dies I have without a Lee factory crimp die.

5) @Ray - shut up.

 

 

Hey Handsome-- If you want to borrow my 38spl dies for a while, grab them.

I'm gonna be brutally honest here and say that Rick (Sigman) is probably the best person to contact with reloading issues here. I've shoot some reloaded ammo from members here and to be blunt it was bad.

 

+1 to Rick

 

 

Ray- I don't know whose stuff you've been shooting but reloads are not bad.

did you measure the width of these compared to the other reloads? If only a handfull of cases are the problem I would suspect a deformity while loading. I have had a few rounds that buldged out of one side of the case to the point they would not chamber. Most likely soft brass and a bullet not lined up perfectly strait. I would like to know how they measured though.

Check case thickness, if they are thicker than the other brands the bullet may expand them more when loaded.. bullet may need to be resized for case.

LEE FCD!

try a box of factory ammo, since reloading is dangerous and not recommended for firearms because it voids the manufacturers warrentee.

 

Really?

Really?

 

Ron, don't you know me by now?

Where all the trouble rounds made using the same headstamp brass? Since you were using mixed brass, the length of the brass varies by manufacturer. I have found that if you set your dies with with a slightly shorter case, a longer piece will over crimp and crush the brass. I'm by no means an expert but its something to check.

I use a lee FCD and use it because it came with my die set, but I tend to not condone it when there is a problem and you try to use one to fix it. If you are sizing the cases too big or deforming them, you should figgure out WHY its happening instead of just jamming it through a post sizer and calling it a day. It will work, but its just backasswards.

Ron, don't you know me by now?

 

I have an idea, but you always manage to one up yourself.

Since you're loading mixed brass, it could be the case of bulging cases due to "overcrimping". If you happen to set your crimp with a case that may have been on the short side and these PPU cases are on the longer side (say .010-015" more than a short one), then your crimping die could be exerting extra pressure on the case causing a bulge somewhere down the length of the wall. When i load mixed cases, i always take sampling of my case lengths and set my crimp with something in the middle so there isn't such a dramatic difference in crimp for the shorter and longer cases in the mix.

Since you're loading mixed brass, it could be the case of bulging cases due to "overcrimping". If you happen to set your crimp with a case that may have been on the short side and these PPU cases are on the longer side (say .010-015" more than a short one), then your crimping die could be exerting extra pressure on the case causing a bulge somewhere down the length of the wall. When i load mixed cases, i always take sampling of my case lengths and set my crimp with something in the middle so there isn't such a dramatic difference in crimp for the shorter and longer cases in the mix.

 

Better to trim the cases all to the same length.. .010-.015 is an awfull lot did you mean .001-.0015 ?

Better to trim the cases all to the same length.. .010-.015 is an awfull lot did you mean .001-.0015 ?

No, i meant thousandths. I've mic'd a bunch of 9mm once before, something like 8 of the most common headstamps i had on hand, and found about 10 thousandths of an inch variance from the shortest to the longest. The same headstamp alone will often have 3-5 thousandths spread from its hi to lo len so adding different manufacturers to the mix spreads it out even more. Could you imagine hand trimming pistol brass in the quantity that avid shooters reload and consume it?

I use a lee FCD and use it because it came with my die set, but I tend to not condone it when there is a problem and you try to use one to fix it. If you are sizing the cases too big or deforming them, you should figgure out WHY its happening instead of just jamming it through a post sizer and calling it a day. It will work, but its just backasswards.

 

Glenn - please explain how I loaded several hundred rounds and only managed to size 6 cases "too big"?

 

 

The case is definatly bulged.

 

what diameter were the bullets ? 357,8 or 9 ? you may be able to try a diffrent diameter bullet.

 

was their enough lube on bullets? could those six have been dry or not enough?

Tony,

 

They were as lubed as the others leading me to believe that it's really these PPU cases... They probably were originally factory loaded with SWC's or round nose or something else which isn't inserted quite as far into the case as a DEWC. I believe they were sized to 357 but will check the box shortly.

Do you have any of the other brass you reloaded to post a pic ?

 

here is a few pics of mine to compare.

 

These are berrys plated dewc 148gr .357 have to see if i have any left to measure the actual bullet diameter.

 

 

my other rounds look like yours.

Glenn - please explain how I loaded several hundred rounds and only managed to size 6 cases "too big"?

 

Because the bullet/brass length/crimp setting errors stacked the wrong way for just 6 rounds. Instead of ignoring the problem and cramming them back to size with the FCD, you need to figure out where the problem is. Most likely a combo of crimp/case length.

looks like your cases were a bit long on those Dan from the way it bulged. Is it a full circumference buldge or one sided?

looks like your cases were a bit long on those Dan from the way it bulged. Is it a full circumference buldge or one sided?

 

yes, bof.

 

Bullets are .358

 

Gonna pick out the PPU cases so I don't reload those until I trim a few.

Guys I have not followed or read every post. Just let me throw something out there. If you are using mixed cases or range brass and you have your crimp set on a standard length or shorter case and then encounter a longer than normal case. You may bulge a case,