issues loading 45acp

[balloonpilot9513]

Loading 45 acp and having issues with the case shaving the side of the bullet during seating.

Checked the flaring die at the powder station and all seems good.
Might the flair be too small?
It is a lee die.

Any thoughts?

 

[Doug Beach]

Are you seating and crimping simultaneously, or separately?

 

[balloonpilot9513]

separately

 

[balloonpilot9513]

Pictures

 

[rockhound78]

Try increasing the "flair" a bit and see if that changes things

 

[balloonpilot9513]

I'll try to load a pic

 

[balloonpilot9513]

cases are already going to the top of the flair mandrel.

 

[SSL]

New dies? Might be the wrong size mandrel. Mine (Lee) will open the case mouth to where it is unusable if adjusted too deep. Bullet will just drop in. If you are going to the top of the mandrel and still having issues like that, it may not be the correct one.

 

[243winxb]

The ID of the seat die may be undersize. Removing bell to soon.

Crooked bullet at start of seating. Try taking more time placing the bullet in the case mouth.

Seating stem fit to bullet not right.

 

[Knotwild]

Have you measured the bullets? I have had some that apparently went through an oversized lube/size die.

 

[balloonpilot9513]

I feed the bullet all the way into the die.

I have tried 2 different brands of bullets.

I sent a issue ticket to Lee to see what they say.

Thanks for the replies!\\

Keep em coming!

 

[mousegunner]

Consider the Lyman M die. I've been wanting one although I don't have issues with flaring and seating a bullet. I've been using Missouri lead bullets.

 

[308 5R]

Consider the Lyman M die. I've been wanting one although I don't have issues with flaring and seating a bullet. I've been using Missouri lead bullets.

This. Get yourself an M die, seat and crimp in separate operations, and you’ll never have this issue again.

S/F
Ryan

 

[rwj]

Are the bullets plated or jacketed?

 

[LCazador]

I feed the bullet all the way into the die.

I have tried 2 different brands of bullets.

I sent a issue ticket to Lee to see what they say.

Thanks for the replies!\\

Keep em coming!

Back the seating die off about a half turn and screw the seater stem in the same amount so your bullet seats before the crimp closes the case mouth. Once you set the seating die all cases need to be about the same length so longer cases don't close before the bullet is seated.

 

[riflewoman]

Flare the case mouth so the bullet goes INTO the case at least past the radius on the bottom of the bullet. The case should support a bullet firmly with no outside help. This also shows the different CFE between “M” die and flaring.

 

[Catgunguy]

I agree with the previous poster about getting an Lyman M-die. It makes placing the bullet square on the case easy and when set at about .473" of bell [45 acp] the bullets go in smooth.

 

[Walt Schmidlin]

All 45ACP brass is not created equal. I have found R-P to be the thinnest, issue ball brass the thickness. A tight sizing die COULD require more mouth flaring with ball brass than with R-P brass.
Unless the bullet has a crimping groove I have found a taper crimp to be better, less sensitive to variation in brass length than a roll crimp.

 

[TAJ45]

+1 on backing off per LCazador. Annnnd,
ALWAYS taper crimp. For us BE shooters, IDPA, USPA etc, they have to feed and that roll crimp occasional bulge is a game stopper and loser. I started taper crimping in '74 w my Star Tool.

 

[drano38]

Since you're seating and crimping separately, I'd think you are not flaring enough.
Or maybe you're using a seating/crimping combo die (that's very common in die sets) and you have it turned into the press further than you think, and its crimping while the bullet is still being seated, which could cause the case mouth to dig into the bullet.
I've loaded thousands of rounds of 45 Auto cast lead 200 grain semi wadcutters, my case mouths didn't shave the cast lead bullets.
Simple way to check is run your expanded case into the seater die with no bullet sitting on the case. The case mouth should not contact the die. Or, back off the seating die a couple turns, raise the ram to the top of the stroke with an expanded case and no bullet, then turn the seating die back down. The lock ring should hit the top of the press before you feel resistance of the crimp portion of the die engaging the case mouth.
And I agree with the above comment - taper crimp everything unless you really need a roll crimp. I taper crimped 38 Special that I loaded plated cast bullets (no crimping groove) for shooting IPSC, Steel Challenge, etc. Worked great.
Hope all the posts help you resolve your issue.