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Odd rifle cases we get when we shag brass.


Rance - SASS # 54090

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Been reloadin' fer about 10 - 11 years...

I started out with Winchester and Starline 38 special brass...

Dillon 550B with factory carbide dies..

.358 TC in 105 & 125 grain bullets

 

I've been getting some reloaded rounds that wouldn't chamber... :angry:

There was a slight bulge on the case around the lead when they came out of the crimp station..

Put them through the case checker (my pistol cylinder)... many would not go in..

It was always the odd brass that I'd collected from different matches..

Never the Winchester or Starline brass..

 

Brass I reckon I gotta eliminate... :wacko:

CBC

WCC

LC78??

 

I don't know if they have thicker case walls... or what..but they bulge when reloaded..

I thought maybe I was getting just a few oversized bullets..

but I ain't gonna pull 'em and mic 'em

 

Rance ;)

Thinkin' I thought I'd just share a little info :blush:

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As the weather goes from hot to cold or cold to hot, small adjustments need to be made to the bullet seating and crimping dies.

The temperature changes will change the size of the dies.

 

Also the brass that is bulging, may be slightly longer than your brass.

The crimp groove of the bullets you use maybe engaging the brass sooner and pulling the brass edge down as it is seated.

 

There are several things that can cause brass bulging besides bullet diameter.

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CBC is magtech brass, made in Brazil. In .38 special, it has worked OK for me, sometimes the primer pockets are a little tight. In .45 Colt, it is usually GREAT brass.

 

WCC and LC78 are just US Military spec cases (Winchester and Lake City from 1978, respectively). Usually excellent cases, but the case walls are spec'd a little thicker than commercial cases. It has worked very well for me, as long as you make the primer pockets a standard size with a mil crimp remover or a pocket reamer.

 

You are probably either not belling the case quite enough, or you are jamming the case mouth into the lead band just above the crimp groove. Both can lead to some bulging of the case just below the crimp, as a thread last week discussed.

 

Adjusting the belling or bullet seating depth will normally fix the problem, a Lee FCD die will take out the bulge, a Redding Profile Crimp Die will take it out even more nicely, and not bothering with the brass if you don't want to will COMPLETELY Solve the problem. :D

 

Good luck, GJ

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As the weather goes from hot to cold or cold to hot, small adjustments need to be made to the bullet seating and crimping dies.

The temperature changes will change the size of the dies.

 

Also the brass that is bulging, may be slightly longer than your brass.

The crimp groove of the bullets you use maybe engaging the brass sooner and pulling the brass edge down as it is seated.

 

There are several things that can cause brass bulging besides bullet diameter.

 

+

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CBC is magtech brass, made in Brazil. In .38 special, it has worked OK for me, sometimes the primer pockets are a little tight. In .45 Colt, it is usually GREAT brass.

 

WCC and LC78 are just US Military spec cases (Winchester and Lake City from 1978, respectively). Usually excellent cases, but the case walls are spec'd a little thicker than commercial cases. It has worked very well for me, as long as you make the primer pockets a standard size with a mil crimp remover or a pocket reamer.

 

You are probably either not belling the case quite enough, or you are jamming the case mouth into the lead band just above the crimp groove. Both can lead to some bulging of the case just below the crimp, as a thread last week discussed.

 

Adjusting the belling or bullet seating depth will normally fix the problem, a Lee FCD die will take out the bulge, a Redding Profile Crimp Die will take it out even more nicely, and not bothering with the brass if you don't want to will COMPLETELY Solve the problem. :D

 

Good luck, GJ

 

+

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CBC is magtech brass, made in Brazil. In .38 special, it has worked OK for me, sometimes the primer pockets are a little tight. In .45 Colt, it is usually GREAT brass.

 

WCC and LC78 are just US Military spec cases (Winchester and Lake City from 1978, respectively). Usually excellent cases, but the case walls are spec'd a little thicker than commercial cases. It has worked very well for me, as long as you make the primer pockets a standard size with a mil crimp remover or a pocket reamer.

 

You are probably either not belling the case quite enough, or you are jamming the case mouth into the lead band just above the crimp groove. Both can lead to some bulging of the case just below the crimp, as a thread last week discussed.

 

Adjusting the belling or bullet seating depth will normally fix the problem, a Lee FCD die will take out the bulge, a Redding Profile Crimp Die will take it out even more nicely, and not bothering with the brass if you don't want to will COMPLETELY Solve the problem. :D

 

Good luck, GJ

Yep :D

 

 

 

 

Brass I reckon I gotta eliminate... :wacko:

CBC

WCC

LC78??

 

 

Yep, you better send thoses off brands to me for proper diposal ;) Good Luck :)

 

Jefro :ph34r: Relax-Enjoy

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Probable due to the cases being a little longer than what you have been loading. The CBC is probably from loaded factory ammo. Loaded a lot hotter than typical CAS loads so it may stretch a little more than new starline brass.

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Different manufacturers brass are different length brass.

When you roll crimp the brass the longer cases will have a tendency to bulge just below the crimp.

 

1 - You can get a case trimmer and trim all the brass to the same length

2 - You can throw away or sell all the oddball brass

3 - You can run the brass through a resizing die with the primer punch removed (Not recommended)

4 - You can purchase a factory crimp die and seat the bullet with you existing die and crimp with the factory crimp die.

5 - Give all the bulged ammo to your worst enemy.

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Different manufacturers brass are different length brass.

When you roll crimp the brass the longer cases will have a tendency to bulge just below the crimp.

 

1 - You can get a case trimmer and trim all the brass to the same length

2 - You can throw away or sell all the oddball brass

3 - You can run the brass through a resizing die with the primer punch removed (Not recommended)

4 - You can purchase a factory crimp die and seat the bullet with you existing die and crimp with the factory crimp die.

5 - Give all the bulged ammo to your worst enemy.

 

6 - or you can buy a taper crimp die. A taper crimp won't push the overly long brass back. stretched brass has no effect on it and you still come out with a consistent crimp.

Years ago before CAS I shot a local 50yd handgun plate match that required ammo that would group 3" or less at 50yds. (some of the plates were 6" circles). To get consistent 38sp. ammo with reloaded brass it took a taper crimp. Roll Crimps gave inconsistent pressures and verticle stringing.

 

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I don't use anybody elses rifle brass (range brass) 'cause I run a short-stroked Marlin '94. I only use brass from the same manufacturer (same rim and wall thickness), sized, and trimmed to a specific OAL within +/- .05, and loaded with bullets I cast and sized and loaded with the same preset dies that I NEVER change to load any other brass. It MATTERS for consistency and reliability. After I shoot I put the brass back into the same MTM ammo box I took it out of after it is recovered by the brass pickers with the head stamp up so I can tell immediately if any of it is "foreign" brass by it's height compared to the rest. I got an Aguila piece of brass at a shoot this past week end. It "stuck out like a sore thumb"! I either give it away if anyone wants it or I throw it away. I rarely have a rifle misfire if ever. If I do it's because the extractor, ejector, or firing pin broke in the gun but I try to eliminate as many variables as possible.

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Thanks guys fer all your suggestions and input..

 

I also just use the extra (not my) brass in my pistols only...

Starline only through the rifle..

 

I also have a Lee Factory Crimp die..

I just don't like the feel of it and the extra power it takes to pull the stroke on my reloader..

Reckon I'm too used to the feel of what I've been doin'...

Went back to my Dillon accu-crimp die after maybe 100 rounds...

 

I have in the past increased my belling to try and overcome this..

During the same reloading sessions the odd brass gives me a bulge..

The Winchester and Starline brass never give me the buldge..

 

Rance ;)

Thinkin' I resign to the fact of recycling the odd brass..

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In 38 special, I load ALMOST any brass that comes back to me.

 

I DON'T waste time on:

* AMerc

* older Norma brass with a line straight across the headstamp from one side to another

 

Almost everything else runs fine, and CAN be loaded to work in Uberti rifles if you pay full attention to adjusting the dies and finishing with a FCD or Profile Crimp Die. Those eliminate any need to watch the case length.

 

Yes, you want to check for neck splits if you do this. You should, anyway, even loading new Starline - I've split a few right out of the shipping box on the first load.

 

Good luck, GJ

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  • 3 weeks later...

Just finished reloading 400 rounds of 38 special into Starline Brass..

Dillon 550 reloader had no further adjustments than the previous reloading

session where I was getting bulged cases around the bullet lead on odd cases...

Every piece of ammo went through the case checker..

Fell in and fell back out.. no bulges...

 

 

Rance ;)

Thinkin' just some further info :)

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Also the brass that is bulging, may be slightly longer than your brass

.Hugh? The front of the case bugles is for only one reason ... the bullet is substantially larger than the ID of the case

 

Slightly longer cases has no causes for a case to bulge. Be a good idea to provecase lengths by measuring the spent case lengths of the varied brand brass. And if they are longer (A Long Maybe) .... and one seats & crimps to the case length of Brand X - then changes case brands ... be sure to measure COL otherwise in the rifle, there could be chambering issues

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