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Reminder: Clean your seating die!


Doc Shapiro

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While loading up some ammo this morning, one round came out of the seating die without a bullet.  I pulled the die out and the bullet was stuck in with a build up of wax.  I've been a bit lax on cleaning.  Thankfully I caught it.  I then weighed every round in the bin to make sure none had 2 bullets.  Everything was fine.

 

So just a reminder.  If something doesn't feel right, there's probably something wrong.

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Thanks Doc, timely reminder.  Just got done dialing in my 650 for a run today and broke for lunch, and forgot to clean the seating die, I'll do that before I get to cranking out bullets.

 

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Doc, I got bit several times with bullets stuck in the seating die and also the COAL of the reload different due to the build up

Have a label on the press now ... CLEAN THE DIES :rolleyes:

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4 minutes ago, M D Lancaster said:

Just out of curiosity How do you "clean"  your dies -disassemble or "swab " while assembled and tuned

 

I pulled it apart, set it on a tray with a paper towel under, and put in the toaster oven at 250 for 20 minutes.  While hot, I worked some tissue paper through them to get out the rest of the wax.  Pretty easy to do.

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1 hour ago, Captain Bill Burt said:

I’ve heard of the jammed bullet leading to two bullets in a single case.  That was .45. Anybody know of that happening with .38 special?  Could they fit?  Just curious.

 

Yup, that can happen with .38's too.  It's not much fun putting a run of 500 on the scale one at a time to find that round with 2 bullets.  Don't ask how I know.  :rolleyes:

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Had a similar problem the other day where the expander die was over belling the case. I must've readjusted that thing 6 or 7 times, but it wouldn't hold the right depth. I even took it apart to examine it. Turned out the bolt securing the shell plate had come loose...  Doh!

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10 hours ago, Doc Shapiro said:

 

Yup, that can happen with .38's too.  It's not much fun putting a run of 500 on the scale one at a time to find that round with 2 bullets.  Don't ask how I know.  :rolleyes:

Hi Doc,  Thanks for the reply!   I don't know if I've ever thanked you, but 7 years ago when I was first starting SASS your book and 'With Winning in Mind' were invaluable.  Thanks so much!

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21 minutes ago, Captain Bill Burt said:

Hi Doc,  Thanks for the reply!   I don't know if I've ever thanked you, but 7 years ago when I was first starting SASS your book and 'With Winning in Mind' were invaluable.  Thanks so much!

 

Glad I was able to help in some small way :)

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12 hours ago, Captain Bill Burt said:

I’ve heard of the jammed bullet leading to two bullets in a single case.  That was .45. Anybody know of that happening with .38 special?  Could they fit?  Just curious.

Happened to me Capt. with 38's. There are a few ways to attack this IMO. I used Lee Dies for years and still do but not for lead bullets with lube because you have to readjust them when they get gunked up so I would wait too long to clean them because the extra hassles. So I finally went to Dillon dies because all you do is pull a pin clean em' and yer' done........no adjustment so you don't tend to "put it off". 

 

The other fix is a good bullet maker. I have had bullets were the lube is done poorly and that makes the problem pop up more than it has to.

 

Last you can shoot coated bullets if you want and use any dies because they don't use wax lube. 

 

Pick yer' poison 

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Howdy Cowboy!  It's been a while.   I'm going the Dillon way! I'm currently running a SDB, which doesn't have the option to pull a pin and clean them, but within the next few weeks I'm going to add a 650 which I'm really looking forward too.   Hope to shoot with you again soon!

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I used Bullets by Chance for 6 years before I started Outlaw Bullets.

I have NEVER needed to clean my seating die.

I will check it next time though cuz I always shot first-rate bullets from Chance but now I have to shoot rejects.:lol:

 

Waimea

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Another reason to use coated bullets. :D

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