40 cal buldge when seating bullet

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Shawn.

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Hi all,

I just started reloading for the first time today. I have stumbled upon something that seems bizarre. Ive tried the search feature with no luck. I've also searched in my 2 reloading books for an answer but nothing concrete there neither.

I am reloading for a 40 S&W Pistol.

Reloading with:
CCI SP primer
Autocomp powder
Speer brass
Hornady 200gr FMJ bullet

Tools:
LEE turret press
LEE Carbide Dies (4 set)

All of the casings are tumbled.
I start by resizing the casing to exact specs. This goes without any issues.
Then, I will use my expansion/Powder die to slightly flare the tip. Again, No issues here.

The issue arises when I seat the bullet. I seat them to 1.125COL as per my loading data and the load ISN'T compressed. My bullets seem to seat a very very slightly crooked, thus creating a tiny buldge on one side of the casing. Even when rotating the bullets 180 degrees and reseating them, it still doesn't do much. The biggest part of the buldge measures 0.421-0.423. The rest of the middle part of the casing right after the buldge is 0.419+- 0.002.

I've atached two pictures to show the small buldge.

You can see it in the left part of the first image and the right part on the second image. ( This was the worst bullet out of 25)
27013762.jpg

34193580.jpg


You can see the casing seems to cave in slightly after the bullet stops seating.What do you guys think? Anything dangerous?

Thanks for the help!!
 
Second time in as many weeks I have seen this problem with .40; both times loaded with Lee Turret press.

The bulge at the bulley doesn't concern me, but the fact the bullet is sitting crooked may cause you accuracy issues.

Do you have a single stage press available? If so, try loading a few using it. If the bullet is sitting square, then you know where the problem lies.
 
Where did the brass come from? In the picture it looks like there is a case separation near the base although maybe this is just the photo.

If this happens to be pick up brass of unknown origin maybe the brass life is gone. It is years since I reloaded handgun ammo so I'm far from an expert. Would be helpful if you could find someone local to go over your loading procedures with you.

Jim
 
FWIW, I am finding my Lee sizing die sizes my 9mm brass too small, and I get the same issue. I don't find it a problem with plated bullets, but it caused me lots of concern loading cast, as it was shrinking the bullet diameter and causing leading. Maybe it's your issue as well?
 
The bullet is not crooked, the case is sized more on one side due to the die not being lined up with the shellholder. The "coke-bottle" effect is quite common and perfectly harmless.
 
I use lee dies for 40 and get a definite waist shape as well. The lee sizing die under sizes the brass. When you seat the bullet it forces the case back out forming the waist. I would check that the die is lining up with the shell plate is the waist is not even. If you pull the bullet and you can see a ring the crimp is likely too tight. You will get the ring with plated but as they are softer than jacketed. Too much crimp can cause problems. .421 sounds good though.
 
The brass is one fired. The problem only showes up during the seatting of the bullet. Passing it or not trew the crimp didnt change anything. I thought at first the crip was to much, so i change how much crimp i was putting and even no crimp on some.

It really comes from the seatting step. I dont know if it my progressif press is maybe causing a miss allingment but it works get during all the step. Like i said this one was the worst out of 25, and i knew something was wrong because during the seatting of the bullet there was more resistance.
 
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Re-read #4 and #8. Your problem is starting early on in the process with your sizing and decapping die. Look at the waste created on your bullet just above the base. Your sizing die is undersized. I read you can bore it slightly over if you have a drill press but have yet to do this with mine.
 
Too much crimp. The die is starting to crimp before your reach final seating depth. Once the crimp starts, its easier to crush the unsupported case than it is to seat the bullet further. try backing your die body out 1/2 a turn and your seating stem in 1/2 a turn and go from there.
 
Shawn

You normally see the wasp waisted or coke bottle effect when using carbide dies on tapered cases and it goes completely and uniformly around the case. If your seeing this on one side of your cases then the case entered the seating die off center and the die was touching the side of the die.

"Sometimes" seating and crimping at the same time can create a bulge just below the crimp because the seater is still pushing downward "after" the bullet is tightly crimped.

If the indentation is on one side of the case only then you have an alignment problem between the shell holder and the die.

Your off center cases will still headspace on the mouth of the case and should fire and the indentation will be removed with 35,000 psi of chamber pressure.

I would inspect the press operation and defects and find out why the cases are off center when entering the die.

Question, do these problem cases have any dings, dents, etc, on the rim that would prevent them from being centered in the shell holder?
 
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tictactician said:
Could also be that the bullet seater itself is off or has some thing stuck in it and is applying uneven pressure. Pull it apart and have a look.
Click to expand...

Good catch and good thinking tictactician, the bullets have flat tips and any debris could hold the case off center. You must have had more coffee than I did this morning. ;)
 
If you're using a glock oem barrel they are known to be unsupported at the throat/feed ramp (bottom of the case). You may have the bulge before you even start. Now your regular decapping/sizing die will not completely size that bulged/affected area completely because of the shell holder. You could look into running your cases thru a Lee bulge buster after tumbling and cleanin (before reloading on the press) you will need a single stage press. Or one that works like one.There are videos on youtube. Hope this helps
 
Your sizer die isn't set up correctly. Needs to come down a bit more. Assuming the loaded cartridges drop easily into the chamber. Those two should be fine. You might want to put a wee bit more bell on the case mouth too.
"...sizing die is undersized..." Extremely unlikely. To the point of 'No way, Jose.' You can't re-bore a die either. Hardened stuff that is precisely made.
 
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