Mr bullet feeder and mixed brass

[B_RAD]

Got my MBF set up on my 1050. I've cranked out about 300 rnds of 9mm so far. 

I noticed that every once and a while I'd get no bullet drop. It wasn't until the last 3 that I paid attention to the type of brass. Those three were PMC. I also noticed they didn't seem to have the bell from the MBF powder die. Also, when I tried to see if if the die would bell another PMC case I didn't get any feel that it was going up to chamfered part of the die  

When I use WIN or FC cases you can feel the die sticking on the way down. (I don't lube the inside of the cases). The bell is not too much IMO. But I'm afraid it might be if I lower the die to reach the PMC brass.  

 

Anyone else have problems with different brass? 

 

On a side note, my method for lubing is to spray the inside of a zip lock bag and then put the cases in and mix. I guess I could reverse that and some lube would get in the cases. That would help with the die sticking. That and a better job of polishing the brass. I was using brass that had been "cleaned" . Jus thinking out load here. 

[mach1soldier]

I get Winchester brass that does the same thing. Not sure why. They do appear thicker but it doesn't do it all the time.  Maybe be the brass is shorter?

 

I put any case that doesn't get a bullet into a special container to shoot and then scrap. 

[Sarge]

I load all brands of brass, in sorted batches of course, and have never had a bullet fail to drop. Ever

edited to add: I don't think you need more bell. I think you need to turn the drop tube down a smidge

Edited August 24, 2016 by Sarge

[ToddKS]

I would agree on the drop tube adjustment. Might need to go down just a touch.

Also, make sure the ball bearings in the drop tube are in the appropriate holes for the bullet you are loading.

[B_RAD]

1 hour ago, Sarge said:

I load all brands of brass, in sorted batches of course, and have never had a bullet fail to drop. Ever

edited to add: I don't think you need more bell. I think you need to turn the drop tube down a smidge

 

1 hour ago, ToddKS said:

I would agree on the drop tube adjustment. Might need to go down just a touch.

Also, make sure the ball bearings in the drop tube are in the appropriate holes for the bullet you are loading.

Thanks guys. I'll try this first. 

 

Love be it so far!  Loaded 100 rnds in 4:05 min. 

[RickRak2000]

Hi,

The prepared case activates the dropper tube.  If your powder drop is adjusted for a longer case, a shorter case will obviously receive a shallower depth of expansion

and less flare compared to a longer case. Being shorter, it will naturally lift the dropper tube less than a longer case does. If your dropper is adjusted for a longer case, a

short case may not even lift the dropper tube high enough to allow the ball bearings to exit the dropper bore - no bullet will drop.

I suggest sampling your brass and determining the shortest cases you're likely to use and set the powder drop and bullet dropper to operate with that case length.  

Longer cases will then be expanded a bit more deeply and perhaps have more flare than needed, but the shorter cases will at least activate the dropper.

Then, to correctly set the dropper, unscrew it a few turns upward and position a prepared (short) case under the dropper. Operate the press handle down and leave it there.

With the dropper full of bullets, screw it downward. when it contacts the case, the dropper tube will stop moving downward, but the die body will continue

threading into the toolhead. Note the point at which you see the column of bullets drop and then screw the die down 1/4 turn or so deeper, to give a little over-travel.

That's all you need. Hand tighten the lock nut and you're good to go (not with a wrench or you may crack the relatively thin-walled aluminum die).  

When the dropper is properly adjusted, once the bullet column has fallen, and the bottom bullet is on the case mouth, screwing the die down farther doesn't do anything.

The column has fallen and can't fall any farther.  As an analogy, It's like when you squeeze the trigger... once the hammer falls, continuing to squeeze the trigger harder won't do

anything. The hammer has already fallen.

 

Rick (a.k.a. Mr.Bulletfeeder)

 

 

 

[B_RAD]

Thank you Rick!