techj

Just double-checked and there are no cases stuck. Also just tried a handful of 44 cases and they work fine. How quickly is it loading the tube for you? It eventually loads the tube for me but it takes a very, very long time.

The plate is not slipping and is fully down...I've tried it with both a handful of cases as well as a 100 at a time. I've never seen (or used) a washer under the large pistol case but will look into it. I've had no problems with using it as-is with my 44 & 45 cases.

I've been reloading other pistol calibers (9, 44, 45) using the case feeder without a hitch. But with 38/357 brass it takes FOREVER for the brass to get to the feed tube. I started with the recommended large pistol feeder plate but nothing would ever get to the gate. With the small pistol plate some get to the tube but it can't keep up even when I manually load the tube initially and I'm not going very fast. Any ideas/suggestion?

I ended up making a replacement for the top plastic piece from aluminum (epoxied a hex but to the top with a screw to tighten/loosen)...did this as I broke too many of the plastic ones.

So, I chron'd one of my VV N340 loads (5.4) in the revolver and it came in @ 704 fps. I then chron'd a series of AA NO. 5 loads in both the 24" lever and the 6" revolver with the following results (lowest and highest loads tested are the only ones I'm showing): Grains Revolver Lever -------- ---------- ------- 5.6 530 860 6.2 708 987 The loads with 6.2 of A#5 were also the most accurate in both guns. The Accurate data shows a max load of 6.4 and I will run some add'l tests @ 6.3 & 6.4 in about a week. Feedback, ideas, suggestions would be appreciated.

I have the 9 & the 45 and they run without a problem...only using FMJ's.

Chrono (10 shot strings) results for my Lever (24") with the chrono set @ 10' from the muzzle: First, I chrono'd the closest factory ammo that I could find which was Remington 158gr +P JHP; it was not crimped and was in nickel plated cases. Average velocity was 1,346 FPS. Next, I chrono'd some of my loads all of which were with a roll crimp and the VV N340 powder as follows: Powder Charge FPS ------------------- ---------- 5.1 887 5.3 973 5.4 1,013 5.5 1,035 5.6 1,071 Accuracy was good with all of the loads (checked @ 25 & 50 yrds). What surprised me was that the velocity was significantly less than I would have expected based upon the data from VV (which was for a 6 1/2" barrel) or any of the other sources I consulted. When I get my revolver back (another couple of weeks) I'll chrono the same loads and post. Also, I'm getting in some AA No.5 and will be performing load testing with that as well. Any and all feedback would be appreciated

In Portland, OR I got $2.00/lb last week at Metro Metals.

Just target...but will be shooting the lever out to 150 yrds on Silhouettes.

Normally I start and stay as low as possible which has worked well for me with every other caliber that I've reloaded. In this case my concern was that the same ammo is to feed a 6" revolver and a 24" lever gun and without sufficient velocity was concerned about stuck rounds (as I ran into already). If it weren't for the difficulty in procuring components I would probably try other combinations of powder & bullets that would get me to higher velocities at lower loads. When the chrono arrives I was going to measure factory loads with similar bullets (definitely same weights) and load types (standard, +P) and then star checking my loads beginning at just over the load that caused me the problem initially. My plan was to increase loads until I just reached factory velocities and at that point would run extended tests.

A couple of follow-up questions: 1) the VV pdf shows a range (38 spc) of 4.9 @ 791 fps to a max of 5.6 @ 983 fps. Opiniions/suggestions/cautions? 2) my plan was to chrono some factory 158 gr hollow-points (Remington) through each gun and then chrono loads ranging from 4.4 to 5.6 in each gun until I was close to the factory velocities...does this make sense or am I taking too much for granted given the unknown powder, bullet height,amount of crimp, et al for the factory ammo? Thanks everyone!

Thanks...I had done my load development with the Hornady (8th ed) manual which started at 4.3...should have known better than to not cross-check with VV.

Been reloading for a while and just picked up a GP100 (6") and a Rossi 92 Lever (24"). Loaded up some rounds using Montana Gold .38/158gr JHP in 38 special cases, S&B SPP and N-340 powder. Don't have the COAL with me but it was roll crimped into the cannelure. Long story short, since I was doing load development I started at 4.5 grains and went to 4.9 and managed to stick bullets in the barrels of both guns. With the Lever it was an easy removal. Unfortunately with the revolver I wasn't shooting and after the jacket stuck in the end of the barrel (the lead core didn't) the shooter kept shooting thinking he was missing. I guess he thought that since the prior 6 shots were great (I believe they were with the 4.9 gr load) there was no need to hold back...sigh. That gun is on the way back to Ruger for a new barrel and a bunch of $$$. So, does anyone have recommended load data that would work for me? Also, needless to say, I have a chronograph on order...never had to 'need' it before although yes I know I should have and it would have prevented this much pain. Thanks in advance.

I use an ultrasonic cleaner and in less than 30 minutes the brass looks quite good to me...for rifle I clean, lube, decap, resize and then clean again. For handgun I just clean prior to other operations. Never felt the need to clean after decapping. No pins/media to separate, doesn't take very long, no dust. Are they as shiny as cleaning via the other methods - no. But then again, my brass is ready to get real dirty much faster!

I've run at least 1,000 rounds of 30.06 & 308 through my LNL and can say that run-out is no more than one I check/adjust factory rounds.

The only reason to buy additional quick change powder dies (lower section of the powder dispensing unit) is to have them preset for different calibers. I reload several different ones -- both pistol & rifle -- and keep a different one set-up for each caliber. This reduces the set-up time substantially and is great if you only do a couple of hundred of any given caliber at a time. If you take this route and are user the expander inserts you may want to also get a Quick Change Powder Through Expander Linkage for each caliber (pistol) as well. This way the belling of the case is already preset when you switch over between calibers. While you don't need to get any of these for each caliber, it does save time and will give you more consistency when you are switching calibers. Along the same lines, I would get a metering insert (press should have come with 2 for rifle and 2 for pistol) for each caliber/load or a micrometer insert for pistol and for rifle.

Why take any chances? I would also pull the bullet and reseat.

Almost all of my 9mm brass is S&B. I found that I had far fewer problems (about 1 out of 200) when I switched from Federal primers to Winchester. With the Federals I was having a problem at least 2-3 times out of a 100. FYI -- I reload on an LNL AP with case & bullet feeder.