Redding GRx

[Ray_Z]

I have purchased a set of Redding GRx dies and use it whenever I load 40 brass. I first size the brass with my dillon dies in the 650, then after using a small amount of spray lube, put all my brass through the GRx dies just to make sure I don't have problems later. It works great. I just don't have problems with case base expantion (period)

Here it comes,,,,BUT, the brass goes through the die open end first. It seems to me that there would be less chance of thining out the brass just above the "Glocked" base if the brass went into the die base first. Do you think I'm wrong?

[Cy Soto]

I have purchased a set of Redding GRx dies and use it whenever I load 40 brass. I first size the brass with my dillon dies in the 650, then after using a small amount of spray lube, put all my brass through the GRx dies just to make sure I don't have problems later. It works great. I just don't have problems with case base expantion (period)

Here it comes,,,,BUT, the brass goes through the die open end first. It seems to me that there would be less chance of thining out the brass just above the "Glocked" base if the brass went into the die base first. Do you think I'm wrong?

Though you are correct in your assumption, one of two things would happen if you pushed your cases head-stamp-side first: 1) you will stick the case in the push rod or, 2) you will deform the case by compressing it.

If the push rod was thinner and it fit inside the case, it would deform in that area of the rim which will increase your chances of a case head separation or, at the very least will flatten the inside of the case (most .40 S&W cases are cupped in that area).

Like this:

Edited January 3, 2011 by Cy Soto

[Ray_Z]

Thanks for your thoughts Cy Soto. My thoughts were that if I put the case through the die base first with an undersized rod the part of the case that was "glocked" would be folded back into place by the thicker cartridge base metal instead of by the top of the base where the metal is much thinner. 40 s&w and 10mm are true rimless cases so that portion wouldn't be effected by the die. My thoughts were that by sizing the cases the way Redding designed the GRx in the process of sizing the base I will also thin the brass just above the base, causing future case head separation. Am I wrong?

[Cy Soto]

My thoughts were that by sizing the cases the way Redding designed the GRx in the process of sizing the base I will also thin the brass just above the base, causing future case head separation. Am I wrong?

The way the die is designed, it shouldn't shave off any brass nor thin out the bulged part granted that we lubricate the case (if not using newer carbide G-Rx). If I was noticing brass shaving I would be tempted to think that I was thinning out the brass in that region therefore increasing my chances of a case head separation. Now that I think about it, most case head separation events that I have heard of are typically caused by older/over-worked brass or by a significant increase in pressure (mostly caused by a double charge load).

By over-worked brass I am referring to brass that was excessively bulged and then probably undersized. Doing this several times is most certainly a bad idea! If you are shooting these loads in competition, odds are that you are not loading at very high pressures. Most of us shooting Major only load to a PF of 170 to 175. The only time that I can see someone going for a PF higher than this in .40 S&W is if they were shooting Bowling Pins but it seems that this caliber is not the most popular option on that discipline.

My only concern with pushing the case from the inside is that, I would be applying all of this force to an area that is designed to have a little bit of a curved shape and the included push rod is flat. This will cause the inside of the case to deform.

Using an undersized rod that followed the same form of the inside of the case would certainly be option to consider. We just have to take into account that different case manufacturers vary the shape of their product ever so slightly and we will be "reforming" the inside diameter of the case. Whether this will cause a problem or not is hard to say but you do make a good point!

Edited January 4, 2011 by Cy Soto

[noylj]

I ran some cases through my Lee Bulge Buster head first. My reason was that when I resized a case with a modest bulge (i.e., I didn't see it visually, so it "couldn't" have been that bad), I would end up with a thin raised line of brass near the extractor groove from pushing the bulge down. If, instead, I pushed it away from the web, it would not have a chance to form that ridge.

It seemed to work, but the "push rod" in the bulge buster kit isn't long enough and I did damage a couple of cases doing it.

Now, I run my .40 cases through it after cleaning and prior to sizing.

What I want to know is why I have just started getting bulged cases in 9x19? Never have until about a year ago.

[Cy Soto]

What I want to know is why I have just started getting bulged cases in 9x19? Never have until about a year ago.

And you are not shooting 9 Major?

[WatchmanUSA]

I use the GRx for all my .40 brass. Don't waste time resizing in your Dillon first. Push all the brass through the GRx open end first. Always lube and always inspect your brass.

[NOT QUITE RIGHT]

Ray, I have used the Redding GRX dies since they were first introduced. First the steel and now the carbide. I tumble then awhile then I throw them on their sides on a cookie sheet and spray them with Hornady NH case lube. Then I put them in a plastic shoe box and shake them around for a while. I still do this even with the carbide. It helps make sure that no brass flakes get on the die which then scratch the case. Then I tumble them some more to clean them off.

My press runs so much smoother!

If you have ever put one in upside down by accident that will answer your other question?

Edited January 6, 2011 by NOT QUITE RIGHT

[CocoBolo]

What I want to know is why I have just started getting bulged cases in 9x19? Never have until about a year ago.

And you are not shooting 9 Major?

Cy - I am and he might have got a piece of my brass by mistake. I load them hot 180pf, I shoot them once and leave them. Actually with the price of everything going up and the quality of everything going down, its no suprize that the brass is not as good as it was and some of it looks like brass but it is steel. Check your 9 mm cases with a magnet!

Now back the the GRX, yes got one when I was shooting limited, I was religious every case went in the GRX. Now I'm shooting open and if I load 40, if it doesn't drop check I put the loaded round in the GRX and then its all good.

[Cy Soto]

Cy - I am and he might have got a piece of my brass by mistake. I load them hot 180pf, I shoot them once and leave them.

That's is usually the case with many folks shooting 9 Major. I have put a few rounds through a 9 Major gun belonging to a friend of mine and I know that the recoil is pretty significant. He is using Starline brass and he reloads it a few times but he was telling me that, even after a few reloads, the head stamp becomes difficult to read.

In his case, the chamber on that gun's barrel is very tight.

You are also very right about brass-plated steel cases. It used to be that S&B was the only company (that I knew of) that was using this process but it looks like there are a few other head stamps out there that do to.

[CocoBolo]

Cy - I am and he might have got a piece of my brass by mistake. I load them hot 180pf, I shoot them once and leave them.

That's is usually the case with many folks shooting 9 Major. I have put a few rounds through a 9 Major gun belonging to a friend of mine and I know that the recoil is pretty significant. He is using Starline brass and he reloads it a few times but he was telling me that, even after a few reloads, the head stamp becomes difficult to read.

In his case, the chamber on that gun's barrel is very tight.

You are also very right about brass-plated steel cases. It used to be that S&B was the only company (that I knew of) that was using this process but it looks like there are a few other head stamps out there that do to.

The biggest issue with 9 major is loose primer pockets. I was picking it up and using it for minor but when I started to get more old primers in the corn than corn I quit. Recoil, mine has almost none and its very flat.