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Dillon dies debulge glock brass?


Lawdog

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I currently reload .45ACP and 223/5.56 on my Dillon 550. I am plan on buying all the parts from Dillon to convert my Dillon 550 and start reloading 40S/W for my Dillon 550. I will be reloading 40s/w brass that has has been shot by my Glock 22 and G-27 and other range brass that I have picked up. I would like to know if the Dillon pistol dies will Debulge my brass without buying other tools/stuff?

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Try them first. Some guys have great luck using their Dillon dies. But that being said I would recommend the Udie or a push through die. If you are shooting a Glock you will probably be OK either way.

Anyway try it first before buying more stuff.

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I use a Dillon 650 and use their carbide 3 die set to reload 40 S&W brass for my STI Edge, Glock 22 and 35. The brass I use is mixed that I gather from a public range I work at as a RSO. My dies do very well resizing and debulging and I have not had a single issue using the Dillon dies. My reloads always pass my gages and chamber checkers from Dillon/EGW (except for a few due to operator error :P ) and never had any FTF, FTE, etc with any of my Glocks using them.

Edited by KTKlaus
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Hi,

I have reloaded plenty of 40 S&W on my Dillon 550 with dillon dies, I am sure plenty others have too.

The stock dillon dies work fine if you shoot the roloads through glocks with the larger chambers. I did not bring the size die down untill it touched the shell plate, because I did not want to work the brass more then necessary. If the reloads will be shot in a glock I feel there is no need to remove the buldge, I consider the buldge like a fireformed wildcat, kind of like a Glock 40 wildcat. The reloads did not look real pretty but they worked good and did not rupture, I have even seen some rediculusly or I should say stupid hot velocities with Longshot & 135gr rainers out of my G24C.

It was when I introduced a XdM into the mix that I ran into problems. Not all of the rounds would fully chamber into the XdM. I then trimmed a bit off of the bottom of the dillon die ( I used my lathe ) and turned it into the toolhead so it just touched the shell plate to size more of the case so I could fully chamber the loaded ammo in the XdM.

For what it's worth the fired cases from my Glocks (G24C, G22 & G27) measured .431, fired cases from the XdM measured .427 and fired cases from a barsto barrel from my G27 measured .424.

The modified dillon die sizes the brass just fine to work in the Barsto barrel.

Have a Nice Day,

xpshooter

Edited by xpshooter
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The reason I use Lee push thru die on my RCBS as my first step is that sometimes our brass got mixed with glock fired brass...then it goes to the Dillon equipped with EGW undersized sizing die for additional insurance against setback...

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I tried the U-Die, it is like a bandaide on a leaking Dam. Sure it saved a few rejects but I still had lots. The cure is one of the following: Redding GRX (recommended), Lee Push Thru, or CasePro 100.

I have a CasePro 100 but prefer to use the Redding GRX for 40.

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Another thing would be to do is get a standard .40 die from Lee. You will need to use the locking ring on the bottom of the die instead of the top, and use one of the newer thinner locking rings.

Once you install this on the tool head it will make your glock brass gauge and you won't need to dick with any other hard to use sizing dies, and they are cheaper as well.

Good luck,

DougC

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hey guys. good timing on this topic. i have the redding grx but not carbide. i was told that i really didnot need to pay the extra money for it. my die works great but the other day i ran some brass through it that was apparently not perfectly clean. the die got scratched and then i had about 200 scratched pieces of brass. now i wonder if they are safe to use. the scratches have to make a weak spot. there are scratches all around the cases. striped. 600 grit sandpaper on a .410 mop and a drill helped but i am still not very happy. so now i feel i may have to buy the carbide. just be careful what you purchase and how you use it. i dont want others to have to learn the hard way when i did.

any thoughts much appreciated

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I recommend the Lee U-die. When I first bought my Dillon 650 I shot Limited and had to chamber check every round because too many (~10%) Glock bulged rounds were getting through. I bought and have a Redding GRX die on a single stage press and while it works great it adds another step and time to the reloading process. A friend and multi-division GM recommended the U-die and I no longer chamber check any rounds and have had 0% bulged rounds get through. The U-die does slow the 650 down just a hair, but it eliminates the chamber check and the added GRX step.

I've added U-dies to all the calibers I reload and have >30k rounds loaded with no bulge problems. Note ~10k are 38SC and the U-die eliminates any bulges there too.

Shoot straight!

:cheers:

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i use a lee dies in my dillon and drop the loaded rounds in my chamber to check. I like to check each round in the chamber fo rhte gun im using especially for a big match so i reduce the chance of malfunctions.

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Unfortunatly the u die is not for every gun...

I had issues with brass resized with a u die..

Where bullets are more prone to seat crooked, and won't pass through tighter chambers..

In the other hand a standard lee resizing die does not have this issue, and will size a bit lower than the dillon die..

Just be aware the u-die is not for everyone.

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I recommend the Lee U-die. When I first bought my Dillon 650 I shot Limited and had to chamber check every round because too many (~10%) Glock bulged rounds were getting through. I bought and have a Redding GRX die on a single stage press and while it works great it adds another step and time to the reloading process. A friend and multi-division GM recommended the U-die and I no longer chamber check any rounds and have had 0% bulged rounds get through. The U-die does slow the 650 down just a hair, but it eliminates the chamber check and the added GRX step.

I've added U-dies to all the calibers I reload and have >30k rounds loaded with no bulge problems. Note ~10k are 38SC and the U-die eliminates any bulges there too.

Shoot straight!

:cheers:

I load only about 20k rounds a year. I use a CasePro 100 and on 40 the GRX. I drop check every round every time. I find maybe one or 2 in a 1000 that has some minor defect, that could be the jam that spoils the match. One of the things I find are cases that split when the bullet is seated. I also put them in cases with the primer end up so I can check those. I call it Quality Assurance.

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I am a lower volume loader than many that have posted already. That said, I use the GRX die on a cheapo used press I got for $40. It works really well and gives you an opportunity to inspect your brass, as you should. But, if it is for a major match or just one that is important to you, case guage is still needed. I can run a few hundred through the GRX in an hour, so it is really not a big deal.

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I reload range pick up brass and in my limited KKM .40 barrel I had a Large amount of failure to feeds. I would guess more than 10 per 100. Since I bought the EGW Udie I have had 3 out of about 1500 that would not drop into my KKM chamber. I would recommend one of them any day. I also don't 100% trust the dillon .40s&w case gage. The cases that wouldn't drop in the chamber of my KKM would drop into the dillon gage with no problems. I have since made it a habit even when using the EGW undersized die to drop check all my rounds before a match. I shot steel this past weekend and drop checked 290 rounds and 2 were really on the tight side in my barrel so I didn't let them into the batch I took to the shoot. On a side note at the match saturday a guy in my squad had 2 FTF that he had drop checked in a dillon gage and it screwed him on those 2 strings. YMMV Happy New Year!

Cheers!

Jason

Edit: I am using a Dillon 650 EGW Udie the rest are Dillon.

Edited by pranavdc
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I reload range pick up brass and in my limited KKM .40 barrel I had a Large amount of failure to feeds. I would guess more than 10 per 100. Since I bought the EGW Udie I have had 3 out of about 1500 that would not drop into my KKM chamber. I would recommend one of them any day. I also don't 100% trust the dillon .40s&w case gage. The cases that wouldn't drop in the chamber of my KKM would drop into the dillon gage with no problems. I have since made it a habit even when using the EGW undersized die to drop check all my rounds before a match. I shot steel this past weekend and drop checked 290 rounds and 2 were really on the tight side in my barrel so I didn't let them into the batch I took to the shoot. On a side note at the match saturday a guy in my squad had 2 FTF that he had drop checked in a dillon gage and it screwed him on those 2 strings. YMMV Happy New Year!

Cheers!

Jason

Edit: I am using a Dillon 650 EGW Udie the rest are Dillon.

I recently posted some "findings" on another one of the Glocked brass threads. I have been reloading since the beginning of 2011 and have been cranking on my new 650 that I upgraded to a few months ago. I am about to switch my 650 over to .40 from 9mm and have tried out a few things on my single stage press just to do some experimenting with Glocked .40 brass.

When resizing Glocked .40 brass, I tried just using the Dillon size die and the cases would NOT gauge in my EGW gauge. Using the EGW U-die as a follow-up to the Dillon, they WOULD gauge. I don't have a Dillon .40 gauge but I do have both brands in 9mm. My experience with 9mm has been that anything that doesn't quite guage in the EGW block DOES pass in the Dillon gauge and fires fine out of my stock 9mm Glocks.

So, I guess the moral of the story here is that if you are shooting a stock Glock barrel you will have a lot of leeway. If you are shooting a KKM barrel or an STI (etc.) type pistol, you better live by the EGW gauge and should be using a U-die to nip the problem in the bud.

I am in the process of setting up separate toolheads to reload .40 on my 650. One a caseprep toolhead with the Dillon sizer in station 1 and the U-die in station 4. My loading toolhead will have a universal decapper in station one to clear the flash hole (I will be using case lube and will polish after sizing in corncob to remove lube) and then the "normal" sequence of dies after that. Yes, I will be running brass thru twice, but with a casefeeder on a 650 I don't see it as being a big deal if my ammo runs perfect

YMMV

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I shoot 2011 limited guns and reload 40 cal and lots that come out of glocks.

I tried 3 or 4 dies before ending with the dillon. Each die is different so you mite need to try a few.

I use a redding rx thru die for match brass and the dillon on the press for the rest.

Hope this helps

Adam

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi everyone.

OK... total newbie, here. I'm trying to clear something up from the 1000's of posts I've read on the .40 glock bulge 'issue'. Can I run a sanity check by those who deal with this to see if I'm on the right track? Also, please feel free to add any comments, suggestions, etc. ( I apologize if this seems a 'beat-to-death' topic. But I shoot stock Gen4 Glocks, have a ton of Glock-fired brass, and I'm waiting for my new Dillon 550b to ship to me any day...all with Dillon .40 dies)

1. It seems that if I reload Glock fired brass and shoot it thru my stock Glock bbl, I'm OK, generally, with just the stage 1 Dillon sizing die?

2. If I need a non-Dillon sizing die to address a bulge/chambering issue, I could get a Lee .40 sizing die and just replace the Dillon in stage 1? It also decaps AND re-primes?

3. Is a 4th stage Crimp die necessary on .40 SW or can I substitute it with another 'bulge fixing' dies post-bullet setting (stage 3). If so, which die options are worthy of the task?

Please keep in mind I have a 4-stage 550b, a Dillon case gage, std dillon .40 SW dies, and an uncomfortable feeling what I bought may not work and that I'll have to cycle my brass twice instead of just the std. progressive 4-stage process.

Thanks everyone!

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This seems to be a can of worms for several people. Shooting stock guns, Glocks, Sigs, CZ's etc you probably won't have any issues with any brand of die and I'm sure we all have our favorites. Shooting a gun with a tight chamber, has a new aftermarket quality barrel or a S_i pistol. You might not get proper feeding using some brands.

I have Great results using Lee Dies with Dillon one inch nuts. In 40 S@W the U die does just what it says it will do. Size the brass smaller than any other die. I have used the U die in 550 and a 650 machines. There's no need to go with a push through die unless your having an enlarged rim problem. Which I have never had in 40 S@W and all the brass I pick up is range brass (Glocked Brass) and it's shot through STI guns. It does pop up in 45acp where the slide chambering the round enlarges the rim stopping the cartridge from dropping all the way in a chamber gauge. In these cases a push through die is the answer as it will size the rim. Lee Dies tend to size closer to the extractor groove than some other brands. The whole key to the U die is you need to lube cases. This seems to be an issue for several people also but a little lube make the whole process run smoother and more consistent. It took me several years to warm up to Lee Dies as I had a bad experience with a Pro 1000 press. Lee's first stage sizer is now in place on every pistol caliber I load replacing other brands because they just work. You may need to put the lock nut on from the bottom if there's not enough thread to hold the die.

Lee's Carbide four die set runs on sale at Midway USA around forty bucks, cheap. Give a set a try and I believe you'll be pleased. You can do the Glock bulge thing in one pass through the press. After loading drop the loaded rounds back in the tumbler to remove the lube.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I reload range pick up brass and in my limited KKM .40 barrel I had a Large amount of failure to feeds. I would guess more than 10 per 100. Since I bought the EGW Udie I have had 3 out of about 1500 that would not drop into my KKM chamber. I would recommend one of them any day. I also don't 100% trust the dillon .40s&w case gage. The cases that wouldn't drop in the chamber of my KKM would drop into the dillon gage with no problems. I have since made it a habit even when using the EGW undersized die to drop check all my rounds before a match. I shot steel this past weekend and drop checked 290 rounds and 2 were really on the tight side in my barrel so I didn't let them into the batch I took to the shoot. On a side note at the match saturday a guy in my squad had 2 FTF that he had drop checked in a dillon gage and it screwed him on those 2 strings. YMMV Happy New Year!

I am using a Dillon 650 EGW Udie the rest are Dillon.

good to know that Dillon's case gauges are not quite the same as EGW's offerings

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At the risk of repeating myself, I hate the term Glocked brass becasue bulged brass comes from a lot of guns - not just Glocks. A standard .40 die will remove enough of the bulge to work with a lot of the guns in use so before you go to a lot of trouble try it for yourself and see if you really need anything else. Take your barrel out and drop the bullets in and see if they fit. Make up some dummy bullets without primers or powder and make sure they feed. Take some to the range and test fire them. Unless you have a tight feed ramp, they will probably work for you.

All that said, .40 brass takes more effort to resize than something like 9mm. So, I've gotten into the habit of pre-processing my brass using a 'U' die then running it through the vibrator with corncob for an hour. When I actually start reloading, I have a regular sizing die on station one just as a check. It really makes reloading .40 a lot less bother.

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Hello: I use the EGW "U" die for 40 brass. The Lee die makes the brass only 0.003" larger than the EGW die. So in most cases that would work if the chamber in your pistol is not too tight. The Dillon die does not size the bulged brass down far enough since the die has a larger radius. I think the Case Pro is the best solution since it does not work the brass from the top making it shorter. I still need to get some Case Pro dies in 40. Thanks, Eric

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