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Reloading .40 S&W


The_Vigilante

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I am running into a problem loading .40 S&W-they won't fit my Wilson Case Gauge (see photo). I ran these thru my CasePro 100 first and then thru my Redding Carbide GRX .40 S&W sizer before running them thru my Dillon 650. I am using a Dillon Sizing die and a Lee Factory Crimp die. I am using .421 crimp. Bullets are Bayou 180g. Any ideas why they aren't dropping all of the way into the case gauge? Additonal information: These are for an STI Edge and are loaded long at 1.175. I did cycle them thru the Edge and there didn't seem to be a problem with them sticking in the barrel so am mystified as to why they won't fit the case gauge. This is range brass. Thanks

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Edited by The_Vigilante
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Did you take the barrel out and drop them there? I have a Wilson gauge also and it seems pretty tight. Also, make sure your gauge is clean. Mine will get dirty and after a while, it will do this to me also. Run a brush and some CLP through it, wipe it, try again. Where does the resistance feel like it's at?

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Frank, are you loading these for the Edge you bought from me? I never loaded long for this one ... or any of my LTD 40 guns for that matter. When I first got that Edge, I shot factory WWB 165 ammo out of it, so that's what I based my OAL on. 1.155"

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Hello: The coating on the bullet will not fit the case gauge inside diameter. Turn the case around and drop it into the case gauge to see if you have it sized all the way down. If that works then check in your barrel. I have run into this on some other bullets also even jacketed. Thanks, Eric

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So if I put it in backwards-rim first-what should I be looking for? I did it and part of the bullet is sticking out. There wasn't any binding-it dropped right in. I did remove the barrel from the gun and the cartridges drop freely into the chamber. Thanks for everyone's help

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So if I put it in backwards-rim first-what should I be looking for? I did it and part of the bullet is sticking out. There wasn't any binding-it dropped right in. I did remove the barrel from the gun and the cartridges drop freely into the chamber. Thanks for everyone's help

That's what I do too . . . use the barrel they are going to be shot in. I don't even own any case gauges. :cheers:

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Heh, you mentioned you're loading long, if you're actually loading at 1.175 the bullet will hit the table when you set the case gauge like that. Pick up the gauge, drop the case in, see if it goes all the way in... The gauge is SAAMI max length, 1.135 or something like that.

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I think it's the ogive of the bullet. This happens with me with Zeros and an EGW case gauge. If it hits like that but works in your barrel then usually you will be fine. If you have a bulge at the base then it will stop even shorter, so you can tell it apart from those that are just the bullet.

The Zeros fit in my dillon case gauge but my dillon gauge is bigger than my chamber :wacko:

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I ordered samples of the Bayou 180's and 155's and am having the same issue as the OP.

IMAG3007.jpg

IMAG3014.jpg

These 180's are loaded to 1.140 for my XDM. I've dropped them into the chamber and they fit just like the first pic above. I've also hand cycled the slide, and the slide went fully into battery, but when ejecting the round it did not release smoothly - it was stuck - mildly, but stuck.

I'm not concerned with test firing these but will there be any issues/damage to the chamber in the long term if I continue them?

In case it's not obvious the second pic is with the chamber gauge turned upside down, and as noted earlier in the thread the ogive is where the coated bullet is too wide for the gauge.

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I've been following the threads praising the green bullets and wanted to give them a try. And please don't take anything I say as a knock against the product - it's not intended that way. I've only been reloading for about a year now (not a complete noob but not the most knowledgeable either) so please forgive my ignorance.

If I load them shorter they still have to pass through the chamber even if they are not sticking right? So will the larger diameter (thicker coating) cause any damage to the chamber? I wouldn't think so, the steel being harder than the coating, but could the coating erode the steel over time?

As a side note the Precision 185's I've been loading measure .3995 at the case mouth whereas the Bayous are coming in at .4015 - .402 (both with an AOL of 1.140). Bayou's coating is definitely thicker and I believe that's why they're not fitting the case gauge the way I'm used to seeing.

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I've been following the threads praising the green bullets and wanted to give them a try. And please don't take anything I say as a knock against the product - it's not intended that way. I've only been reloading for about a year now (not a complete noob but not the most knowledgeable either) so please forgive my ignorance.

If I load them shorter they still have to pass through the chamber even if they are not sticking right? So will the larger diameter (thicker coating) cause any damage to the chamber? I wouldn't think so, the steel being harder than the coating, but could the coating erode the steel over time?

As a side note the Precision 185's I've been loading measure .3995 at the case mouth whereas the Bayous are coming in at .4015 - .402 (both with an AOL of 1.140). Bayou's coating is definitely thicker and I believe that's why they're not fitting the case gauge the way I'm used to seeing.

I load .40 cal 180gr Bayou's at 1.130 and they go all the way into my EGW case gauge. The coating is part of the design of his bullets.

Take care,

Dave

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What kind of seating die are you using? I had this problem with dillion seating dies and Master blaster and precision moly bullets. Never could figure out why, I just got several failure to chamber out of every 50 round box. I started using my gun barrel to chamber check. SOmething I have never ever had to do before. FInally put the Lee seater back in and the problem went away. Didnt make sense becasue it was going through the FCD die after seating. I decided the why didnt matter. I just quit using Dillon seating die.

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