zdog Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 (edited) I pretty sure something isn't right here. This is a new set of Lee 9mm dies. Sizing, powder and seating die only. The brass looks OK with maybe a little being shaved off the outside of the mouth of the case. Edited February 4, 2015 by zdog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bkreutz Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 If you're using plated bullets, I suspect the flare isn't big enough and you're shaving the bullets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brassaholic13 Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Well, I would suspect that the sizing die has brass on it from touching the brass on the shell plate. And from there, either the flare isn't big enough, shaving the bullets, or it's too big and the case is being shaved when it enters the seating/crimping die. I would break your process down into single steps until you find the culprit. In one of those dies you'll "feel" it drag when it shaves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Youngeyes Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Over flaring or under flaring will shave the brass or the jacketing on the bullet. You'll also get a lot from new brass. If it's a new brass issue it will resolve itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zdog Posted February 3, 2015 Author Share Posted February 3, 2015 (edited) Thanks for the input: The bell is just right IMHO. I am using FMJ bullets and copper and brass shaving are two different colors. I am using range brass. My guess is the chinese screwed up the sizing die but I would like to know what others think. (This turned out to be wrong) Best to all, John Edited February 4, 2015 by zdog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zdog Posted February 3, 2015 Author Share Posted February 3, 2015 This is the flare> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brassaholic13 Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 I flare to these dimensions: Bell Mouth Dia: 9MM/38/.357 (.375 I.D.) .40 S&W/10 MM (.406 I.D.) .44/.451/.452 (.530 I.D.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zdog Posted February 3, 2015 Author Share Posted February 3, 2015 I took the seating die apart and found a ring of brass filings about where the flare is removed. I really could not feel a ridge there but I polished the inside of the die. This has seemed to resolve the problem although I only ran about 25 rounds through the press. If this fixes the problem it will not be the first time I have had to polish on Lee dies to get them to work correctly. My thinking is that if the inside of the die was rough near where the bell removal takes place and then instead of squeezing the bell closed it would also be filing the mouth of the brass as it was pressed into the die. Who Knows. Best to all, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glk21C Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 For some reason I am drawn to your avatar.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zdog Posted February 3, 2015 Author Share Posted February 3, 2015 For some reason I am drawn to your avatar.... LOL......does look framiliar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrb06 Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Too much flare/belling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glynnm45 Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 You need an M die or a set of dillon dies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zdog Posted February 3, 2015 Author Share Posted February 3, 2015 What is an M die? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyOne Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Dog of a different color.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zdog Posted February 3, 2015 Author Share Posted February 3, 2015 Dog of a different color.... Looks like its time to rename this thread. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Youngeyes Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 What is an M die? It's to die for..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brassaholic13 Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 M is for MAGIC! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b1gcountry Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 I am having some of the same issues. Lee dies too. It is definitely the seating die on mine too. Unless I leave almost no flare on the case mouth, it catches on the mouth, and i get a little "kachunk" feeling as it passes into the seating die. I also get minor brass shaving, but after 400 rounds it is less than 1/4 of what you are getting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zdog Posted February 4, 2015 Author Share Posted February 4, 2015 I am having some of the same issues. Lee dies too. It is definitely the seating die on mine too. Unless I leave almost no flare on the case mouth, it catches on the mouth, and i get a little "kachunk" feeling as it passes into the seating die. I also get minor brass shaving, but after 400 rounds it is less than 1/4 of what you are getting. I finally called Lee and talked to Peter. I explained the problem with machine marks inside the seating die and without hesitation he offered to send me a new die body. I asked if he was just grabbing one of the shelf to send me or would it be smooth inside. He kind of groaned and said it would be smooth inside. I have a set of Dillon pistol dies so I looking inside the seating die and it was polished to a mirror finish. The lession I have finally learned is to spend the extra $20 bucks and get a quality set of dies. Sorry Lee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b1gcountry Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 Ps, if I don't flare the perfect amount, the case mouth catches and folds out, causing a messed up case rIm, and often taking a hunk out of the bullet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gahunter12 Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 I am having some of the same issues. Lee dies too. It is definitely the seating die on mine too. Unless I leave almost no flare on the case mouth, it catches on the mouth, and i get a little "kachunk" feeling as it passes into the seating die. I also get minor brass shaving, but after 400 rounds it is less than 1/4 of what you are getting.I finally called Lee and talked to Peter. I explained the problem with machine marks inside the seating die and without hesitation he offered to send me a new die body. I asked if he was just grabbing one of the shelf to send me or would it be smooth inside. He kind of groaned and said it would be smooth inside. I have a set of Dillon pistol dies so I looking inside the seating die and it was polished to a mirror finish. The lession I have finally learned is to spend the extra $20 bucks and get a quality set of dies. Sorry Lee. I have the same issue with my Lee seating in 9mm. The rest of my pistol dies are Dillon or Redding. I will be swapping mine out to Redding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RealtorMA Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 (edited) FWIW I was getting similar brass shavings recently with my .40 reloads and didn't quite know why. I saw this thread and reduced the bell in my case. Problem solved!! Edited February 4, 2015 by RealtorMA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Handloader109 Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 It isn't your die as much as the extreme flare. Don't blame Lee for your setup. BTW, I use Dillon on my 650xl, but loaded a bunch on a cheap Lee press with Lee dies quite successfully. And my Dillon dies are a long way from mirror finished. Just saying :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b1gcountry Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 (edited) It isn't your die as much as the extreme flare. Don't blame Lee for your setup. BTW, I use Dillon on my 650xl, but loaded a bunch on a cheap Lee press with Lee dies quite successfully. And my Dillon dies are a long way from mirror finished. Just saying :-)I would not say that. The Lee dies I have balk at a very minimal amount of flare. I have to adjust it perfectly or else the rim catches on the die, and shaves brass, or catches the brass lip and deforms the mouth. I have mine adjusted just past the point of shaving the coating of my bullets, and I am still catching one rim every 75 cases or so. This is much Better than it was before I sorted the thicker cases out.If you used a cheap single stage, you probably did not deal with the variability and flexibility of a rotating shell plate. Edited February 6, 2015 by b1gcountry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimitz Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Lee dies may or may not be a contributing issue but from that pic it does look like quite a bit of flare ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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