Resizing Primed Brass?

[Yelrdog]

I have a couple hundred rounds of 38 special that won't plunk into my revolver cylinder.  Most can't even be forced in the cylinder chambers.  I reloaded these about 12 years ago on my old SDB and I clearly messed them up.  I think the problem was with the crimp.  

 

Since then I've upgraded to a 650 and have loaded thousands of 9mm & 45ACP so I have a lot more experience/confidence in my reloading skills.  However, my 38/357 dies are still limited to my SDB machine (vintage 1994).

 

I intend to re-adjust the machine from scratch and load some new rounds from clean once-fired brass.  Once I get the reloader dialed back in can I pull the defective rounds and resize them (without the decapping pin) to preserve the primed brass?  I would also be happy to entertain any ideas regarding the original cause of the FTFs  if you have opinions/expertise.

 

38 special HSM brass

Laser Cast 158gr LSWC

 

[GigG]

No reason at all you can't do that. Heck if it is a wide crimp you may be able to just run them through just the crimp station and fix it.

 

 

[HesedTech]

4 hours ago, Yelrdog said:

I would also be happy to entertain any ideas regarding the original cause of the FTFs  if you have opinions/expertise.

If it won't chamber at all the brass was either not sized properly or during the reloading process was bulged. It could be bullets not pressed in straight, a crimp gone wild bending the neck, or even during the powder drop the measure was too low and also bulged the brass. 

 

The check is to see if your brass post decaping and sizing will gauge/plunk and then after reloading it fails. If this is the case it's happening at one of the loading stations. 

 

Resizing primed brass is done all the time.

 

Have fun!

[Yelrdog]

3 hours ago, HesedTech said:

If it won't chamber at all the brass was either not sized properly or during the reloading process was bulged. It could be bullets not pressed in straight, a crimp gone wild bending the neck, or even during the powder drop the measure was too low and also bulged the brass. 

 

The check is to see if your brass post decaping and sizing will gauge/plunk and then after reloading it fails. If this is the case it's happening at one of the loading stations. 

 

Resizing primed brass is done all the time.

 

Have fun!

Fixed it.  I adjusted OAL to right at the top of the crimp groove (1.45) and cranked the roll crimp die down until crimp diameter was good (0.378).  Cylinder plunk okay.  
 

Looks like the bullet puller die on its way from Amazon won’t be needed!