Winchester Brass Not Sizing

[b2e]

I'm using a Dillon SDB to reload 40 cal. for my Glock 35 with a KKM barrel. I've noticed almost all of the Winchester brass will not fit in my barrel. This is all range brass. I'm going to start tossing all the Winchester brass I find. Does anyone else have the same problem?

[Flexmoney]

Winchester is usually my first choice in 40.

With all the stations of your shell plate loaded up as normal (not empty), check to see that you resizing die is just touching the shell plate.

[ihatepickles]

I too use Winchester brass for my G35 with a KKM barrel. 10,000k rounds cycled through this barrel without a hiccup. Follow Flex's advice, the symptom sounds like the resizer isn't kissing the shellplate.

I also buy my brass from a police range clearance house so I feel confident I'm getting truly once fired brass. If you're picking up 5+ fired brass then this may be the cause too.

Hope this doesn't sound like I'm pointing the finger back at you, it's just that the circumstance sounds a little fishy and I have good luck with Winchester brass. Good luck.

[b2e]

I'm using all sorts of brass I find and it's only the Wincester that doesn't size. I would think if my SDB is out of adjustment I would get bad sizing from the other brass. Winchester is less than 5% of the brass I use. If there is an adjustment without increasing my crimp, let me know.

[Flexmoney]

You should be able to adjust your sizing die (station 1) all day lng without any change in your crimp.

You/we need to know if the sizing die is touching the shell plate or not?

[b2e]

With a SDB, the first station has no adjustment. But I may be wrong. Is there a way to adjust the 1st. station on a SDB?

[Flexmoney]

There may not be an adjustment at Station 1 with the SDB. Perhaps the adjustments at the other stations are limiting travel, however? How about something limiting the full travel of the press handle?

(I haven't loaded on the SDB for a long while. Maybe somebody that has one handy can chime in.)

[Lee Bell]

I'm using all sorts of brass I find and it's only the Wincester that doesn't size. I would think if my SDB is out of adjustment I would get bad sizing from the other brass. Winchester is less than 5% of the brass I use. If there is an adjustment without increasing my crimp, let me know.

Like most, I have not had a problem with Winchester, or any other brand of brass.

You ask whether there is an adjustment without increasing crimp. Not to be insulting, but that sounds like an unusual question. Assuming your SDB is similar to my 550B, the sizing die is the first one used. On my press, sizing and decapping are done by the same die, in the first station. To be properly adjusted, the die should touch the shell plate when the press is in it's full up position (lever fully down). If your's isn't, perhaps that the problem. The crimping die should not have anything to do with it.

If your press is different, nevermind.

Lee

[JD45]

From the day I bought my Square Deal B(used) the shellplate not only touches the sizing die, it slightly pushes the die body up at full stroke. I did notice that there is a set screw up in the frame, screwed into the handle. It looks like some sort of adjustment to limit handle travel.

You will have to take the press off of the bench to see it, but you probably won't have to mess with it if you are getting full travel already.

Also, did you mean that sized empty cases won't fit your chamber or loaded rounds. If you mean loaded rounds, maybe something else is the problem.

[b2e]

Thanks, I'll make sure my SDB is adjusted properly. I know when using range brass you get what you pay for. That's why it's free.

[Lee Bell]

Thanks, I'll make sure my SDB is adjusted properly. I know when using range brass you get what you pay for. That's why it's free.

Actually, if you are alert, you get a lot more than what you pay for. In my experience, most people that don't recover their brass, shoot factory ammunition. That means that they're leaving behind the second best brass available, once fired brass. New brass, in my opinion, is the best available, but it's not free.

Pay particular attention to days when law enforcement people are using the range. A substantial portion of them are shooting .40 rounds, they normally poice their own brass, but, except at police owned ranges, rarely take it home with them. Provide a bucket and ask nicely, and you might find them quite willing to add to your supply. Better yet, make a deal to police their brass for them in return for being allowed to keep it. Whatever works, police shooters are en excellent source of brass.

Lee

[lcs]

I use an SDB to load 40 and a 550 to load 9MM.

If you are getting once fired brass (or more) and some of that brass is fired from a stock glock, the SDB will not take out the Glock buldge at the bottom of the case.

I found two fixes. One is to by once fired, cleaned and roll sized 40. I never had a 40 not fit a case gage after buying roll sized brass. This can be rather expensive depending on your wallet.

The second solution is to buy a cheap Lee Hand loader (I got mine from Lee\\\'s web site for $30 I think and their reloading manual) and then buy an undersize die from EGW for $22 and run you brass through the hand loader to size it prior to using your SDB.

EGW offers custom made, carbide sizing dies that are 0.001\\\" smaller in diameter than typical dies. These dies also flair lower than some other sizing dies and size the case further down, which may prevent feed failures from cases bulged near the base as is typical of brass fired in Glock and other loose chambered guns.

You should not have a round that will not pass the chamber gauge again.

Hope this helps

[ryucasta]

It's the die not the brass. Dillon resizing dies will never remove the bulge that forms at the 6 oclock position.

[Lee Bell]

If you are getting once fired brass (or more) and some of that brass is fired from a stock glock, the SDB will not take out the Glock buldge at the bottom of the case.

Interesting information. Is this unique to the SDB? The reason I ask is that I load .40 with a Dillon 550B. I'm 100% certain that much of the brass I load was fired in a Glock primarily I was the one that shot it. I don't expect chambering problems and, so far, haven't had any. What surprises me about your post is that I also haven't had any fail to pass the case guage test either.

Lee

[dajarrel]

Dillon sizing dies have a samll bevel at the mouth to take care of small mis-alignments when you first start the die over the brass. This 'bell', when sizing glock fired brass, particularly in .40 S&W, will not remove the last of the 'guppy belly' on the glock fired brass. On 550 and larger presses, a lot of reloaders will use a Lee or other brand die, or even ground the bevel off the mouth of the die to allow the full sizing of glock fired brass.

On a SDB, the dies are not the standard thread pattern and because of this you cannot easily interchange dies. This would leave the option of either eliminating the bevel (grinding it off) to allow full contact all the way down or not using brass that you know will not size.

Not having a SDB, I cannot say if there is any adjustment in the dies, but if there is, and it is properly adjusted, the above could be your problem.

Why is it just Winchester brass in your machine? Who knows. It may be because the Win is thicker/stronger in the web area and requires more 'oomph' to actually size it. The very thing that makes it desireable for me.

YMMV

dj

[lcs]

If you are getting once fired brass (or more) and some of that brass is fired from a stock glock, the SDB will not take out the Glock buldge at the bottom of the case.

Interesting information. Is this unique to the SDB? The reason I ask is that I load .40 with a Dillon 550B. I'm 100% certain that much of the brass I load was fired in a Glock primarily I was the one that shot it. I don't expect chambering problems and, so far, haven't had any. What surprises me about your post is that I also haven't had any fail to pass the case guage test either.

Lee

Yes, it is unique to an SDB in a manner of speaking. I believe you would have the same problem with Dillon dies on any loader. I do not know for sure as I have not tried it on any other model other than the SDB.

[glockadict]

If you were using another Dillon press, I would tell you to get a Lee Factory Crimp Die. It will size all of your brass back to normal. I use one for all of my calibers, and it is great. I use the same brass for my Glock 21, and my STI Trojan with no problem. I have a KKM barrel in my G24, and all I use is range brass with no issues at all. I don't know what you can do besides what was mentioned earlier about getting a cheap hanloader just for resizing, or sell your press and upgrade to a 550B or a 650. Christmas is coming up, you should treat yourself.

[DougCarden]

Try this, take the offending WIN brass after resizing and decapping only.....and pull the barrel out of the gun. Try the brass into the chamber. That will tell you what you need to know....good or bad... It should drop in and out freely.

If it doesnt get all the "bulge" out, then you could get a cheap Lee sizing die and run the offending brass through the die to get them to fit into the chamber. Once they are fired in your chamber they will fit again and again, until you loose the brass...

Lots of good info here, good luck!

DougC

[b2e]

Well, I just ordered a Lee Hand Loader and a EGW undersized die. I was warned about the limits of the SDB when I bought it but I couldn't pass on the price. This will give me something else to due while sorting my brass.