Wilson vs Dillon case gages

[Duane Thomas]

Detuning the gun, so you can get away with crappy/dirty ammo might be smart in a carry situation. I don't run crappy ammo in my competition guns.

I've always shot competition with my carry gun, so for me there's really no differentiation here.

[Ken Mays]

If any of your reloads fail the barrel test, your reloading process is sub par. Time spend fixing your reloading problems, is a better investment than perfecting your post reload defect detection.

I'm already using the EGW undersized die and a Lee FCD as the last step. Both dies are as close to the shellplate as I can get them. I don't know what else I can reasonably do.

The problem doesn't seem to be that the brass isn't getting fully resized.

The rounds that stick in my chamber seem to have a bulge where the heel of the bullet displaces the case outward. I saw it a lot more with the plated Frontier bullets, which leads me to assume they're of inconsistent diameter. It happens a lot less with cast lead, but I usually get about 2% of my rounds sticking in the chamber.

[M.E.Anglin]

I'm already using the EGW undersized die and a Lee FCD as the last step. Both dies are as close to the shellplate as I can get them. I don't know what else I can reasonably do.

The problem doesn't seem to be that the brass isn't getting fully resized.

The rounds that stick in my chamber seem to have a bulge where the heel of the bullet displaces the case outward. I saw it a lot more with the plated Frontier bullets, which leads me to assume they're of inconsistent diameter. It happens a lot less with cast lead, but I usually get about 2% of my rounds sticking in the chamber.

you might be getting the "glock buldge" in your .40 if you are picking up range brass, in that case you need to run them through a special die that punches them all the way through the die.

[Nik Habicht]

If any of your reloads fail the barrel test, your reloading process is sub par. Time spend fixing your reloading problems, is a better investment than perfecting your post reload defect detection.

I'm already using the EGW undersized die and a Lee FCD as the last step. Both dies are as close to the shellplate as I can get them. I don't know what else I can reasonably do.

The problem doesn't seem to be that the brass isn't getting fully resized.

The rounds that stick in my chamber seem to have a bulge where the heel of the bullet displaces the case outward. I saw it a lot more with the plated Frontier bullets, which leads me to assume they're of inconsistent diameter. It happens a lot less with cast lead, but I usually get about 2% of my rounds sticking in the chamber.

So that bulge is fairly far up from the base of the case? Roughly where the tail end of the bullet is? If so, I'd look to the bullet not matching the die insert's profile --- if you're loading with Dillon dies they give you two choices for the part that actually cups the bullet and pushes it in the case. If not that, I'd look to how that die was adjusted --- did you really read and follow the instruction manual, about having cases in various slots of the shell plate with the platform raised (or in the case of the 1050, the head lowered) while tightening the die lock rings? Something's pushing the bullets in at an angle....

Also --- enough bell to allow the bullet to sit in the case mouth straight? I have seen this issue with insufficient bell --- and the adjustment between not enough, just right, and too much is small.....

[Ken Mays]

So that bulge is fairly far up from the base of the case? Roughly where the tail end of the bullet is? If so, I'd look to the bullet not matching the die insert's profile --- if you're loading with Dillon dies they give you two choices for the part that actually cups the bullet and pushes it in the case. If not that, I'd look to how that die was adjusted --- did you really read and follow the instruction manual, about having cases in various slots of the shell plate with the platform raised (or in the case of the 1050, the head lowered) while tightening the die lock rings? Something's pushing the bullets in at an angle....

Also --- enough bell to allow the bullet to sit in the case mouth straight? I have seen this issue with insufficient bell --- and the adjustment between not enough, just right, and too much is small.....

Using RCBS dies. I'm actually using the seating insert from my 9mm die since it matches the bullet profile a lot closer than the two .40 inserts did.

I'll check my belling. Right now I bell just enough to allow the bullet to sit on the case without wanting to fall off.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Edited July 9, 2008 by Ken Mays

[SLM]

Do you notice any type of a trend with a certain brand/head stamp of brass? The majority of the rejects I have (in 9mm) are in R-P brass. The brass doesn't seem to have a consistent thickness and even with flaring sometimes the bullets seat off center. Most of the time I don't even use a flare die and run the EGW "U" die with no problems. Flared or unflared is hit or miss with R-P brass.

[Ken Mays]

Do you notice any type of a trend with a certain brand/head stamp of brass? The majority of the rejects I have (in 9mm) are in R-P brass. The brass doesn't seem to have a consistent thickness and even with flaring sometimes the bullets seat off center. Most of the time I don't even use a flare die and run the EGW "U" die with no problems. Flared or unflared is hit or miss with R-P brass.

I've looked at that and never noticed a pattern, but I will keep a closer eye out in the future.

[wide45]

R-P brass worked great by me for many years.

Once I figured out how to seat them straight, there were no bulgies.

I use a RCBS seating die, with a round nose punch from a 38/357 die.