EGW Die

[Rolex]

Is anyone having problems with brass being pushed down to far,

and bulgeing at the base? I have one of these in .40S&W that I have

been using for 10 months and have had very little problems with the

die. But after reloading just three hundred .9mm major one fired from

my G34 and then loading range brass there is little change in the amount

of brass that is bulged at the base. Is this die that much tighter than my

stock die? I use lube also.

[Jon Merricks]

I've never had the problems you mention. You lube your brass?

[racerba]

If it is the "U" die, then, yes it is tighter than the stock dies. However, I have not heard of brass being pushed down. What may be hapenning is that it is making the top part smaller than the bottom part - making it look like the brass is pushed down. Make sure you set the die to go down to barely just touching the shellplate. I did have problems with it pulling the brass off the case heads. Since I am using the factory crimp die, I took out the "U" die - didn't need it.

[lugnut]

I think racerba is right. I doubt it pushed the brass down but it may appear that way. The EGW-U die should "size" lower on the case which my give that effect. With my .40 brass it looked that way.... was never a problem but had me a tad concerned at times. I didn't load my rounds hot in .40 so I didn't let it bother me too much.

[lcs]

I used EGW-U die, Lee factory crimp die, Redding Competition seating die for thousands of 9 major loads and no problems.

You loaded rounds will look like little coke bottles for lack of a better definition.

If they all pass the LEE case gauge you are fine.

edited for spelling

Edited December 2, 2008 by FullRace

[Rolex]

I will try to readjust the die so it is

off the shell plate a little more. Thanks

to all.

[HSMITH]

The die needs to be TOUCHING the shellplate with the ram fully up. Moving the die up will cause problems.

[lcs]

The die needs to be TOUCHING the shellplate with the ram fully up. Moving the die up will cause problems.

+1 on the "die needs to be TOUCHING the shellplate"

[wide45]

If the brass comes out of the die looking like tiny belted magnums, you have a big problem.

If you are running too much pressure, and expanding the case heads, the die can not size it down.

The brass is ruined, and you need to come up with a lower pressure load before something else gets damaged.

[blkbrd]

Brass is supposed to look like a coke bottle when resized with the U die, and a bullet is seated.

It will be resized lower down the case than you are used to seeing with a normal die.

When a bullet is inserted it will enlarge the case a couple of thousandths providing a good grip.

Just ask to see some of my rounds next time your down here at a match.

[Rolex]

Yes I think there is to much pressure on the brass-

not all of it is once fired! Lots of range brass!

[blkbrd]

What you describe is abnormal although I do see it every few hundred rounds. Generally the only time I get it is when I don't have a case aligned straight going into the die.

When I have processed machine gun brass I have split allot of cases from overworking but nothing you can catch your nail on, and the brass doesn't seem to flow down although I never measure the length of fired cases.

The pending case head separations showed a crack in the web & extractor groove.

My 40 EGW die processed brass looks the same as my 9 you could have a bad die? Not likely but possible.

Did some quick measuring, my brass measures a nominal.

.386"-.388" at the web just before the groove.

.339"-.341" inside the extractor groove.

.372"-.375" below where the bullet swells the case.

and .376"-.380" where the bullet is inside the case.

Note this is multiple fired mixed range brass. The only dies I have used for 8 years are the U dies?

Also note, I have had my fair share of case head separations in 9mm, .40 & 45.