Bulged cases and Lee Factory Crimp Die

[Cy Soto]

I have been using a Lee FCD for 9mm for quite a while and I always end up with "Coke Bottle" shaped cases. I am not complaining about this, I have heard that this is a common thing when using this particular die. Plus, ever since I started using this die, I have never had a 9mm case fail to pass the case gauge test (even with an LWD 9mm barrel that has an extremely tight chamber.

I just ordered another FCD for .40S&W because I was having trouble with some "Glocked" brass not chambering in an M&P 40. I reloaded my first 100 rounds last night and noticed that these rounds don't show the "Coke Bottle" shape that I am used to seeing in the 9mm cases. The problem that I am having is that 4 out of the 100 rounds I reloaded still won't chamber properly and I don't know if the Lee die is undersizing the cases properly or of there is something else going on that is causing this. I tried these same rounds (that were "sticking" in the M&P) in another two barrels and the went in just fine.

Interestingly enough, with the M&P barrel out of the gun, I can put the loaded bullet into the barrel rim-side-first and it will go all the way in to the the rifling but, if I try putting the round in there right-side-in, I feel that it's sticks just a little bit at the very end (near the rim). I though that the bullet may be hitting the rifling but I checked and this is not the case.

Any ideas what can be going on here? BTW, I haven't shot these rounds yet...

[DougCarden]

First thought is too much crimp on the .40....you can crimp too hard and it will cause the mouth of the case to flare out.

You wont get the coke bottle look with the .40 case unless you shoot lead bullets and they are a little bit oversized, hence the need for the FCD in .40.

I personally use a FCD with any cartridge that I load lead in, and have no problems whatsoever.

If your rounds through the FCD are not freely chambering then look at how much crimp you have....

Good luck,

DougC

[kevin c]

If the extractor rim is going in fully, and the case mouth with the seated bullet goes into the chamber, I can't see how the loaded case is the cause for the round not gauging.

Could your OAL be too long? Is the bullet itself binding on the rifling (the chambered round should turn easily if you have enough leade)?

[Cy Soto]

I am using Two Alpha 180gr TC bare lead bullets and I have been crimping them to 0.421" with an OAL of 1.130".

[Cy Soto]

Could your OAL be too long? Is the bullet itself binding on the rifling (the chambered round should turn easily if you have enough leade)?

I even lowered the OAL of one of the rounds to 1.115" and I was still getting the same problem.

[Ray_Z]

I have that problem if I seat the bullet too fast. Sometimes the bullet actually starts to seat and it's not completely strait to the case. The sized case passes the case gauge test but it is actually not in the center of the case. (You can see a bulge on one side of the case but not on the other) So when a round tries to chamber it won't. I solved the problem two ways. I now use Hornady seating dies and I slowed down seating bullets.

[Cy Soto]

You can see a bulge on one side of the case but not on the other

I think you may be onto something. I need to reload another 100 rounds and give this a try. Thanks!

[Baer45]

On Sweeny's advice in his 1911 book, I bought the Redding (?) Competition Die and have never had a problem with bullets not seating properly again. I have a Lee sizing die and crimp die which helped with brass shot in a glock...Case Pro 100 on way to clear up any brass issues,,,Run a Dillon 1050...If not crimp too tight or a bullet seating problem, check to make sure no lead lube has built up in your seating die...good luck!

[redmanfixit]

Perhaps the FCD is adjusted a little tight?? I'm using one on both 9mm and .45 acp and haven't seen the deformation you mentioned.

[Cy Soto]

...check to make sure no lead lube has built up in your seating die...

I just finished reloading another 200 rounds and discovered that this was one of the issues I was having (and one which I hadn't notice before. Some of my rounds had a small band of the lube between the seated bullet and the case which was making it difficult to seat.

I also found one round which was bulged near the base. Even though the FCD is touching the plate, it was unable to remove all of the bulge. Interestingly enough this same round will fit just fine in the barrel of other pistols but not in the M&P. The chamber of this barrel seems to be quite a bit tighter than any other .40S&W I own.

I have been really impressed with the results I have had with the Lee FCD in 9mm but I am not sure that I will get the same results in .40S&W. I didn't want to case-gauge every round but, it seems that I will have to as long as I want to use these in the M&P.

[G-ManBart]

...check to make sure no lead lube has built up in your seating die...

I just finished reloading another 200 rounds and discovered that this was one of the issues I was having (and one which I hadn't notice before. Some of my rounds had a small band of the lube between the seated bullet and the case which was making it difficult to seat.

I also found one round which was bulged near the base. Even though the FCD is touching the plate, it was unable to remove all of the bulge. Interestingly enough this same round will fit just fine in the barrel of other pistols but not in the M&P. The chamber of this barrel seems to be quite a bit tighter than any other .40S&W I own.

I have been really impressed with the results I have had with the Lee FCD in 9mm but I am not sure that I will get the same results in .40S&W. I didn't want to case-gauge every round but, it seems that I will have to as long as I want to use these in the M&P.

Ditch the FCD for .40 and use a Lee sizing die or Lee/EGW U-die. Some folks use both, but that's really unecessary. The FCD hides the problem more than fixes it when you're dealing with bulged brass from guns like Glocks. In fact, it can sometimes make the problem worse because it squeezes the brass below the bullet after it's been loaded...that can actually give you less neck tension than you started with. With a U-die you should get 100 our of 100 that case gauge fine. The nice thing is that for $22 it's a pretty cheap option to try. R,

[Cy Soto]

I thought about getting the EGW-U die but there is a note on their website that says that it may be a couple of months before they have these in stock again.

[L-10_shooter]

I reciently started loading .40 using the Lee 4 die set. I found that brass that was sized (glock fired with obcious buldge before sizing) dropped into the chamber just fine (not loaded brass only). After loading, a couple out of a 100 would not pass a chamber check. I use lead bullets so I think that is the cause, bullet is .001 bigger in diameter than jacketed. I have noticed using R-P brass (seems to be a thinner case wall) always passes a chamber check. Have had no problems with neck tension or bullet set back. Just what I have learned in loading 1000ish rounds.

[redmanfixit]

A pal of mine found an old guy that's been reloading since shortly after mud was invented....or so. He rigged up a sizing die for straight wall auto rimmed (.45 ACP among others) that's a push through. This re-forms the case all the way down into the web area where a standard size die set up won't reach very well. If you're a brass scrounge like myself, even brass that's been through guns with poorly supported web areas is returned to very acceptable specs. In a tight custom gun it can make an enormous difference. Another nice thing about it is that if the case is too work hardened to take that particular process it'll break so you can eliminate it before you waste components on reloading it. I don't think it would work very well on a tapered case like 9mm for example but it might be a clue as to how brass can be brought back with a little attention of the right sort.

There are makers of custom dies that could make a carbide size die that would do this!

[G-ManBart]

I thought about getting the EGW-U die but there is a note on their website that says that it may be a couple of months before they have these in stock again.

Second best, and almost as good, get a standard Lee sizing die...if you're not using the ammo in a gun with a really tight chamber, it should be fine. R,

[Cy Soto]

I wonder if it wouldn't be cheaper to purchase a Bar-Sto barrel instead...

[MemphisMechanic]

I wonder if it wouldn't be cheaper to purchase a Bar-Sto barrel instead...

The cheapest route to go, would probably be to get the chamber reamed to whatever size a G35s is. Given any thought to getting that done instead?

[Cy Soto]

The cheapest route to go, would probably be to get the chamber reamed to whatever size a G35s is. Given any thought to getting that done instead?

I hadn't considered that as an option but I will look into it. Thanks for the suggestion!

[yoshidaex]

when i first started reloading 40 moly coated lead bullets, my setup was a EGW "U" die, Redding competition seater, and dillon crimp die set to .421 in a xl650 ("U" die just kissing the shell plate and the die ground further to get rid of the slight gap between the sizer ring and die body). I had a few issues where 3 in 100 rounds would not chamber. Didn't think much of it till i started measuring bullets at random and noticed some were oversize. I replaced the dillon crimp die with the FCD hoping the FCD would size any oversize bullet. No problems after that. Some may call using a "U" die and FCD die overkill but the way I see it, the "U" die will insure I have the correct case tension on the bullet and the FCD will size any bullet that is oversize.

[M118LR]

He rigged up a sizing die for straight wall auto rimmed (.45 ACP among others) that's a push through.

There is an article in the latest Front Sight about a Die that Redding is coming out with which will do the same thing. The dies is for the 40 CALIBER.