357 mag reload problems - Page 2

Emerson Biggies · January 12, 2018, 01:42 PM

I had the same problem. Some, and only some of my rounds would not go all the way in. Turns out some were belled more than others. Probably due to my mixed brass. The final fix was to get a Lee factory crimp die.
When you raise the case of a problem brass into the crimper you can feel it "take out" the residual bell that is causing problems. The trip down offers no resistance. That tells you the problem is gone.Then the plop test passes with flying colors.

Nick_C_S · January 12, 2018, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Lee Factory Crimp Die - Some like it - some don't - I do.

RGRacing trying to start a firestorm with his first post

.

Welcome to TFL.

I too like the Lee FCD. Every pistol round I produce goes through a FCD. The actual crimp part may or may not be engaged - depending on what I'm producing (outside the scope of this thread).

But in our OP's case, I believe something is going on where putting a FCD to his ammo may be counterproductive. He's got an issue other than a simple slightly bulged case that a FCD can iron out. This one runs deeper and requires finding the root cause.

gwpercle · January 12, 2018, 06:30 PM

Remember , too much crimp and/or not crimping in the crimp groove or cannelure will cause the case to bulge slightly and hinder chambering.

When reloading revolver rounds with cast lead bullets with a crimp groove or jacketed bullets with a crimp cannelure , ignore OAL dimensions....seat to and crimp into the crimp groove or cannelure...that's why it's there, trying to crimp above or below wont work....the case will bulge.
OAL dimensions are more useful in loading for semi-auto's on bullets that have no crimp groove or cannelure. That's when you use a taper crimp instead of a roll crimp.
Sorry all this sounds like a "who's on first" routine but there is a bit of learning curve to this reloading thing. Keep asking questions , it'll get easier.
Gary

Snyder30 · January 12, 2018, 06:42 PM

Thank you everyone for all the help. I'm going to try out all of the ideas everyone has givin me. I will post and let everyone know how it works out. Thanks again.

Average Joe · January 12, 2018, 06:52 PM

Get yourself a case gauge, Lyman makes a nice one that has 6 calibers in it.

USSR · January 12, 2018, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Get yourself a case gauge, Lyman makes a nice one that has 6 calibers in it.

Every revolver maker makes one - it's called a cylinder.

Don

603Country · January 12, 2018, 07:20 PM

Snyder30, I had exactly the same problem you now have. I asked the same question on a forum and got alllll the same responses that you did - clean this and do that. Didn’t help much. Finally I ordered a Lee Factory Crimp Die and my problem is solved. Use your seating die to just seat the bullet to the proper COAL and not crimp. Then with the FCD, set the roll crimp as light or heavy as you want. Directions are very clear and very simple. Problem solved.

When you use the FCD on loaded 357 ammo, you will be able to feel the ones that would have been difficult to insert into the cylinder. It’s that obvious.

**44 AMP** · January 12, 2018, 09:58 PM

I spent my formative years as a handloader well before the Lee crimp die was invented. Don't have one. Don't need one.

People say it fixes all kinds of problems. I say, "that's great! Now, did you figure out what you did wrong in the first place, and fix it?"

Most can't/ won't say, they just say the LEE die fixed their problem.

Its great to have a die that can fix "goofs", but you really ought to figure out what was wrong to begin with. Fix that, and your problems go away.

NoSecondBest · January 13, 2018, 09:46 AM

Going on fifty years of reloading. Never owned a Lee crimp die. They aren't magic. If you know what you're doing, you can go a lifetime without one...really.

603Country · January 13, 2018, 10:13 AM

Yes, you can go a lifetime without a Factory Crimp Die, and I did without one for 37 years. I had zero problems with loading 9mm, and zero problems with 38Special. Only with 357 did I run into a minor problem with occasional difficulty feeding a round into the cylinder. Forum folk suggested I clean the 6 cylinder bores. I did that and it did help a bit, but didn’t eliminate the problem. I even trimmed some 357 brass to length. Still had the occasional problem. The FCD solved that occasional problem. I can, using the FCD, ‘feel’ that with the problem rounds, the problem is at the case mouth.

All those years of loading 38 and 357 were with one set of the old 38/357 dies. It could well be that when I set up for 357 seating and crimping, I wasn’t getting it exactly right. But if so, why did I have a problem with just 1 out of 20 rounds. So finally (recently) I bought a separate die set for 357, and there’s a very good chance that would solve the problem by having dedicated Dies set up for 357 only. But, I ask you, what is wrong with having a 4 die set where you can seat the bullet with the seating Die and then use the FCD to apply the crimp? Just the amount of crimp you want. With the FCD, varying the amount of crimp is easy and infinitely variable. Yes, I do have to run each round through that one extra die, but that’s acceptable to me when now each round has a smooth effortless ‘plunk’ when I drop it into the cylinder.

So you FCD haters just keep on toughing it out and doing it your way. I just wish I had bought one of these dies years ago.

Snyder30 · January 13, 2018, 02:24 PM

Fixed my problem. I'm assuming I was expanding the case mouth to much. I just but a lite bevel on the casing added powder and seated the bullet. Also seated the bullets to the crimp grove. Shot very nicely at 30 yds. Thank all of you again for all the help in solving my 357 mag reloading problem.

dahermit · January 13, 2018, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Going on fifty years of reloading. Never owned a Lee crimp die. They aren't magic. If you know what you're doing, you can go a lifetime without one...really

.Exactly. As a retired machinist, I have layout dye sitting on the shelf. Any chambering problems as described and I would have painted the crimp area with dye (and let dry) and tried to chamber the rounds again. The layout dye would have been disturbed/rubbed-off where the cartridge was making contact inside the cylinder indicating what was not right. It is better to correct the problem rather than iron it out with a Lee die.

USSR · January 13, 2018, 07:39 PM

Quote:

It is better to correct the problem rather than iron it out with a Lee die.

Couldn't have said it any better myself.

Don

gwpercle · January 16, 2018, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snyder30

Fixed my problem. I'm assuming I was expanding the case mouth to much. I just but a lite bevel on the casing added powder and seated the bullet. Also seated the bullets to the crimp grove. Shot very nicely at 30 yds. Thank all of you again for all the help in solving my 357 mag reloading problem.

ATTABOY !
Good work , I was hoping it was a simple die adjustment...You Did Good !

Load Safe,
Gary

January 12, 2018, 01:42 PM	#26
Emerson Biggies Senior Member Join Date: November 15, 2014 Posts: 163	I had the same problem. Some, and only some of my rounds would not go all the way in. Turns out some were belled more than others. Probably due to my mixed brass. The final fix was to get a Lee factory crimp die. When you raise the case of a problem brass into the crimper you can feel it "take out" the residual bell that is causing problems. The trip down offers no resistance. That tells you the problem is gone.Then the plop test passes with flying colors. __________________ Keep your guns clean.... the kids may put them in their mouths!

January 12, 2018, 09:58 PM	#33
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,817	I spent my formative years as a handloader well before the Lee crimp die was invented. Don't have one. Don't need one. People say it fixes all kinds of problems. I say, "that's great! Now, did you figure out what you did wrong in the first place, and fix it?" Most can't/ won't say, they just say the LEE die fixed their problem. Its great to have a die that can fix "goofs", but you really ought to figure out what was wrong to begin with. Fix that, and your problems go away. __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

January 12, 2018, 06:30 PM	#28
gwpercle Senior Member Join Date: November 30, 2012 Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana Posts: 1,752	Remember , too much crimp and/or not crimping in the crimp groove or cannelure will cause the case to bulge slightly and hinder chambering. When reloading revolver rounds with cast lead bullets with a crimp groove or jacketed bullets with a crimp cannelure , ignore OAL dimensions....seat to and crimp into the crimp groove or cannelure...that's why it's there, trying to crimp above or below wont work....the case will bulge. OAL dimensions are more useful in loading for semi-auto's on bullets that have no crimp groove or cannelure. That's when you use a taper crimp instead of a roll crimp. Sorry all this sounds like a "who's on first" routine but there is a bit of learning curve to this reloading thing. Keep asking questions , it'll get easier. Gary

January 12, 2018, 06:42 PM	#29
Snyder30 Junior Member Join Date: January 11, 2018 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 13	Thank you everyone for all the help. I'm going to try out all of the ideas everyone has givin me. I will post and let everyone know how it works out. Thanks again.

January 12, 2018, 06:52 PM	#30
Average Joe Senior Member Join Date: August 29, 2005 Location: Central Florida Posts: 1,325	Get yourself a case gauge, Lyman makes a nice one that has 6 calibers in it.

January 12, 2018, 07:20 PM	#32
603Country Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2011 Location: Thornton, Texas Posts: 3,998	Snyder30, I had exactly the same problem you now have. I asked the same question on a forum and got alllll the same responses that you did - clean this and do that. Didn’t help much. Finally I ordered a Lee Factory Crimp Die and my problem is solved. Use your seating die to just seat the bullet to the proper COAL and not crimp. Then with the FCD, set the roll crimp as light or heavy as you want. Directions are very clear and very simple. Problem solved. When you use the FCD on loaded 357 ammo, you will be able to feel the ones that would have been difficult to insert into the cylinder. It’s that obvious.

January 13, 2018, 09:46 AM	#34
NoSecondBest Senior Member Join Date: December 7, 2009 Location: Western New York Posts: 2,736	Going on fifty years of reloading. Never owned a Lee crimp die. They aren't magic. If you know what you're doing, you can go a lifetime without one...really.

January 13, 2018, 10:13 AM	#35
603Country Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2011 Location: Thornton, Texas Posts: 3,998	Yes, you can go a lifetime without a Factory Crimp Die, and I did without one for 37 years. I had zero problems with loading 9mm, and zero problems with 38Special. Only with 357 did I run into a minor problem with occasional difficulty feeding a round into the cylinder. Forum folk suggested I clean the 6 cylinder bores. I did that and it did help a bit, but didn’t eliminate the problem. I even trimmed some 357 brass to length. Still had the occasional problem. The FCD solved that occasional problem. I can, using the FCD, ‘feel’ that with the problem rounds, the problem is at the case mouth. All those years of loading 38 and 357 were with one set of the old 38/357 dies. It could well be that when I set up for 357 seating and crimping, I wasn’t getting it exactly right. But if so, why did I have a problem with just 1 out of 20 rounds. So finally (recently) I bought a separate die set for 357, and there’s a very good chance that would solve the problem by having dedicated Dies set up for 357 only. But, I ask you, what is wrong with having a 4 die set where you can seat the bullet with the seating Die and then use the FCD to apply the crimp? Just the amount of crimp you want. With the FCD, varying the amount of crimp is easy and infinitely variable. Yes, I do have to run each round through that one extra die, but that’s acceptable to me when now each round has a smooth effortless ‘plunk’ when I drop it into the cylinder. So you FCD haters just keep on toughing it out and doing it your way. I just wish I had bought one of these dies years ago.

January 13, 2018, 02:24 PM	#36
Snyder30 Junior Member Join Date: January 11, 2018 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 13	Fixed my problem. I'm assuming I was expanding the case mouth to much. I just but a lite bevel on the casing added powder and seated the bullet. Also seated the bullets to the crimp grove. Shot very nicely at 30 yds. Thank all of you again for all the help in solving my 357 mag reloading problem.