Help! new to reloading

[rrruger]

I am making my first attempt to reload. I am reloading once fired .357 mag brass for my GP100. I ran all the shells through the sizer, flared the cases and seated the bullets with a slight crimp and then found that my first dozen are too tight to feed in the charge holes.
What did I miss?
It is a great feeling to be able to load your own...even if they don't fit
Thanks for your input.

[SSA]

My guess is that you didn't run the case far enough up into the sizing die, so the case wasn't sized just above the rim.
Or they might be crimped, but not in the crimp groove/cannelure, and be too thick at that end.

[WESHOOT2]

1) Size some cases; do they fit in the cylinder?

Next) Make a few rds, but don't crimp; do they fit the cylinder?

Next) Crimp. Do those fit? No? Crimp more.

Somewhere you'll find out which adjustment needs to change.......

[stnosc]

Make sure there is no "crud ring" in your cylinder holes from firing .38 Special.

[Sevens]

If it wasn't clear from the post above, also ensure that you aren't flaring the mouths TOO much, as that will also make the rounds hard to seat.

However, also as mentioned above... if you have .38 Special crud in your chambers (especially if you have YEARS of it) then a well-flared .357 Magnum brass that it tapped all the way in and carefully tapped all the way out (use a wood dowel rod, not the ejector rod) can be a very helpful device to clear that crud from your chambers.

Get back to us with more info if you can't figure this out.

[Misssissippi Dave]

I have had a little trouble with brass fired before in chambers that seem to be larger than the ones in my revolver. They only need slightly more effort to get them in the cylinders. Not really a big deal to me. Brass only fired in my gun don't seem to have any problems at all.

I agree you could be having one or possibly all of the problems mentioned above. It is probably best to start at one point and work your way through to find the answers. Size the brass only then check each cylinder with the sized brass. Load one round without powder and no crimp. See how that one fits in every chamber. You could have the bullet too long and not letting you get them in the chamber fully. Could also be carbon build up at the forcing cone making the chamber seem to shorter than it really is.

Do factory rounds fit properly? If not, I would think there is some kind of build up. It might take some work to get those cylinders cleaned up. It will be worth the effort when it is done.

I have run into this problem with someone's gun when trying to load a magnum round. He only shot lead specials in it. Cleaning seemed to be spotty at best and the build up was quite a bit. I only cleaned up one cylinder to put in the magnum. That cylinder worked better than the rest even with the specials he used all the time.

The crimp is the other place you would need to look into to solve this problem. I'm assuming you are sizing as low as you can for each case.

[Nick_C_S]

Like stnosc said: check for the "crud ring" from shooting 38's.

Then, run them through a Lee Factory Crimp Die. I bet a dime to the dollar that will correct the problem. Been there. Done that.

[rrruger]

... if you have .38 Special crud in your chambers (especially if you have YEARS of it) then a well-flared .357 Magnum brass that it tapped all the way in and carefully tapped all the way out (use a wood dowel rod, not the ejector rod) can be a very helpful device to clear that crud from your chambers.

Great Idea! This worked like a champ!
Thx Seven

[RaySendero]

Misssissippi Dave wrote:

I have had a little trouble with brass fired before in chambers that seem to be larger than the ones in my revolver. They only need slightly more effort to get them in the cylinders. Not really a big deal to me. Brass only fired in my gun don't seem to have any problems at all.

I, too, have had this problem. Brass fired in my old Ruger security-six would not fit back in my Ruger GP-100. In this case, no amount of resizing would work. I just bought new cases for the 100; using the same dies - Never had any more problems reloading for either. Never completely figured this one out (or why) - But new cases did solve problem.

[mikld]

Every reloader should own a micrometer. Measure the diameter of the offending rounds several places on the OD of the case to find out where the case is too big.. Also, measure the cartridge after each operation to find out when the case becomes too large. No offence intended but:

For a peg (cartridge) to fit in a hole (chamber), the peg must be smaller than the hole. Nothing magic about it when applied to reloading, just find out when and where the case gets too big...

[rrruger]

My sizing die is set up with a ring to be .357 or .38. On looking at the "sized" .357 cases it appears that I forgot that little step.
I resized the cases, cleaned the "crud", and they fit like factory made!
I made my first 50 .357 and 50 more .38 special. Tomorrow its off to the range.
Wow, there is something almost religious about making your own bullets!
Thanks for your help.

[stubbicatt]

Did you trim all your brass to uniform length? If they are not of the same length, and you utilize a roll crimp as is recommended for revolvers, you will obtain differing results, including a few that are bulged at the case mouths.

IME, semi autos like 9mm don't require trimming. If anything, they seem to get shorter the more they are fired.

I like revolvers, but due to the increased work load when handloading for them, I have determined to use only 22 long rifle revolvers anymore.

So, from the top: Resize/decap. Trim. Prime. Flare/expand case mouths. Charge w/ powder. Seat bullet. Crimp uniformly. Each step the same. Consistency in your approach will yield consistent ammunition, which will in turn yield consistent results on your target.

[stnosc]

Originally Posted by stubbicat

I like revolvers, but due to the increased work load when handloading for them, I have determined to use only 22 long rifle revolvers anymore.

????????

[Sevens]

He put it quite clearly in his post--
in his experiences, with his procedures, loads and needs, he finds it necessary to trim his revolver brass. That makes it a much more monotonous task for him.

I'd say it's a fair bet that most of us do not trim revolver brass, ever, but many folks do and I can see certain particular examples where it makes a large difference and is even required, mostly when workng with very heavy loads and slow burning powders that truly benefit greatly from a firm & consistent roll crimp.

[dmazur]

I'd agree with the additional workload for certain revolver cartridges. For .44 Magnum "full up" loads, I found I have to trim them all to a consistent length before starting, or the roll crimp just isn't consistent.

But only once. After that, the lengths tend to stay pretty uniform.

One of these days, I'll have to try powder-puff loads in .44 Magnum. I understand some just crimp to remove the bell. Brass life may be increased and, without the heavy recoil, the heavy roll crimp is probably unnecessary.