40 S&W Brass

[Reef]

I need some help with 40 S&W brass. This is the first attempt at reloading 40 cal, to date I’ve loaded a few thousand 380, 9mm, 45 and a few rifle calibers with good success. Most spent primers I’ve seen have just a circular indentation from the firing pin. However, most of the 40 cal I have cleaned and ready to reload has in addition to the circular indentation also have a line running almost the diameter of the primer.


When I run the brass with the odd spent primers through the resizing die they don’t fit in the Wilson Max Chamber gauge. The ones with a normal, circular indentation primer do fit easily in the Wilson gauge. I do notice a slight bulge near the head of the cases that don’t fit in the gauge. Is this what is referred to as “Glocked Brass”? And if so, what can I do with about a thousand cases that have this?

Reef

[Gster]

Yes, they are bulged cases. I run all my .40 brass through a bulge buster. You'll need a factory crimp die also if you don't have one.
http://leeprecision.com/bulge-buster-kit.html

The primer looks to me like they may have had excess pressure,maybe not. But sure looks like a classic Glock firing pin mark. Look your brass over good. If you run them through the bulge buster they will fit in the case gauge.

[serf 'rett]

Are you using Dillon dies? It's my understanding they have a larger radius on the die mouth to facilitate progressive press operation. The larger opening may result in the case bottom, near the rim, not being sized as needed. Hope someone with Dillon dies will chime in on this.

I use RCBS dies with my single stage press and do not have problems with the "Glocked" brass. I have seen no need for a Lee FC die in the thousands of rounds I've loaded thus far. I do seat and taper crimp in separate steps.

Brass out of Glocks is easily identified by the retangular mark around the firing pin indent.

[steve4102]

Size em and see if they fit your chamber. No real point in gauging unsized brass.

[Reef]

Sert, Yes I am using Dillon dies on the XL650.

Gster, If I get the Lee bulge-buster do I need to also buy a 40 FCD or will another caliber Lee FCD work since the insides are removed for this process? I have Lee FCD's in 380, 9mm, and 45ACP.

[Reef]

Steve, yes they have been sized, that's the point. After running them through the resizing die they don't fit in the chamber gauge.

[steve4102]

Originally Posted by Reef

Steve, yes they have been sized, that's the point. After running them through the resizing die they don't fit in the chamber gauge.

Do they fit your chamber? After all you are not shooting them out of a gauge.

[serf 'rett]

I think the idea behind getting the Lee FCD was to use the carbide sizing ring to resize the 40S&W as the round is removed; therefore, the die would be caliber specific.

The reason I asked about your sizing die is you might be able to replace your Dillon die with a different make die which would eliminate the buldge during sizing. If your sizing die removed the bulge, there would be no need for a Bulge Buster or FCD.

[Reef]

Do they fit your chamber? After all you are not shooting them out of a gauge

Well I actually don't have a 40 caliber. I'm reloading these for a coworker.

[Gster]

[QUOTE]Gster, If I get the Lee bulge-buster do I need to also buy a 40 FCD or will another caliber Lee FCD work since the insides are removed for this process? I have Lee FCD's in 380, 9mm, and 45ACP.

You will need a .40 fcd The carbide ring at the bottom of the die is what does the sizing. With a sizing die, the case can not be pushed far enough into the die to correctly size the bottom of the case where the bulge is at. With the bulge buster the case is pushed completely through the die and out the top as you run the next cases through. By looking at your pic. of the case in the case gauge, where your case stops is where the bulge begins. Like I said, I run ALL my .40 brass through my bulge buster, no matter whether they have the glock fireing pin indent on them or not. I've never had one fail to fit in my case gauge. Good luck.

[Reef]

You will need a .40 fcd The carbide ring at the bottom of the die is what does the sizing.

Thanks for all the good replies!

Reef

[steve4102]

Well I actually don't have a 40 caliber. I'm reloading these for a coworker.

There is a can of worms just opened.

[jepp2]

If the brass was fired in your friend's pistol, then they will probably chamber just fine. If they were fired in something else, unless he has a Glock with the factory barrel, they may not chamber. So way of knowing without checking.

[snooze]

I use a Redding GR-X die on a single stage to get rid of the bulges.

Do you have a single stage press?

[spacecoast]

Well I actually don't have a 40 caliber. I'm reloading these for a coworker.

That's a nice thing to do, and I've given away more than a few of my reloads as well, but reloading and giving away rounds in a caliber that you don't even shoot or have a lot of previous experience with as a reloader is a bad idea. .40S&W is, like 9mm, a fairly high pressure round that isn't as forgiving of errors as .38 special or .45 ACP.

By the way, selling those reloads is illegal just for the record.

[BuckRub]

I've loaded thousands upon thousands of 40 cal to no problems. Yes, I would also check them out of a barrel instead of a case checker. I have a 40 case checker that about 15 years ago I thought I couldn't live without it. Lol yea, they got my $20.00 as well. Like others have also said a reloader with no experience of reloading 40s or not alot of experience is not a good idea and not to mention reloading for a friend. Tell him he's more than welcome to borry your tools and do it himself. Just my opinion.

[Forrest68]

Is it really "selling" if you reload your friends brass and he pays for the components ? Wouldn't you have profit for it to be considered Sell ? I'm just asken the question here. I've seen this topic thrown around, my one buddy buys some reload and was told something to the effect he(the guy he buys from) had less issues if he was reloading his(my buddies) brass as opposed to selling reloaded ammo.

[BuckRub]

Wouldn't worry about the law kicking down the door even if you were selling reloads. But you can make a very small profit from sells but if anything goes wrong. If your friend accidentally shoots himself, accidentally damages his gun even if his gun but difective to begin with, anything goes wrong whether your fault or not for that $20.00 and he gets his lawyer and the friendship ends and the courts begin, you'll wish you never put yourself in that place. Let him load his stuff with only you overseeing.

[glc24]

Steve, yes they have been sized, that's the point. After running them through the resizing die they don't fit in the chamber gauge.

You are using Dillon dies. There shouldn't be a gauge problem. I've yet to have a "glocked" case be resized with a Dillon die and not fit my gauge or my G23 Gen 4 barrel.
I don't understand why the Lee Bulge Buster is always mentioned for "deglocking" a case. If you have Dillon dies,it's totally unnecessary.

IMHO,of course.


Greg

[jepp2]

I've yet to have a "glocked" case be resized with a Dillon die and not fit my gauge or my G23 Gen 4 barrel.

I have encountered plenty. If you buy any once fired brass or pick up any range brass, you will too. Brass I fire in a Lone Wolf barrel is never an issue.

[glc24]

I have encountered plenty. If you buy any once fired brass or pick up any range brass, you will too.

Maybe I've just been lucky,but I have bought once fired. About 2,000 so far. They've all resized just fine.

Greg