.38 help

[*Klutch*]

Guys I'm having some trouble with my .38 loads. I get cases that buckle on the side when I seat the bullet, Ive tried a bunch of things to correct it but it keeps happening, what am I doing wrong? I'm starting to think some of my cases my be too long but I have only loaded them 2-3 times and there are no signs of stress on the case and they measure in spec. I reload 9mm,.40 and .45 also and have no problems except with the .38. Is it possible my die is bad? Do you think it my be my case "bell" on the powder charge?

[Flash]

Guys I'm having some trouble with my .38 loads. I get cases that buckle on the side when I seat the bullet, Ive tried a bunch of things to correct it but it keeps happening, what am I doing wrong? I'm starting to think some of my cases my be too long but I have only loaded them 2-3 times and there are no signs of stress on the case and they measure in spec. I reload 9mm,.40 and .45 also and have no problems except with the .38. Is it possible my die is bad? Do you think it my be my case "bell" on the powder charge?

Details please, Klutch.

What kind of reloading setup are you using? Single stage - progressive?
Dies - whose manufacture? This has a lot to do with what you do to cure problems and how you go aboout it.
Brass or nickel cases?
Are you seating the bullet in the "seating/crimp" die process? And is THAT die adjusted properly?
Bullets: swaged, cast, jacketed, gas-check? Straight or tapered-heel?
Could you take pictures and post them? (It really IS "worth a thousand words...")

Now, without all that, you may well be onto something with the "bell" of the casemouth. You should have the casemouth expanded enough for the bullet to easily go in between 1/16" - 1/8" just by setting it there with your fingers.

You may be crimping too soon, while still seating the bullet. So NEXT, adjust the seating/crimp die to merely seat the bullet to desired depth without crimping. (Back the die out a bit. Run an empty case to the top of the stroke with the die backed out so as to NOT put any crimp at all on the case. Turn down the locking nut to hold the die there - temporarily. Now, with a case with the bullet started in it, run that case to the top of the stroke. Adjust the seating screw bib-by-bit, until you have the bullet seated in your "pilot-case" at the correct depth with the ram at the top of the stroke.)

Now, set crimp and depth to coincide: ( Back out the seating screw significantly, Run that case with the bullet in it to the top of the stroke.and adjust the crimp-die body down until it touches the case snugly. Lower the ram, turn the crimp-die in another 1/3rd of a turn and lock the nut in place.) Then, raise the ram, thus crimping the bullet in that case, that will put the crimp on correctly.

The final adjustment to make the crimp and bullet depth operations coincide - (then, run the seating screw down until it contacts the bullet. - That should result in bullets set to correct depth and crimped properly, at the same time. .)


Flash

[LastManOut]

Did you bell the case mouth after you resized the outside and removed the primer? I forgot to do that once to about 50 used casings when reloading about 2,000 rounds on a single stage press.

[Eagles6]

Cast or jacketed? Is the case collapsing on seating? 1st guess is not enough bell.

[*Klutch*]

OK here's the deal:
Lee Progressive 1000
Lee carbide dies
Brass case
Berry's plated 125&158gr HP
The seat/crimp die is the same die it's a 3 station press. I thought it was adjusted properly, but now I'm starting to think it's not so I'll recheck and adjust that.

[smitty56]

And you do know that the settings of the dies will be different for the two different bullets? (125 and 158 grain) (Due to different bullet lengths.)
That belling adjustment? It only needs to be enough to get the bullet into the mouth of the case, just barely.... Flash had good advice about the seating depth and crimp.

[shooter357]

OK here's the deal:
Lee Progressive 1000
Lee carbide dies
Brass case
Berry's plated 125&158gr HP
The seat/crimp die is the same die it's a 3 station press. I thought it was adjusted properly, but now I'm starting to think it's not so I'll recheck and adjust that.

This is where I would start. I had this issue using cast bullets for some reason.

[MaDuece]

sounds like the seating/crimping die is out of adjustment.

crimp is starting too soon, case is rolled into the bullet on crimping and the seater is triing to seat the bullet deeper. The bullet then grabs the rounded (roll crimp) case mouth and forces it straight down. because all the support on the case is from the crimp portion of the die, the cases buckles farther down.

I always hated combo dies!!