Ahhh......the joys of experimenting.

[dubber123]

Recently I decided to start water dropping my bullets for my 625 Smith and my Springfield 1911. I cast a whole pot full, and lubed with LBT Blue as normal. I went to the next falling plate shoot feeling pretty good, as I have been doing a bit better lately. I was really looking forward to the revolver class, as I had just missed beating my old record at the last shoot. I first shot the auto class, with no problems, when the revolver class came along, I found my ammo would not chamber. I have been chasing the problem for a week now. I finally remembered from this site that water dropped bullets will sometimes measure differently than air cooled. Well, in this instance, it amounts to over .001". This is more than enough to cause me some serious grief. As a result, I had to fire up the pot after work, cast 100 or so, and lube and load all new ammo for the revolver, just to have something to shoot tomorrow. I love the experimenting, but it sure bit me in the keister this time. Hopefully all goes well.

[Pepe Ray]

It's too bad you weren't using the Lee factory crimp die. One pass thru would have saved you a lot of grief.
Pepe Ray

[bobthenailer]

in my 625 and all of my other 1911 i have water dropped my bullets for about 20 years , i size all to .452 dia , a 170 and 200 and 215 gr saeco and a 230 gr rcbs. i never had your problem and ive probly shot over 75,000 rounds . bob

[arkypete]

Most odd the only water dropped pistol bullets I shoot are for the Winchester 92 clone, Rossi, in 45 Colt.
Why do you need water dropped bullets for such mild calibers?
Jim

[dubber123]

The mold is a Lee 6 cavity, and casts on the small side, so I always ran it through an over size sizer to keep as much diameter as possible. With air cooled, they were around .452, water dropped were pushing .454", but with the big sizer it went unnoticed. The only thing I noticed was my taper crimp seemed tighter. (fatter bullets). The rounds stuck in the 625 at the bullets base, where they apparently bulged the case a little more. I was trying water dropped as another member here reported much better accuracy in .45 ACP with harder bullets. A smaller sizer would allow me to use the harder slugs, I just don't have one right now.

[racepres]

I have an old [pork chop] Dan Wesson that requires smaller boolits than any of the other 357's either mine or others'. Otherwise it won't chamber! Never thought of the Lee factory crimp!!! MV

[44man]

The crimp won't help if the cambers are tight and the case is expanded for the length of the boolit. The only solution is to size the boolits. I would not size until the boolits age and expand. If you size right after casting, they will still grow some.

[wonderwolf]

taper crimp perhaps? I have never had a issue with my reloads between my 625 and my 1911. Only problem will be with seat depth. Good luck at your next shoot

[dubber123]

I did size right after water dropping, so I probably made the problem worse. I just got back from the shoot, and all of the air cooled loads worked beautifully. I do seat and taper crimp in seperate operations, but the crimp wasn't the culprit, the fatter bullets caused a slight bulge at the base, and the 625 chambers are apparently tighter than the one in the 1911. I won the revolver and auto class, but didn't get the time I was looking for, I had a major case of the jitters today, and it showed. Lots of new shooters, a bad case of performance anxiety. Maybe next time.

[Ricochet]

I suspect your cases' wall thickness tapers inside, and when your air dropped bullets are seated, the cases can size the bases of the soft bullets down enough so the cases aren't bulged too much to prevent seating in the chambers. The harder quenched bullets bulge the cases just enough to cause a problem. I've encountered the same problem, and the Lee Carbide Factory Crimp Die solves it.

[dubber123]

Richochet, your theory has merit for sure, but as measured, the water dropped bullets are a full .001"+ bigger than the air cooled ones right off the bat. The difference in seating feel is easily apparent. If I want to water drop any for this revolver, I will have to get a sizer that will keep them at no more than .452". My current size die will not do this, as it is loose enough to allow a near .454' bullet, too large to chamber in the 625.

[Pepe Ray]

A Lee FCD will size them in the case. If your chambers will take a factory load you need a FCD. Pepe Ray

[OBXPilgrim]

Hate to hear about someone's misfortune, but I'm glad I checked this out.

A couple days ago I got a Lee .45 255gr RF 6-banger mold & tried it out this evening for the first time. I was hoping for at least .454" to fall from it, but they are .452"/.453". I was a bit bummed. I wanted .452" for my 625 & .454" for a Ruger Vaquero.

I've water dropped before, but not with any of the same boolits I've air-cooled, so I hadn't made the connection.

There's hope for that mold after all!