Expander plug for Lee .45 ACP powder thru the die?

[prickett]

There is a thread where a 38SW explander plug can be used in a 9mm powder through the die to expand the mouth enough to accept cast boolits. Does anyone have a solution for the same problem with .45ACP?


http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?162527-Interesting-oddity-with-LEE-38sw-expander-plug-in-9mm

[Moonie]

The 45acp dies do not have the same issue. The issue with 9mm is the tapered case on the inside and deeply seated boolits. I've not had the same issue with loaded 45acp.

[Jupiter7]

Nor have I. In fact, haven't had any of the problems others have experienced with .40 and 9 expander plugs.

[243winxb]

Ask Lee http://leeprecision.net/support/index.php?/Knowledgebase/List/Index/13/product-support Not what your looking for, but the standard expander can be custom ordered for $30. I would guess a powder thru would be a lot more $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

[Idz]

My plug for the 45acp expands to .449 and can bell to .455 max. The 45LC expands to .4495 and bells to .462 max. You could make an extension for the 45 LC and use it instead of the 45acp to get a little more expansion and belling. Others have used the Lyman M die with success. The Lee stuff doesn't look like a real precision part, the expander is roughly machined (Lee claims so it shakes down the powder) and some of them have a taper where it should be cylindrical.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Thirty dollars for an expander is way too much; you can just about make one yourself from a piece of cylindrical stock with a hole drilled in it.....that can be turned on the/a wood lathe with a chuck on it and a file, along with a caliper or a micrometer. A machinist could do it just about in his sleep. Idz has offered what appears to be the easiest solutions. LLS

[prickett]

The reason I asked is because when I bell the mouth, I'm getting a crease about mid way down the case. I've since backed the belling way back so I don't get any crease, but I'm also not getting any belling. This is a recent development as I've been using the same die for years without a problem. I've confirmed that everything is moving properly within the die (i.e. nothing is binding, causing an undue amount of resistance).

With regards to machining one myself, it'd be substantially more than $30 as I'd have to buy the machinery to do so :-(

[Jailer]

Lee makes a couple different expanders that will work but they are shorter and you will have to shim the top of them to activate the powder measure properly. For the life of me I can't remember what dies sets the expanders are from though. Call or email Lee and they can help you out. They suggested 3 different ones to me and I ordered all 3 and used the one that worked the best.

[Silverboolit]

Is the case hitting the step above the tapered part of the expander and causing the buckle? Maybe the cased need to be trimmed.

[prickett]

Is the case hitting the step above the tapered part of the expander and causing the buckle? Maybe the cased need to be trimmed.

Hmm, good question. That could explain it. I'll check. Thanks!

[mdi]

The Lee dies have the same issue for 45 ACP. The expander/flaring die doesn't open the case mouth enough for cast bullet seating. BTDT! I just used an RCBS die which I had laying around...

[Skipper]

http://leeprecision.com/images/P/UniversalExpandingDie.jpg


Lee Universal Flaring Die

http://www.titanreloading.com/universal-expanding-die?filter_name=expanding%20die

[Idz]

I agree you may be hitting the step at the end of the bell section. For my 45acp (0.898 long case) it bottoms out with a die to shellholder gap of 0.024". For the 45LC (1.285" case) it bottoms out at 0.035" gap. Since the Lee dimensions seem to vary and the presses are flexible you may get different results. With my Lee presses and dies it is possible to bottom out and crinkle the case.

[Silverboolit]

I have never crinkled a case with the LEE setup, but I just stop pushing when I feel the resistance on the sizing/pte die.