OOPS!!!! Now what ?

[The Cod Father]

Well I don't know what I was on when I did my last reloading session ,however I never re-checked my die settings and I ended up with about 150 of 500 rounds that will not function in the chamber of my .45ACP . Most have the projectile shoved down too far and are causing the case to be spread too wide causing the round to get stuck causing a FTF and jam . I went through all my ammo with a guage and sorted out all the mistakes . I wanted to know if I can just run them through the seating die again (with the seating plug removed ) so they will get compressed to the right diameter or am I better off ( and safer ) just knocking out the projectiles and powder and starting again !!!!

Thanks
TCF

[waksupi]

Well, you probably had a lube or lead ring build up in the die. Running them through again, will not solve the problem. The shorter seating length, will increase your pressures considerably. As much as I know you don't want to hear it, I would strongly suggest pulling down the short loads, and doing them over. Sorry. Been there, done that.

[The Cod Father]

Waksupi, I thought that as well however it is a new set of dies that I am using ,so no build up yet.

[versifier]

You might be able to use an impact (kinetic) bullet puller to partially pull the bullets and reseat them to the proper OAL. Then you can run them through either a Lee Factory Crimp Die, which has a carbide sizing ring, or your regular carbide sizing die with the decapping rod removed. The potential risk of pressure spikes from firing telescoped rounds as they are is much too great. If the above method does not work, then you will have to pull them all, resize the cases (with the decapper removed) and go through the whole belling, charging, seating, & crimping routine, but I'd give it a try as it will possibly save you a lot of work. It sounds like if you don't have a defective seater die or seater plug, you may not have locked in the die settings and something loosened up unnoticed while you were working.
It happens. I forgot to reset my seater about a month ago - I had last used it to seat soupcans in .308 cases, then several days later I tried to seat some 180gr boolits. I noticed after the third or fourth round. [smilie=1: I find that collet pullers work fine on jacketed bullets, but with cast boolits not so well. The kinetic puller is not as fast to use, but it is much more versatile. I have both kinds. Like I said, it happens....

[imashooter2]

No way I'd run ammo with partially pulled and reseated bullets through an auto. The bullets will have to be loose and could very easily set back into the case on the feed ramp.

Pulling is almost always the answer for suspect ammo. How many spare eyes do you have?

[ejjuls]

Been there done that - Be safe and pull them'

Be thankful you're not running a 9mm and missed your mistake! Either way it is better to start over on the suspect rounds than have a pressure spike and damage your firearm or you, people nearby, etc, etc.

It happens
Eric

[ron brooks]

Could he not partly pull the bullets, then reseat them and crimp them and be safe?

Ron

[CSH]

I would pull the bullets (and have pulled 100+ rounds on more than one occasion due to various screw-ups). You can resize the cases with the decapping pin removed and save the primers.

[The Cod Father]

Thanks for the help everyone . I think that I am going to err on the side of caution and pull the lot and redo them as per your advice , as imashooter2 said " how many spare eyes do you have?"

I guess I knew that was the way to go but needed to hear it fro others .
Time to break out the bullet puller and marble block !!!!!

Thanks everyone

TCF

[snowtigger]

150? Is that all?
I once did the same thing with 9mm. To the tune of 1500 rounds( yes, that is one thousand-five hundred) .
I debated throwing them away, but figured there was a lesson in there somewhere. I havent made that mistake again. :(

[The Cod Father]

Hey snowtigger, It might have only been 150 rounds but I only loaded 400. That's not a great average!!!!!

[Topper]

Just a thought.
Doesn't the Lee facory taper crimp die perform a resize as well.
No need to pull the depriming pin and if the boolits are slightly oversized, it may squeeze them to fit.
Sure would be less hassel than pulling em.

[boogerred]

a quick reply to ron brooks. since he finished these rounds and the bullet is too deep its possible that the bullet has been resized smaller. a partial pull and resize and crimp may result in a bullet that will reseat itself to the original,incorrect depth with recoil. hes only got 150, a cheap price for a lesson