Dillon SDB and the 357 Magnum

[1_Ogre]

I've been loading on my SDB for years with no problems until I started ATTEMPTING to load the Lyman 357429 boolit. I trimed ALL my brass to 1.280" and tried making a dummy set up round. Alas, the boolit would seat below the crimp ring. Backing the die out so it will seat properly leaves NO compression on the die, and it's basically free floating and backs out after only a few seating attempts. Numerous calls to Dillon said I needed to dissasemble the press, clean everything and make sure that there was no "GUNK" in the seating die. DUH, that was done before I called Dillon and I even put a new compression gasket between the tool head and the press. Still, seating the boolit below below the crimp ring. Another call to Dillon resulted in them sending me a NEW boolit seating die for SWC and it will have to go to the lathe to deepen the depth of the sizer approximately 1/8" or more for the boolit to seat properly . The only other alternative is to find SOMEONE that sells 1/2x20 nuts, and use the nut, a washer and a lock nut to act as a lock nut so the seating die can be backed out far enough to properly seat the 357429 boolit. OBTW, the people at Dillon had no idea what the 358429 boolit was or how long it was compared to something like the Lyman 358477, which works perfectly fine in the press.
Just a word of warning if anyone else attempts to load the Lyman 358429, it's right at 0.100" longer than a "Standard" boolit, as described by Dillon.
I'm not putting Dillon down, don't get that impression, this is just one of the things that pop up as time goes by that they didn't think about years and years ago.

[Walter Laich]

http://www.partstown.com/apw_wyott/a...aVsxoCCwnw_wcB

wonder if local ACE hardware would have one?

[1_Ogre]

don't know but am going there tomorrow, Home Despot sure doesn't. If so I will list it here

[jmorris]

1/2-20 is standard fine thread, any hardware store will have them.

I have had to machine on some of my Dillon SD dies over the years when I was doing something "off the beaten path".

[lightload]

Years ago, when I discovered that some of Elmer's boolits were designed for the .38 special and .44 special cases, I realized that their length dimensions required crimping on the front shoulder when magnum cases were used. Otherwise, the loaded round was too long to fit the cylinder. Take boolit 358429 as an example. Load one .38spl round with it crimped in the crimp groove. Then load the same boolit in a .357 mag case and crimp on the front driving band's shoulder. Both OAL's are about the same--depending on how much of the shoulder was used for crimping.

Dillon likely forgot or did not know the difference. The same issue will arise for a square deal user who attempts to load Lyman's 200 gr 358430.

Like many here, I'm not a spring chicken and have learned a fee tricks along the way. We are most fortunate to be able to share our knowledge and help solve problems that would defeat almost everybody else.