Background info
I don't have much experience with Lee Dies so I'm hoping members here can help me out... I am attempting to load for a P64 9x18 Makarov. I slugged the barrel @ .366". While waiting for a .367" sizer die to be made, I attempted to set up my Dillon 550B for some .366" (as cast) boolits....The dies I purchased with the pistol were Deluxe Lee Carbide and Lee Factory Crimp die.... I had a Dillon conversion kit on hand for 9mm Luger and it is the same as the 9x18 with the exception of the powder funnel(9x18 is larger diameter than 9mm)...but was told that it would work fine...and it does appear to work with jacketed bullets...I have ordered a custom powder funnel to be made for the cast, but that will be a couple weeks before it arrives... I pulled boolits from seated and crimped cartridges and found that they were squeezed down to .364" even without any crimp...
The powder funnel expands the case and should help, but it appears that the Lee seating or crimping dies are too tight and remove the flare before the bullets are seated to the proper depth... after some searching, it appears that I need to get rid of the Factory Crimp die as it has a sizer in it that will reduce the finished case dimension to that of jacketed cartridges and I am trying to seat something that is .003" bigger.
Currently I am playing with it and backed out the seating die, run the ram up then lower the die until it makes contact with the case mouth then adjust seating stem until proper COAL is obtained... backing the stem back out and adjusting the die in until flare is removed... does this sound right or am I completely missing the boat?