Powder coat sizing issue

[Bigmancrisler]

Update: I cleaned the sizing dies and they do have a little bevel albeit it’s stepped and not a flat angled piece. I also through the 30 carbine and 35 cal pills back in the oven for 20 minutes at 375. I tried sizing both of them with and without lube (Hornady one shot spray as that’s what I have on hand) and again had the same result with the 30 carbine. The 35 cal pills sized alright with lube (still a little scraping of the PC but not nearly as much) but it wouldn’t crimp the GC down they just kept popping off. I decided to then try the 30 carbine pills and they just keep getting sheered off and it doesn’t seem to like sages outdoor GC at all. It just keeps ripping them up as well. I even tried a 312-160 pill I had casted (not correctly PC as I now know) and it did the same thing. Once I cast more I will PC them correctly from the beginning and I’m going to try and put the GC on before PC to see if it makes a difference. I also crushed a 35 cal pill with a hammer on my vise before I threw them back in the oven and it looks like the PC cracked on it.

[Bigmancrisler]

First, stop water dropping. There is no need for it with PC.

If you size the bullets before PC what do they look like? Does the die size them at all? If it does what do the bullets look like? Any 'rough' spots? Are they round? I have always polished my Lee push through dies.

My rifle bullets and some of my pistol bullets are cast large enough that I size them before and after PC. Just easier for me that way. Two are large enough that I use lube on them when sizing and then I have to clean them with acetone before PC.

Baking. The minimum baking time I have seen for PC is 20min. Some are longer. And that is the time for an oven that is preheated. You might be able to save your bullets if you bake them again, but be prepared to toss them all back in the pot.

I’m not sure what they’re like sized before PC. How did you polish the dies? I don’t want to accidentally remove material as we are talking about .001” of an inch.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Are you completely seating the gas checks before running them through the die?

[MUSTANG]

That sizer body mouth looks like a sharp step/transition that may be stripping the Gas check off. A smooth, curved transition into the mouth where the Boolit is pushed through is what I would be looking for on a boolit sizing die.

Attachment 296421

[rbuck351]

Yeah, that sizer die looks like it has a sharp ledge in the entry angle.I would get a round head screw a bit larger than the die hole, put some valve grinding compound on it and spin it with a drill motor to round of the entry to the sizer die.

[414gates]

The PC looks like it's baked right, just skip the gas check.

A gas check does nothing to stop the bullet leading the barrel anyway.

All it can do is scrape any off on the way down.

There will be no leading with PC, unless you push the bullet so fast it skips the rifling.

[GregLaROCHE]

I’m not familiar with Lee’s system, but the inserts for my NOE sizer don’t look like that. There needs to be a much smoother transition. I checked Lee’s site and the transition is fast, but much smoother. Compare the picture of your die to the picture of Lee’s. There’s a difference. Also, in your picture, it looks like the inside of the die has tooling marks. It should be smooth and polished.
Lee is known for not having the best quality control, but are always good about quickly replacing defective items. I would contact Lee with those pictures and see what they have to say.

[charlie b]

It looks like the mouth of the Lee die is catching the gas checks. So, either the gas checks are flared too much or the Lee die is not machined correctly. The gas checks should fit in the die. If you had the proper nose punch you could try seating them base first. Don't know of one for the APP.

It does not take much polishing to make the Lee dies work better. Yes, they will open up a tad but if you are careful it won't affect your shooting. But, the die you showed has an issue at the mouth as well, at least in my opinion. As mentioned above, it might be worth an email to Lee.

[Bigmancrisler]

I’m not familiar with Lee’s system, but the inserts for my NOE sizer don’t look like that. There needs to be a much smoother transition. I checked Lee’s site and the transition is fast, but much smoother. Compare the picture of your die to the picture of Lee’s. There’s a difference. Also, in your picture, it looks like the inside of the die has tooling marks. It should be smooth and polished.
Lee is known for not having the best quality control, but are always good about quickly replacing defective items. I would contact Lee with those pictures and see what they have to say.

I compared the photos and ya it definitely looks like they completely skipped the fading of the beveled edge cause it is just stepped down.


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[Bigmancrisler]

It looks like the mouth of the Lee die is catching the gas checks. So, either the gas checks are flared too much or the Lee die is not machined correctly. The gas checks should fit in the die. If you had the proper nose punch you could try seating them base first. Don't know of one for the APP.

It does not take much polishing to make the Lee dies work better. Yes, they will open up a tad but if you are careful it won't affect your shooting. But, the die you showed has an issue at the mouth as well, at least in my opinion. As mentioned above, it might be worth an email to Lee.

It did it with the Hornady ones as well just not as bad but that’s 2 different sizing dies now.


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[Charlie Horse]

That sizer body mouth looks like a sharp step/transition that may be stripping the Gas check off. A smooth, curved transition into the mouth where the Boolit is pushed through is what I would be looking for on a boolit sizing die.

Attachment 296421

Yea, that die looks rough to me.

What do the bullets measure, after sizing? Is it possible the die is tight? One of your GC's looks deformed from excess pressure.

[Bigmancrisler]

Yea, that die looks rough to me.

What do the bullets measure, after sizing? Is it possible the die is tight? One of your GC's looks deformed from excess pressure.

For the revolver the sizing die is .361 but they actually measured .3605 after sizing.


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[charlie b]

It did it with the Hornady ones as well just not as bad but that’s 2 different sizing dies now.

So, I think the dies are bad. I've sized tons of GC's with the older Lee push through dies. Sometimes it takes a bit of a wiggle to get them to line up on the ram.

[rockshooter]

I put the gas checks on, sizing to hold the checks on, then PC, then size again
Loren

[Bigmancrisler]

I want to thank everyone for the advice and help, it turns out I’m an idiot and didn’t realize that I had the dies in upside down…. They work just fine lol


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[GregLaROCHE]

I was thinking to ask that, but didn’t. Don’t worry about it. I’m sure most of us here have made silly mistakes too. I remember pouring powder into a case just to have it run out the bottom, because I forgot to put the primers in.

[charlie b]

ROFLMAO

Yep, been there, done that. Too many times to count.

Congratulations on finding the problem and welcome to the club.

[Bigmancrisler]

Lmao I was getting so frustrated I wanted to throw them at the wall but I took a step back and was like there is no way that both dies are messed up the exact same way. Again thanks for all the advice guys.


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[Charlie Horse]

I always love a happy ending.

[Stewbaby]

How can you even install it upside down and it stick up enough?