Lee Push Through Too Large?

[quiver]

I'm not sure weather to post this here or some other area so if it's in the wrong place I'm sorry.

I've recently purchased a Lee .225 push through sizer to size powder coated boolits for my 5.56 that I have recently purchased. Today I tried using my cast loads and experienced jamming when chambering. The boolit that I'm using is the NOE 70 gr design. Realizing that powder coating could be a reason for the jamming I measured the bore riding section of the boolit which was found to be .223 after sizing. I think that this should still be small enough to allow the round to chamber. Now when I measured the drive bands of the boolit after sizing I found it to be .227, not the .225 that the die was suppose to be sizing. What I don't know is if my alloy, which is wheel weight, is able to spring back .002 over size after sizing or if I have an out of spec sizing die. I've never encountered this issue with my .357 Lee bullet sizing die with wheel weight alloy, and powder coat.

[Wayne Smith]

Have you any pure? If so cast a couple of boolits of pure and size them. No springback.

[williamwaco]

It is not springing back .002

Are you sizing before or after coating?

What tool are you using to measure your bullet diameter?

[quiver]

Williamwaco,

I'm sizing after powder coating. I'm using dial calipers to measure diameter. Yes, I know I can get more precision with a micrometer, but for as long as I've used this caliper it has faithfully measured to .001. I did find some discarded boolits that weren't powder coated. I sized them to remove the variable of the powder coat. Unsurprisingly they were still sized to .227.

Wayne,

I have precious little pure. Not enough to consider shooting, but probably enough for testing this.

[petroid]

Contact lee and let them know of your issue. They will ask that you return the die for them to check and then will replace it if its out of spec. You will have to pay shipping but they will give you a gift card credit.

[gunoil]

Ive heard of spring back, think l have experienced it before. Had same prob u had. Its not die. I talked with andy about it.
I like steel molds and try to perfect my mix. lam still learning. But, l have tin lead and correct ww's nowdays if l can learn correct mix.

RCBS pro melt
Hardline industries (steel) molds
lyman (steel) molds
Magma-star sizer.

[mdi]

How are they "jamming"? Does the cartridge enter the chamber? How far? What does the extracted case look like after it "jams"? Any marks or indications of where the bullet/case may be hitting? Did you measure the case neck? Body?

[quiver]

Mdi,

The cartridge appears to be jamming at the case neck from the rub marks that I have been able to observe. I have made dummy rounds in an effort to experiment with weather seatting depth had any thing to do with my problem despite not seeing any rifling marks on the bullets of the cartridges that jammed. During this experiment I decided to make two uncoated dummy rounds at the same seating depth. Surprisingly, one of them chambered. The loaded case neck diameter of the one that chambered is .247 in. while the one that didn't chamber was measured to be .248 in. All rounds that I've loaded with jacketed bullets had case neck diameters that measured well bellow .247 in. I'm coming to the conclusion that an out of spec bullet sizing die managed to slip through Lee's quality control and that I'm just the lucky guy to have bought it.

[petroid]

I have a .309 sizing die that ouputs at .310, a .356, .358, .401, and .452 that are dead on, and a .314 that gives a .315 boolit. I use the out of spec ones because they still chamber fine. If it didn't chamber I would send it back to Lee. I asked Lee about it and they said ship it back and they will inspect it and if it is out of spec they will replace it. You will have to pay shipping to send the die to them, but they will give you a Lee Precision shopping credit for your shipping cost.

[dikman]

but they will give you a Lee Precision shopping credit for your shipping cost.

That's news to me! No mention of that was made by Lee during my recent "discussions" with them over returning my faulty mold.

[petroid]

That's news to me! No mention of that was made by Lee during my recent "discussions" with them over returning my faulty mold.

After I asked them if they would reimburse me for having to ship an out of spec die back to them, they told me that if it was found to be out of spec, they would give me a credit for my shipping costs. Its a moot point, because it's still cheaper to buy from Midway or Titan. The shipping wasn't much, but more of a headache than anything else.

[williamwaco]

Mdi,

The cartridge appears to be jamming at the case neck from the rub marks that I have been able to observe. I have made dummy rounds in an effort to experiment with weather seatting depth had any thing to do with my problem despite not seeing any rifling marks on the bullets of the cartridges that jammed. During this experiment I decided to make two uncoated dummy rounds at the same seating depth. Surprisingly, one of them chambered. The loaded case neck diameter of the one that chambered is .247 in. while the one that didn't chamber was measured to be .248 in. All rounds that I've loaded with jacketed bullets had case neck diameters that measured well bellow .247 in. I'm coming to the conclusion that an out of spec bullet sizing die managed to slip through Lee's quality control and that I'm just the lucky guy to have bought it.

I believe you are correct.

[MT Chambers]

.223" bore rider is way too big(won't chamber), get a Lee factory crimp die and mash the **** out of it.

[Motor]

.223" bore rider is way too big(won't chamber), get a Lee factory crimp die and mash the **** out of it.

This is the last thing you should ever do. You are suggesting resizing the boolit within the case neck. The brass will spring back ever so slightly as it always does, and the boolit will not. This will destroy your neck tension and no amount of crimp can make up for it.

[r1kk1]

This is the last thing you should ever do. You are suggesting resizing the boolit within the case neck. The brass will spring back ever so slightly as it always does, and the boolit will not. This will destroy your neck tension and no amount of crimp can make up for it.

MT was being sarcastic Motor. He casts quite a few boolits and doesn't care so much for Lee's stuff.

Back to the OP, what alloy did Lee say the bullet should measure? I'm curious.

Take care

r1kk1

[quiver]

r1kk1,

Lee doesn't specify the alloy used in the documentation that comes with the dies. However the .309 die that I bought at the same time does squeeze the slug to .309. My alloy is WW with a little linotype to add a bit more tin. I think .002 over what a die is labeled for is a bit much no matter what alloy is being used. In any case I've sent the die back to Lee this last Friday for either a refund or replacement.

[r1kk1]

r1kk1,

Lee doesn't specify the alloy used in the documentation that comes with the dies. However the .309 die that I bought at the same time does squeeze the slug to .309. My alloy is WW with a little linotype to add a bit more tin. I think .002 over what a die is labeled for is a bit much no matter what alloy is being used. In any case I've sent the die back to Lee this last Friday for either a refund or replacement.

http://www.lasc.us/castbulletnotes.htm

i understand. The above link is the reason why I asked. I may send Lee an email concerning this.

I play with different alloys to get desired results with diameters. I have the Lee, Lyman/RCBS and Star sizing dies and all three may be stamped the same diameter, yet I have measured a very slight difference with a micrometer. Alas not as close as the .002" that you have reported.

Lee should replace the die but shipping may come out of pocket or sent back the retailer if not bought from Lee directly.

take care

r1kk1