Help with seating die/ buggered

[tommag]

I went out to load some 30-30 with my new Lee fac.crimp dies and found a .06 wide impression on one side of the boolit as I was adjusting for seating depth. It looked like the impression made by rifling. I took the die apart and found that it was buggered up inside in the small diameter portion. I would like to load today, rather than return the dies to Lee. I'm thinking of using a small dowel to hold some emery cloth and polishing with this to remove the burr.
Would this enlarge the die and ruin the die, or would this be a good fix? The burr protrudes about .002-.004"
Thanks. Tom

[VTDW]

Can you just attack the burr itself? I am thinking a dremel with a small buffing pad and polishing compound might do the trick if you can see the burr while using the dremel. Maybe a very small machinists file? I believe the burr will go before the diameter is the seating die is enlarged. Burrs are usually quite easy to dispose of. But what do I know as I have never worked on a reloading die but think for a seating die the diameter is not that critical. Maybe others will weigh in.


Good luck,

Dave

[BudRow]

I am confused here - is it a Seating Die or a Factory Crimp Die? You can't use the Factory Crimp Die until you seat the Boolit with the Seating Die. Your set may have a "Dead Length Seater Die" which has no provision for crimping. Which die is causing your problem?

[tommag]

It is the seating die. Don't know why I mentioned that it was a fac crimp die set.
Dave, I have some jewelers files that are quite small, that may do the trick.
I borrowed a Dremel and it cleaned right up. Thanks again.

[VTDW]

Thanks for the feedback and I am glad it helped. I picked up a Dremel a couple of months ago and now have way too many attachments and tools for it but sure do like it for the small and tedious stuff. It sure is quicker than those little files but the files do have their place eh?

Again, I am glad it worked out for you.:drinks:

Dave

[1Shirt]

If it were me, I would send it back to Lee for a replacement, and load something else for the timebeing. However if that is your only ctg. that you are reloading and you are just itching to get hot to trot on reloading, then maybe the other suggestions are the only way to go to satisfy you. Just my two cents!
1Shirt!:coffee:

[Ricochet]

I recently bought a .323" Lee sizing kit and the plunger that pushes the boolit through the die wouldn't go into the die. I found it had a burr on the edge. I filed that off, and thought I could "improve" it by filing a little bevel on the leading edge. Bad idea! The pressure of sizing forced the gas check metal back into that bevel, making an ugly irregular flange around the base of the boolit that doubtless catches gas at the muzzle and tips it a little, sending it wobbling off.

The plunger was defective from the factory, but what really ruined it was my ignorant attempt to fix it. So I went to Lee's site, pulled up that sizer kit on their "Products" pages, and clicked on "Service Parts." Ordered a new plunger for $2.50. Also ordered a .303 British expander ball to replace the "Medium .30 Cal." one in my 7.62x54R die set. You can do the same thing to replace any part of your dies.

[BudRow]

A Dremel tool is a must for every home tinkerer and if you find it wanting for power then step up to a Roto-Zip - a dremel on steroids! You can buy all the right collets to fit any Dremel tool in the Roto-Zip. Best Wishes, Bud

[VTDW]

I will check Roto-Zip for attachments. Where I live if I write down the number of the Dremel attachment the local Ace Hardware Mgr will order them for me. Most places just do not carry enough of the attachments/tools.

Dave

[Char-Gar]

Brownells sell Cratex small abrasive wheels, rods and cones in various grits for use in the Dremel. The are worth their weight in gold for bringing funky dies and reloading great up to snuff.