Issue with Lee seating die...

[Naga]

I just got around to loading up my first batch of cast bullets. They are for my CZ-82, and were from Lee's .365" 9x18 Makarov mold. I checked the bullets with a caliper, and they appear to be almost exactly .365"

The problem I am experiencing is that something in the seating die is taking a "bite" out of the side of the nose of the bullet. I looked inside the die, and it appears that there is a "shelf" inside the die where it suddenly gets narrower, so that the floating bullet seater can stay in alignment. I tried dropping a loose bullet through the die, and it gets stuck on the shelf. Therefore, I believe that this shelf is what is damaging the bullets during the seating process.

I read a bit on this forum, and saw a suggestion to completely screw in the seater adjustment, and to then just screw the die itself in or out to adjust for cartridge OAL. Unfortunately, while this solved the issue with the damaged bullets, this also resulted in the bullets not going in straight, such that I must yank on the slide extremely hard to remove a chambered round, and then the (polygonal) rifling is engraved on one side of the bullet's nose.

Aside from drilling out the die where the shelf is to make it slightly larger, I am at a loss about what to do. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[zuke]

Call LEE and tell them about it.
It's new and so it's their problem.

[Colorado4wheel]

Is it a 9mm Mak die or a 9mm Para die?

It sounds like the bullet is getting seated by the crimper not the seating stem. You could take the stem out and see if it still seats a bullet. If it does then thats the problem.

[Maximumbob54]

They do make 9mm Mak dies. I have a set. They work just fine and don't take a bite out of my bullets.

[1hole]

"..it appears that there is a "shelf" inside the die where it suddenly gets narrower, so that the floating bullet seater can stay in alignment. I tried dropping a loose bullet through the die, and it gets stuck on the shelf. Therefore, I believe that this shelf is what is damaging the bullets during the seating process."

The "shelf" is the crimping ring, don't drill it out. The narrow section is the bullet centering and alignment part. The floating bullet punch is made to self-center over the bullet nose. If your crimping ring is damaging bullets either it's too small or the bullets are too large. Or both.


"I read a bit on this forum, and saw a suggestion to completely screw in the seater adjustment, and to then just screw the die itself in or out to adjust for cartridge OAL. Unfortunately, while this solved the issue with the damaged bullets, this also resulted in the bullets not going in straight,....Does anyone have any suggestions?"

Yeah. Ignore that suggestion, it applies to Lee's rifle 'Dead Length" seater. It's NOT the correct way to adjust your pistol seater. Do this:

1. Put an empty on the ram and raise it fully up, then screw the die down until the crimper makes light contact and leave it there for a bit.
2. Set a bullet in the case mouth and raise it fully. Use the seater stem to push the bullet in even with the crimp groove and then unscew the stem a couple of turns.
3. Slowly turn the die body down until you obtain the degree of crimp you wish. Then turn the seater stem down until it's seated firmly against the bullet's nose.

You will then be ready to seat and crimp properly.

[milprileb]

I would do it differently.

screw that die back out a few turns and use the die as a pure seating die.

Then when you finish seating all the bullets, adjust crimp as stated (unscrew bullet
seating stem and take it out of die) and crimp all bullets.

Yes.. its possible to seat & crimp simultaneously with FMJ bullets but I have found
it problematic on cast bullets so I seat and crimp as two separate activities.

YMMV.

[Naga]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. I tried slugging the narrowed portion with one of the boolits I am attempting to load, and discovered that the boolits are indeed bigger than the inside diameter of the narrow portion. I contacted Lee, and they said to try flaring the case mouth more to help the boolits go in straight while using the die itself to adjust for OAL, or to send the die in and have them open it up larger, for a nominal fee. I am going to send it in. Hopefully, they can sort this problem out.