Resizing .45 acp problems

[OkieJohn]

Hey I really need some help figuring out why when I am pushing out primers even with a lightly lubed case I am getting a bell type shape at the case head. Ive adjusted the dye all the way up and down and everything in between. Please be kind with any response, I'm new to reloading and may not speak the entire reloading language yet, thankyou!

[MT Chambers]

Is the case fully entering the die and the shell holder contacting the bottom of the die??? What kind of dies, carbide or otherwise, are you using the full length sizing die??

[runfiverun]

your die is contacting the shell holder at full stroke with a case in it right.
setting it with and without a case makes a difference.
now look at the height of the shell holder from where your case rim is to the die.
compare the unsized area of the case to that..

now look at the mouth of your sizing die.
is there a bevel there at the bottom of the carbide ring.
compare the rim to top of shell holder, and top of shell holder to the carbide ring area, to your cases belled area.

[OkieJohn]

Is the case fully entering the die and the shell holder contacting the bottom of the die??? What kind of dies, carbide or otherwise, are you using the full length sizing die??

I have a lyman press with all new lyman .45 acp dies. I dont think its a full length sizing dye, at least it doesnt say it on the plastic box the die came in.

[OkieJohn]

No I dont think it was, I have reset it and now it does make contact at full stroke, I think you may have fixed my problem, Im gonna load and shoot a few and see if theres no issues with extraction or loading, Ill post the result today. Thanks for the help both of you

[41 mag fan]

The 45 acp decapper die is a full length sizing die, so to speak. Only when you get into the rifle cartridges will you find dies like the neck size only.

Can you post pictures of one of these belled cases? And the die itself? Pictures might be worth a thousand words on here.

Best thing you can do is buy the DVD on the ABC's of reloading. Or even Lymans book on reloading. Follow it step by step, not meaning to be harsh, but if you had trouble setting up the sizer die correctly, loading a cartridge with powder and seating the bullets might cause a problem you don't want or need.

[prs]

41MagFan's last paragraph hit the nail on the head. Get good step by step instructions and follow them. I see no way for a sizing/deprime die to bell a case outward in the fashion that powder through die or internal case sizing die does. Do not test functionality/fit of the ammo by shooting it, use your barrel or a standard case gauge to test fit. It should drop in nice and flush with a nice "plunk" sound and then it should fall right out when inverted.

If you need more help, give the press model and type (single stage, turret, or progressive) and how you have the dies set.

My dad always said, if all else fails read the destructions.

prs

[gray wolf]

My RCBS 44 mag carbide sizer DOES NOT size to the bottom of the case,
Yes I know they all stop a little short--but this die is a good .400 from the back of the case head. I called RCBS and they said it's normal cause the web is to thick. But my die is way off the web, about twice the distance of other dies.
Could be OK in that it helps stabilize the case in the chamber, just never saw this before.

[HangFireW8]

Hey I really need some help figuring out why when I am pushing out primers even with a lightly lubed case I am getting a bell type shape at the case head.

To push out primers, you'd need an airtight case and no vent in the top of the die. There should be a vent. Look for it and clear it.

HF

[Alan in Vermont]

I read the OP as "when I am pushing out primers" as decapping, not something that is happening when it shouldn't be.

I also agree that, if there was an issues in setting up the sizing/decapping step it would be wise to read more before going forward. Any new dies I ever bought had a printed instruction sheet in the box with the hardware. (IMO)Those instructions have always seemed quite easy to understand and seemed to cover the process of using them fairly well. This is not, generally, a dangerous hobby but it can be if one works at it hard enough.

[Fluxed]

You do not want your carbide size die to make contact with the shellholder. Back it off about the thickness of a business card. Same for the other dies.

The case head is at the bottom where the rim is. The case mouth is the open end where you would insert the bullet. If you are de-priming and expanding the case mouth too much, you need to adjust the expander by screwing it counter-clockwise until you have just a tiny amount of expansion or "belling" - just barely enough to get the bullet started into the case mouth without shaving any lead.

I think it would be really smart of you to buy a good reloading manual that has instructions and illustrations of the reloading process. Reloading is not that difficult but you can hurt yourself if you don't know what you are doing. Be careful.

[runfiverun]

i had origionally answered like he was belling the case mouth too.
then re-read what he was "really" trying to say.
it's kind of confusing to set up a die from the instructions in a box and have it not sizing the entire case.
i have read the instructions on some new die sets recently [and i have been setting them up for a long time] if i didn't know to just try the brass in the gun i'd have been pretty confused trying to do what they said.

[prs]

Fluxed, he is working with 45ACP. No expander ball on the deprime punch.

prs

[220swiftfn]

Sounds to me like he's describing the bottom half of the "coke bottle" effect..... Which is kind-of normal with carbide dies that use a single diameter ring to size the case. Some dies are "tighter" than others, and the step where the sizing die stopped is more pronounced (also caused by a smaller radius on the die entrance.


Dan

[41 mag fan]

Okiejohn....realizing you said case head, like others on here realized, I've got a couple of questions that might help solve the problem.

1. Is this brass once fired, new or multiple times of being fired.?
2. If once fired, what pistol was it fired from? Glock?
3. After resizing whats the length of the pieces you just resized?
4. What are the lengths before resizing?

When shooting a 45 ACP, the brass expands outward, when resizing this brass, the sizer die sizes it back to the diameter it should be, but what happens is when the sizer die sizes it back to diameter, the brass stretches then length wise due to no other place for the brass excess to go. I hope I said that right to make it understandable, still groggy from late night of work.
If your brass is 1x's fired and from a Glock, the case is not properly supported as with a normal 45 ACP pistol, so it puts a bulge by the case head when fired. this could be where you are seeing the bell by the case head you're describing.
In this instance, you will need a bulge buster die from Lee to solve the problem.
One thing to note, if the brass is fired from a Glock, that bulge will be thinner than the norm in the bulge area. Best thing to do is load these brass no more than midrange to lowrange when reloading them. If you experience split case walls, throw the whole lot of brass and buy some that are not shot from a Glock

[Fluxed]

Fluxed, he is working with 45ACP. No expander ball on the deprime punch.

prs


Mine does and most all I've ever seen do. Not a ball but a tapered expander plug with a de-cap pin in the end.

[Cadillo]

If you want to be efficient and SAFE, have a sit down session with an experienced hand loader, and watch. A picture, or a visual image, is worth a thousand words. As you watch, many of your questions will be visually answered, and many others will hatch, and you will have a mentor there to answer them before you forget.

Then before you venture out alone, READ!

[geargnasher]

A quick review of the handgun ammo reloading how-to section of any reloading data book should answer any questions. All the good reloading manuals (Lyman, Hornady, Speer, etc.) have rifle and handgun sections with illustrations and descriptions telling and showing what to do and how to do it. Most common die sets have the same basic parts, procedures, and adjustments.

Gear

[mdi]

I was kinda confused when I read the OP. When are the primers being pushed out? What step of the reloading process or when the gun is fired? The thread jumped to sizing die adjustments and kinda stayed there, but all my dies for 45 ACP decap as the case is sized and of course, the primer gets pushed out. ???