380 acp reloading question

[jiminmo]

Hey guys I know there is a very similar post about this but I thought mine may be different problem.

I tried to reload for the first time some 380 acp using once fired brass and fmj 100 grian bullets (waiting on mold to show up) What i'm running into is Some the boolits just slide into the case when I try to seat them. I thought I might of expanded too much so I ran them through the resizing die again with no change, boolit just slides into case when trying to seat. This occurs mostly on win. brass, if that makes a difference.

I read another post that says to get a crimp die while another says you shouldn't have to do that it should just work with the boolit seating die? So I’m confused what do I need to do? Could this once fired brass be the problem?

Thanks in advance.

James

[captaint]

Have you ever used this .380 sizing die before ?? Can't imagine why it would not size the brass enough to hold a boolit. Maybe you need to try loading without the expander ?? If you're loading jax bullets, they shouldn't get hurt in the process. I'd try it, anyway. See what develops. Mike

[jiminmo]

hey captaint

The dies are brand new, the bullets i bought are cheep and mic to 355 im really wondering if that is too small because after i resized some just fired brass then did not expand still had the issue. However my mold came in and those boolits work great!! So thats really all i care about...

Do you still think it is a good idea to get a crimp die?

James

[LouisianaMan]

I've had a similar problem. Sometimes the Lee FCD saved the day for a cartridge that otherwise had inadequate neck tension, but it was VERY hit-or-miss, and COL was varying too much for my comfort level, so I gave it up as potentially unsafe. Cases may vary slightly between brands, and I've had some nickeled cases that worked when brass cases were too loose--that tiny difference in the nickeled cases gave me adequate neck tension.
Given the other variables in groove sizes, cases, dies, and bullets, sometimes you just have to match certain bullets, cases, and guns that work out right.

BTW, I love the FCD as a way to postsize slightly oversized cartridges to allow reliable chambering.

[Boolseye]

Once fired brass should not be an issue. 10x fired brass is rarely an issue. Something else is going on here...
Bottom line is, that's not healthy. Neck tension is a real must, particularly in a little round like the .380. It really sounds as though you're expanding the case too much–.355 is standard for jax. Now, it may end up being the right amount of expansion for your cast bullets, but I think I would experiment with assorted brass and see what happens. If it all does the same thing, the problem is either A. the sizer is too big, B. the expander spud is too big or C. the bullets are too small. Can't imagine what else could be going on–let us know how you make out,
-jp

[mpmarty]

Are you sure you have a 380 sizer and not a 9mm makarov?

[eck0313]

380 brass varies a lot in thickness also. You will probably be better off if you pick one headstamp and still with that ...