lee deluxe carbide die ??

[mizzouri1]

howdy,
I am reloading 38 spl on the lee classic turret press useing the lee deluxe dies.

My question is after the case goes up and bells the mouth and receives the powder charge on the way down takes a good amount more pressure and I get a gritty feeling/ sound. Is this normal??

It bells just enough to start the boolit and seats and crimps fine,

I just have this feeling that the gritty sound is not right but I am newbee. thanks

[OuchHot!]

My 38sp wadcutter target loads are run on a pro1000 using those dies and I cannot say that is normal. My 32 HnR and 327 are run using those dies on a classic turret and again, I don't recall that sensation. Maybe pull the powder through die apart and clean/polish the insert....or maybe there is a shard of something stuck in there.

[mizzouri1]

thanks. I will check it out.

[tazman]

I am using the same Lee classic turret and die set you are. Yes the noise is normal. It varies in pressure needed and sound depending on the thickness of the case wall. Probably also depending on how dirty the case is inside.
Don't worry about it.

[Rolling Stone]

I would think maybe you are belling the case a little more than necessary and it is causing it (the bell)to drag on the way back through the die.

[mizzouri1]

I am using the same Lee classic turret and die set you are. Yes the noise is normal. It varies in pressure needed and sound depending on the thickness of the case wall. Probably also depending on how dirty the case is inside.
Don't worry about it.

thanks Tazman,
I am using all different brand cases and you are right about different thickness and they are dirty inside. some are harder than others to pull down. thanks again...mizzouri

[country gent]

The belling die also has a stem that opens the case up to the right dia for bullet fit. The sizing die sizes down for the thinnest brass available and then the stem brings it back to the right ID. thicker cases take more expansion from the stem portion since thicker brass is sized down smaller. A rough finish on the stem or a radial finish around it can cause this sensation and or sound. Polishing so the lines are parrallel to the expander body and fine relieves alot of the friction as the polish lines arnt individually grabbing holding the brass. A very light hand polish starting with 320 and working to 600 grit will go along ways.

[Garyshome]

Are you running Dirty cases through your dies? If yes WHY?

[tazman]

Probably because he may not have a tumbler to clean the cases with. The carbide dies make it so you don't need to lube straight walled pistol cases. The carbide isn't going to wear or get damaged from having a bit of powder fouling run through it.
Normally the powder residue will not effect the expanding plug either except to make it a bit harder to work the press.

[troyboy]

Yes it is normal. Polish the expander plug as advised, makes a big difference.

[mdi]

Most of my straight sided cartridge Lee dies do this. It's from rough expander plug and I've read Lee left this piece rough so the case "vibrates" on the way out to help stop powder spillage. That's a big FWIW, because the Lee dies, with the "rough" extraction, have never presented any problems...

[BucolicBuffalo]

Interesting this thread popped up. I just talked with a tech at Lee about this very problem last week. I was giving a slight bell to new Star Line 45LC brass and having a terrible time. The amount of effort required to remove the expander is crazy. So I researched it on the Internet. People talked about polishing the expander. I did that working up to 1200grit paper. I even lubed the cases and the expander with graphite. I was still having brass sticking to the expander and the effort, although less, was still uncalled for.

The tech explained that I needed to lube the cases. I pointed that I had done that but didn't think I had to as I thought the expanders were also carbide. But he insisted since the expander was plain steel and not carbide, that it was necessary. He also said I would not have any trouble once I started using fired brass and the residue would act as a lube. I told him I intend to tumble the brass and it would be clean like new brass. He told me not to waste my time cleaning brass. Just shoot it and load it. I thanked him and hung up. I suppose the solution is not to expand the case mouth for hard cast bullets.

[tazman]

If you don't expand the case mouth you run the risk of collapsing the case, cutting the side of the boolit, or simply not being able to start the boolit into the case. My neighbor has the same problem with the same cartridge, just not as bad. His are tight but doable.

[mizzouri1]

Are you running Dirty cases through your dies? If yes WHY?

I do tumble my brass, I just don't think the inside is as clean as the outside.

I am going to take it apart and have a look and try to polish it some.

thanks for all the help.

[aussie-dave]

I encountered that problem also when reloading older Winchester +P brass. It was very thick and hard, the case was difficult to pull out of the die. Most times when I seated a .357 or a .358 boolit I ended up with a nice shaved ring of lead.

Needless to say they were culled as I didn't need the hassle.

[mdi]

How could someone "polish" an expander and not know if it was/was not carbide?

[OuchHot!]

The lee powder through expanders that I have are rather agricultural steel, definitely not carbide! No effort was made to make them smooth. NOE is building some nice powder through inserts.....I have bought them but not tried them yet.

[SSGOldfart]

a little powder Graphite Lubricant is your best friend here either the stem or the cases Lyman sells a white powder graphite that works great