What size of expander do you use?

[mtgrs737]

I have been reloading for 45 long colt and noticed that my expander measures .499" I am loading a cast boolit that is .453". I have always heard that the expander should be .001" to .002" under boolit diameter. Will the brass size down the boolit if the expander is .004" undersize or with the boolit simply expand the brass to fit correctly. After going to all the trouble of reaming the throats to .453" and having Lathesmith make me a Star die in .453" I would hate to have the cases sizing the boolit down any at all. I cast mostly of WW alloy. I guess I could load then pull some boolits and measure them, but I am lazy you know. LOL! What are your experiances?

I have a email in to RCBS to see if they can supply a larger expander plug, I can take a larger one down a few thousandts but can't add to the one I have.

[HeavyMetal]

Case's can size boolits down. That's the fast and dirty end of it.

What we really need to examine is what case are you talking about?

In your case it's the 45 Colt which is a very thin brass case. If the boolits are in the 14 to 22 BHN range I doubt the 45 Colt case will size then down, pure lead might be a different story!

Now if you were putting these in a 9mm case, which is very stiff brass, yes they would size down even hard boolits.

Best suggestion I can make: play with different expander dia. and see what works best for your boolit, alloy, case type!

[buckndee]

Load up some dummy cartridges, pull the bullets with a kinetic bullet puller and measure your
bullets for a definitive answer to you question.

[mtgrs737]

Load up some dummy cartridges, pull the bullets with a kinetic bullet puller and measure your
bullets for a definitive answer to you question.

Sounds like I need to get off my lazy butt and get it done! Thanks for your replies Guys!

[Cherokee]

Maybe get an expander for the 45/70 and take it down in diameter ?

[ktw]

I use a "454" (measures .453) or "452" (measures .451) M-die-like expander plugs out of the old 310 die sets.

Buffalo Arms sells custom sized expander plugs for Lyman/RCBS 7/8x14 dies (or will make whatever size you want to order) for $18.

http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm/2,408.html

-ktw

[runfiverun]

have you measured the inside of a sized case?
i would worry about the results, not how you got them. your expander might not even expand the cases. the sizing might just be done by the die only.....

[mtgrs737]

have you measured the inside of a sized case?
i would worry about the results, not how you got them. your expander might not even expand the cases. the sizing might just be done by the die only.....

Will do! The buffalo arms expanders I don't understand the sizing, I would want a expander that leaves the case .451" to .452" I.D. but they list a range of up to .005" and no explaination.

[ktw]

It not a range. The M Die expanders are stepped, or two diameter.

The first diameter listed is the size of the portion of the expander which sizes the case neck.

Above that on the stem is a slightly larger diameter than you can use to expand a very short portion of the top if the case to slightly over bullet diameter. This allows a straight, finger seat start to the bullet in the case before using the press to seat it the rest of the way. You don't have to screw the stem down that far if you don't want to use the second diameter. It does help with getting plain based cast bullets started straight in the case.

-ktw

[mtgrs737]

OK, I understand now, I looked but didn't see an explaination on the two diameters. Thanks guys for all your input! I learn something everyday!

[454PB]

I'm sure you meant .449". I measured all my expander plugs a while back, 45 ACP, 45 Colt, and .454 Casull. All but the .454 measured .449". The .454 was .448". I then checked my .44 magnum and .44 special dies, they measured .425".

I test for proper neck tension by loading the cylinder, firing all but one round, then check that loaded round to see if the boolit has moved forwards in the case.

[shooting on a shoestring]

Two things.

1. .45 Colt brass is not thinner than other brass. Thats an urban legend. They are all about 0.010" to 0.014" wether .45 Colt, .44 Mag or .38 Spl, 9 MM etc...

2. If you have a dial caliper, measure the outside diameter of the boolit, the thickness of the case (not flared), seat the boolit and measure the outside diameter of the case over the seated boolit. The outside diameter of the case over the seated boolit will be the sum of two case thicknesses plus the boolit diameter. If its less, your cases are sizing your boolits down.

[yondering]

In your case it's the 45 Colt which is a very thin brass case. If the boolits are in the 14 to 22 BHN range I doubt the 45 Colt case will size then down, pure lead might be a different story!

shooting on a shoestring said it right. 45 Colt brass is not "very thin brass", it's just as thick as a lot of other brass.

I had a thread going about this a few months ago. I found, with air cooled wheel weight boolits, my 45 Colt brass does size down the boolits, especially the base. The bases of my pulled boolits are usually rounded off, more on one side than the other. This is with the .449" expander plug in my Dillon dies.

My solution has been to use harder boolits, which aren't distorted by the brass. WDWW's have given me much better accuracy as a result.

I would like to re-visit this issue and try the M-die, just haven't bought one yet.