A slight problem ... maybe?

[ENFIELD303]

while seating my .40 caliber boolits into the cases a very minute bit of lead is lifted by the casing, is this typical and safe or am i doing something wrong producing an unsafe round?

i am sizing the boolits to .401

[oneokie]

Sounds like you need to flare the case mouth more.

[azrednek]

I don't think you're creating an unsafe load. Have you tried expanding the cartridge's flare slightly? At least in my expereince, when I shave lead in the seating operation. I go back to using the expaning die and open the case's mouth a bit more.

Do you have any 45 Auto Rim brass to trade for 303??

[HeavyMetal]

You may also be over crimping and get that raised bit of lead. This is very common with taper crimp dies.

Check case flare if it's good back off the taper crimp die.

[454PB]

Are you seating and crimping at the same time? If so, try doing them separately.

[ENFIELD303]

yeah, i'm shaving lead, i'll have to open them up a litte more

[Leftoverdj]

Enfield. depends on WHERE you are shaving lead. Off the base is very bad for accuracy and calls for more flare. At the crimp is too much crimp and calls for reducing the crimp or crimping in two stages. In either instance, chamfering your cases will help.

[DLCTEX]

Those little shavings can cause leading in a big way with the boolit ironing them into the bore.

[ENFIELD303]

it does it when seating, then i have to go around it with a utility knife to clean it up, my main concern is my gun blowing up from a clogged bore or the like

[Dale53]

You are wise to recognize that you have a problem. I am a GREAT believer in a four die set (flare to case enough that you do NOT shave lead but do not "over flare" as that leads to early case mouth splits), seat the bullet and use a separate die to crimp. Using the same die to seat the bullet and crimp in one operation often leads to shaving lead.

When I started reloading over fifty years ago (that's NOT a misprint:roll:) two die sets were common. Then, reloading practices went to three die sets (seat the bullet and crimp in one motion). If the cast bullet was a genuine Keith type they had a very wide, gradual crimp groove. You could get away with seating and crimping in the same die at the same time. However, if you are trying to seat a bullet that has NO crimp die, the lead will MOVE and move badly leaving a ring of lead at the mouth of the case to cause a variety of problems including damaging the bullets.

Now, we have available the four die system and properly adjusted there will be NO lead ring at the mouth of the case an no damaged bullets.

Dale53

[David R]

Fix the problem, it will cause more problems down the road in accuracy or leading.

I seat and crimp separate.

David :)

[captain-03]

Good suggestions above -- 1) flare the case a little more; AND 2) use a good tamper crimp crimp die ...... I had some major problems loading cast for my Glocks with Lone Wolf barrels. I now seat the bullet with the seating die and use a taper crimp die to apply the crimp. All my problems went away!!

[MtGun44]

Capn03 is dead on.

Bill

[ENFIELD303]

i have the lyman deluxe set, it has 3 dies, does lyman offer the "taper crimp die"

i am a bit strange as i like all of my tools to match lol

[anachronism]

Another possibility raises it's ugly head. Your bullet may not be starting out straight in relationship to the die & that could be causing your lead shaving. This can usually be fixed in exactly the same way described above, using a little more case flare, & seating & crimping in seperate steps.