Your assumption is correct, but your conclusion isn't written in stone. His problem "could be" the case is bulged in the web area, since this area is not usually supported in the seat/crimp die this is where they bulge during a combined seat and crimp operation and his description is a typical characteristic of this type of failure.
357 cartridges won't go completely into cylinder
- Thread starter skrazo
- Start date
Your assumption is correct, but your conclusion isn't written in stone. His problem "could be" the case is bulged in the web area, since this area is not usually supported in the seat/crimp die this is where they bulge during a combined seat and crimp operation and his description is a typical characteristic of this type of failure.
gibekim
Member
Agreed, that may be a likely scenario as well, I stand informed.
at_liberty
Member
I believe many failures to fully chamber occur when the bullet reaches the throat or the little bit of crud buildup just before it. That can create an illusion of the case being bulged near the head, beyond the point of what the chamber will accept.
bedbugbilly
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As already mentioned - check your chambers for crud buildup. Then check your COAL.
I load with Lee dies as well and use the FCD on the 38s and 357. I use a lot of nickel casings in both calibers and actually, prefer them over brass - neve have a problem with either though. I only load cast that I've cast - RN, WC, SWC, TC.
If your chambers are clean and your COAL is O.K. - load up a dummy round - i.e. no primer, no powder but size the casing and seat the same bullet as you normally would. Check it in each chamber. If they still are hanging up - take a felt pen and rub it on the edges of the bullet and about a 1/2" of the casing back from the throat. Insert it in each chamber - if it's sticking out, gently tap it and thane it out and see where it's rubbing - that will tell you something and what you might need to be doing to correct it.
Your chamber throats shouldn't be causing any problem if the cartridge is loaded to specs - the SWC should work just fine. The SWC I use is the Lee tumble lube design - I shoot them "as cast" - normally they drop at 359 to under 359 and easily seat with no bulges at all.
I also use a 38 spl "cartridge gauge". If you don't have one - get one. It's pretty easy to drop a finished round in it right off the press just to check to make sure it is in spec.
You don't say if you seat and crimp in two different operations? I do as seating/crimping in the same operation is akin to trying to pull you pants up while standing on the cuffs - just my thoughts though.
A lot of folks don't like the Lee FCD as they say it swages the cast bullet. I've never had an issue with any of my reloads that I've run through it - they all shoot just fine and I'm shooting them out of eight different revolvers.
Just some things to think about - you're probably doing fine and some little thing is just out of whack. Also, check on how much you are belling your mouths with the powder the die - when seating, are you cast bulltes straight in to the casing or are they tipped a touch as you seat?
I load with Lee dies as well and use the FCD on the 38s and 357. I use a lot of nickel casings in both calibers and actually, prefer them over brass - neve have a problem with either though. I only load cast that I've cast - RN, WC, SWC, TC.
If your chambers are clean and your COAL is O.K. - load up a dummy round - i.e. no primer, no powder but size the casing and seat the same bullet as you normally would. Check it in each chamber. If they still are hanging up - take a felt pen and rub it on the edges of the bullet and about a 1/2" of the casing back from the throat. Insert it in each chamber - if it's sticking out, gently tap it and thane it out and see where it's rubbing - that will tell you something and what you might need to be doing to correct it.
Your chamber throats shouldn't be causing any problem if the cartridge is loaded to specs - the SWC should work just fine. The SWC I use is the Lee tumble lube design - I shoot them "as cast" - normally they drop at 359 to under 359 and easily seat with no bulges at all.
I also use a 38 spl "cartridge gauge". If you don't have one - get one. It's pretty easy to drop a finished round in it right off the press just to check to make sure it is in spec.
You don't say if you seat and crimp in two different operations? I do as seating/crimping in the same operation is akin to trying to pull you pants up while standing on the cuffs - just my thoughts though.
A lot of folks don't like the Lee FCD as they say it swages the cast bullet. I've never had an issue with any of my reloads that I've run through it - they all shoot just fine and I'm shooting them out of eight different revolvers.
Just some things to think about - you're probably doing fine and some little thing is just out of whack. Also, check on how much you are belling your mouths with the powder the die - when seating, are you cast bulltes straight in to the casing or are they tipped a touch as you seat?
THEWELSHM
Member
I wouldn't mind betting that brass you are not having issues with have been shot through that weapon before? Make sure you resize all the ones that have issues. (After you pull the bullets)I don't have any pics. Do crimp at the cannilures(sp?). One thing that makes this frustrating is only a few cartridges have the problem(4 in 50, typical). I have experimented with different amount of crimp. One thought I have is just to keep the non-seating cartridges separate and not reload them, keep using the cases that do not bulge, and try to determine if the same cases are having problems each time I reload. Could be some cases with weak walls.
I don't think the bullets are faulty because I have "never" had this problem with 38s (using same bullets).
Whew! Time for bed.
Thewelshm
That's true but...
Agreed, it's no big deal. But I want to find out why something isn't working that should be working.
Agreed, it's no big deal. But I want to find out why something isn't working that should be working.
