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38 special lswc problem
- Thread starter davebell18
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My eyes might be deceiving me but it sure looks like a large variation in the oal of the cases? I am looking at the crimping groove on the bullets. That might be bulging your cases out. Maybe measure with a micrometer the diameter of those 4 rounds and probably the one not chambering is bulged out. I would sort the casings by oal to have consistent seating depth and crimping.
Ed
Ed
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4barrel
Member
A friend I shoot with had this problem in a 6" k frame a month ago. I have a Jim Clark 38 special long slide--made from a 38 super. I have to size my bullets to ..356. I let him have a 100 rounds & it fixed his problem. Even my .357 bullets would not chamber in his gun all the time. I took his bullets--.3575--& resized to .356 & everything is ok & it did not affect his groups.---I also have to use a taper crimp die on some 38 loads. -BY the way--The bullets that would not work in his gun worked in mine.-- JACK-
simple solution.....
1. find the problem and correct it for future reloads.....
a. usually .358 Pb bullets will be fine
b. Probably should use R-P brass (a bit thinner, but very good)
c. Mike the loaded rounds and see diameter.
d. Just put a final crimp on the rounds already loaded, do this on subsequent reloads but do not overexpand when reloading.
Terry
1. find the problem and correct it for future reloads.....
a. usually .358 Pb bullets will be fine
b. Probably should use R-P brass (a bit thinner, but very good)
c. Mike the loaded rounds and see diameter.
d. Just put a final crimp on the rounds already loaded, do this on subsequent reloads but do not overexpand when reloading.
Terry
There are two ways I would go after this. You have some that will chamber and some that won't. Sit down with a set of mics or calipers and go to town. Compare everything, apples to apples. AND, you might well start with a black magic marker, 'paint' the entire cartridge that won't chamber , then run it in as best you can, when it comes out start measuring where the black is rubbed off. Compare those areas with one that chambers with no problem.
I'm with a few others, there seems to be a distinct variation in case length, which affects crimp. The Winchester load on the left seems to have the shortest case and actually no crimp at all. I would measure all the cases, and trim all to the same length of the shortest. The consistent length and crimp will pay off in accuracy also.
I have scratched my head over this a few times. I cannot figure out how a reloader can achieve a consistent roll crimp to a bullets cannalure and get consistent neck tension on a bullet using brass of various lengths.
Can anyone explain how the LFCD over comes these issues ?
Can anyone explain how the LFCD over comes these issues ?
Pocketfisherman
Member
This is easy enough to solve. Will a bare bullet push through the chamber throat? If not, there is the problem. If it does, then either your crimping is distorting the bullet/case juncture enough to cause it not to fit, or your Brass is too long. The Lee FCD crimp die will iron it out to spec'd chamber dimensions. But...a good set of dies and good crimping would not cause the latter problem to begin with.
Lou_NC
Member
I think your problem is that you are seating and crimping in one step, with random length brass.
Personally, I can't be bothered trimming straight-wall .38spl cases for plinking/range ammo. I've found that seating and crimping in separate steps is a better solution for me, if I'm going to use brass that varies a little in length. Sure, longer cases may receive "slightly" more crimp than the shorter cases, but it's irrelevant to me for my purposes.
It's not hard to understand how a Lee factory crimp die can solve this situation. But, if you're going to reload in four steps anyway, save yourself the expense of the FCD and just seat and crimp in separate steps. Works for me.
Lou
Personally, I can't be bothered trimming straight-wall .38spl cases for plinking/range ammo. I've found that seating and crimping in separate steps is a better solution for me, if I'm going to use brass that varies a little in length. Sure, longer cases may receive "slightly" more crimp than the shorter cases, but it's irrelevant to me for my purposes.
It's not hard to understand how a Lee factory crimp die can solve this situation. But, if you're going to reload in four steps anyway, save yourself the expense of the FCD and just seat and crimp in separate steps. Works for me.
Lou
snubbiefan
Member
I go with #5. I get a few like that now-in-then and it's always the bullet itself. I cast my own and even-though they are not suppose to need sizing....I get a "fat one" occasionally.
I have a spare sizer die and the ones I find like that....I simply re-size the front half of the round. I suppose the only way you can be sure your slugs are .357 on a constant basis is too invest in a bullet sizer die.
I have a spare sizer die and the ones I find like that....I simply re-size the front half of the round. I suppose the only way you can be sure your slugs are .357 on a constant basis is too invest in a bullet sizer die.
davebell18,
Referencing your third photo, counting from left to right, I see the following:
Cartridges no.1 and no.2 - the bullets are seated in the case to the point where the crimping grooves are below the mouth of the cases; anything more than a very light crimp in this position will result in a bulge just below the case mouth which could potentially keep the cartridge from seating fully in the chamber. These two cartridges are noticeably shorter in OAL than no.2 and no.4. Additionally, cartridge no.1 appears to have a much heavier crimp applied than the other three cartridges.
Cartridges no.2 and no.4 appear to be seated properly, or at least to the proper location when referencing the bullet crimping grooves and the mouth of the cases.
Were all four of these loaded during the same session? If so, there's definitely something amiss with your seating die. If they were loaded during seperate sessions, then the problem lies in the adjustment of the seating die session-to-session.
I have taken the liberty of cropping your original image to more clearly show what I'm seeing.
Referencing your third photo, counting from left to right, I see the following:
Cartridges no.1 and no.2 - the bullets are seated in the case to the point where the crimping grooves are below the mouth of the cases; anything more than a very light crimp in this position will result in a bulge just below the case mouth which could potentially keep the cartridge from seating fully in the chamber. These two cartridges are noticeably shorter in OAL than no.2 and no.4. Additionally, cartridge no.1 appears to have a much heavier crimp applied than the other three cartridges.
Cartridges no.2 and no.4 appear to be seated properly, or at least to the proper location when referencing the bullet crimping grooves and the mouth of the cases.
Were all four of these loaded during the same session? If so, there's definitely something amiss with your seating die. If they were loaded during seperate sessions, then the problem lies in the adjustment of the seating die session-to-session.
I have taken the liberty of cropping your original image to more clearly show what I'm seeing.
Attachments
kraigwy
US Veteran
That is the answer right there. The Lee FCD for 38/357 have a carbide ring on the bottom of the die that "again" resizes the case after the bullet is seated.
Being at the bottom of the die, means as you pull the round out of the die, it has to go by the ring at the last step.
What it means if propertly sized ammo that will go into the chamber and if held upside down will fall out under its own weight.
I use the Lee FCD in all my straight wall cases.
It doesn't.
The crimp adjustment is very precise. Which is good.
However, different lenght brass will still get variable degrees of crimp.
It's just that this die also has a carbide re-sizing ring at the base that on the up stroke will resize or iron-out any case distortion that the overcrimping caused.
One other both benefit & downside is that if you have mixed brass, some with heavier wall sections, it will also resize your lead bullet!
Are you sure about this? My jacketed bullets are a close fit in the chamber mouth, but my 158 gr LSCs cannot be pushed into the chamber mouth.
I just assumed that this was normal since the the lead bullets tend to be about 0.001" larger in diameter than the jacketed bullets.
Maybe I need to rethink the lead, although they seem to shoot pretty well.
