Another WAD Cutter Issue

[mikld]

An FCD won't "solve" the problem. It might make the round easier to chamber, but often does so by swaging the bullet along with sizing the case. Find out why the rounds do not chamber and fix it. Don't cover up a problem by resizing your handloads...

 

[nicky4968]

Size case (new cases included). Trim minimum length. Chamfer case. Load round. Crimp with Lee Factory Crimp die; or crimp with seating die and run loaded round through sizing die. I don’t sort cases for shooting at 10 yards or any rapid fire work.

 

[Sevens]

Not sure I quite follow the multiple suggestions to check the sizing die for differences between the length of .38 and .357.

This doesn't make sense -- when you employ a modern carbide sizing die, you run a revolver case all the way so that the top of the shell holder makes contact with the base of the sizing die.

This is the proper way to use a modern carbide sizing die with any/all pistol brass, revolver or rimless or semi-rimmed.

When you set the die up this way, which is also the way the instructions direct you to do so, it won't matter if your brass is .38, .357 or .357 Max, it's going to get sized fully.

While there absolutely is adjustment difference in your case mouth flare die and your bullet seat/crimp die between .38 and .357, there is no adjustment and no difference in your die setting for a modern carbide size die between .38 and .357.

 

[strongpersuader]

Got it Working........following all the suggestions and advice from ALL of you I finally got the problem ironed out. Boils down to the following IMHO:

1. Used brass bought off line was from different head stamps and different guns. This caused a problem with consistory.

2. I adjusted the decapping down a bit and this got rid of the bottom (primer end) bulge. I obviously did not have it set correctly.

3. I did run them through my FCD and that solved some top end problems. I had my S&W 65-6 right there and checked every round once it was processed. Smooth as silk and seating flush.

Going forward I will only use brass that I have fired from new ammo through this gun or, if they ever get any in, I will buy new Starline and run it specifically in this gun. Right now I only have the one 38/357 so this should not be a problem going forward.

Again....thanks to everyone for the help. I just loaded 80 rounds and will be at the range tomorrow to punch holes.

 

[DeplorabusUnum]

Not sure I quite follow the multiple suggestions to check the sizing die for differences between the length of .38 and .357.

This doesn't make sense -- when you employ a modern carbide sizing die, you run a revolver case all the way so that the top of the shell holder makes contact with the base of the sizing die.

Not necessarily, if you're using the spacer ring for 357. That raises the entire die 3.7 mm. So when you are loading 38 sp. cases, you screw in the die until you feel the cam action of the case holder to the bottom of the die. When you switch to 357, if you add the spacer ring to adjust for length, the bottom of the die no longer cams against the top of the shell holder. There is a 3.7 mm gap now. So when I resize 357 cases, I leave the ring off so you still have the cam action and full length sizing of the case. Then I put the ring in for flaring and seating. That's all I was trying to convey to the O.P.

 

[Greenjoytj]

Years ago I had a cartridge (can’t recall it) that gave me sizing problems.
I sanded down the top surface of the shellholder 2-3 thou to let a little more of the cartridge case head enter the sizing die. Solved my problem.
Maybe the OP has an out of spec shellholder or sizing die length.
If both were slightly off spec the errors add up.
A sizing die could also be shorten a few thou by sliding it around some very fine grit aluminium oxide paper placed on a sheet of glass. That’s how shorten my shellholder.
Could always try fl sizing an empty case then test fit it into the revolver.

I read that factory made 38 Spl wadcutter ammo was made with special cases the had parallel even case wall thickness all the way down to the end of the wadcutter to prevent bulging case sides.
357 cases with thick and some brands even thicker tapered case walls. Long wadcutter bullets must surely bulge out the case side down at the end of the bullet particularly long HBWC vs the shorter solid DEWC.

 

[Sevens]

The first center fire metallic round that I ever handloaded in my adventure was .38 Special and .357 Mag came shortly after.

I’ve never encountered a problem like described but I agree that a maladjusted sizing die would likely cause it.

The only two issues I’ve found that lead to chambering trouble with loaded .357 rounds are:

—case rims too thick (tall?) and only an issue with a select few revolvers with very slim headspace clearance

—too much roll crimp which distorts the loaded round and prevents clean, proper chambering

Certainly any number of problems can potentially arise and I agree with post #26 above that a slightly out of spec size die and/or shell holder is a potential pitfall as well.

I will boldly say that never in 3+ decades and quite literally tens of thousands of rounds of .38 and .357 has varying headstamps of brass or brass fired in different guns EVER been the source of any problems I’ve seen and to add to this, I’ll say that I routinely use .357 brass previously fired in:

semiautomatics
lever action
bolt action
single shot
…firearms from every brand across the wide spectrum.

It would be opinion that mixed headstamp brass fired previously from different guns is almost surely not the issue.

As a point of reference we’ve discussed yesterday in another thread about the old 3-D remanufactured ammo company from back in the 1980’s. These guys would sell you a box of reloaded ammo at low retail chock full of a dozen+ different headstamps from God knows what previous use and you got brass and nickel mixed and they sold that ammo as fast as they could get it out there, along with most of the old reman ammo companies all did back in the day.

I say keep chugging, keep loading, keep learning but beware of false conclusions.

 

[ironhead7544]

I can tell you this: for the 38 Special, there are brass cases meant for the wadcutters. Some of the standard cases simply will not work. 357 Magnum cases are not meant for the wadcutters.

 

[Paul in Nevada]

Ironhead beat me to it. Full wadcutters seat very deep in the case. Even in 38 cases this will increase the diameter of the finished round. That's why true factory WC loads use brass that is thinner down to the seating depth of the bullet. Because 357 brass is thicker still, the problem is more pronounced. Some brass will have thicker walls than others and some will taper differently. That's why you had inconsistent results with mixed headstamps. You are also going to get inconsistent crimps unless you trim the brass. A Lee FCD solves both problems. It will post-size the case and it's less sensitive to length.

Dropping loaded rounds into the cylinder is a good test but you might pick up a loaded cartridge gauge as well. They run about $35 and are cut to minimum chamber dimensions. This eliminates variations from gun to gun, chamber to chamber.