Resolved 357 reloads

m657

m657

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can you say "D'OH"....

2625.jpg


I'm leaving this up for encouragement of those other slow learners like myself to stick to the basic steps and work through the problem....

answer :

CLEAN THE )($^)(*&^^#* SIZING DIE, dummie!!! It had a bunch of crap I'd somehow overlooked, wadded up above the carbide ring....
OK, I haven't reloaded 357 for a LONG time. I have in the past with no problem. Just got done with a large batch of 38, with virtually perfect results.

Dillon 650 press, adjusted the powder, seating & crimp dies all to proper length.

Have been throwing culls in about 90% of a small 'check batch'. Most don't want to fit quite all the way into cylinder of 2 different revolvers. The case trim length is right, OAL is right. Minimal crimp or max crimp doesn't seem to matter. Some I can push with thumb against some resistance, and others won't seat leaving about 1/3 of the case out. The cylinders are clean.

A couple cases are slightly deformed near the case rim, but whether I can eyeball a defect or not, something isn't right.

OAL 125g cast lead RN length 1.610 max per Hodgdon site.

Crimp die set to zero leaves the tiny bit of flare from the powder funnel. Light, medium & heavy crimp don't seem to be an issue.

What am I leaving out?
 
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can you say "D'OH"....

2625.jpg


I'm leaving this up for encouragement of those other slow learners like myself to stick to the basic steps and work through the problem....

answer :

CLEAN THE )($^)(*&^^#* SIZING DIE, dummie!!! It had a bunch of crap I'd somehow overlooked, wadded up above the carbide ring....
OK, I haven't reloaded 357 for a LONG time. I have in the past with no problem. Just got done with a large batch of 38, with virtually perfect results.

Dillon 650 press, adjusted the powder, seating & crimp dies all to proper length.

Have been throwing culls in about 90% of a small 'check batch'. Most don't want to fit quite all the way into cylinder of 2 different revolvers. The case trim length is right, OAL is right. Minimal crimp or max crimp doesn't seem to matter. Some I can push with thumb against some resistance, and others won't seat leaving about 1/3 of the case out. The cylinders are clean.

A couple cases are slightly deformed near the case rim, but whether I can eyeball a defect or not, something isn't right.

OAL 125g cast lead RN length 1.610 max per Hodgdon site.

Crimp die set to zero leaves the tiny bit of flare from the powder funnel. Light, medium & heavy crimp don't seem to be an issue.

What am I leaving out?
 
If case sizing and crimping don't seem to be the problem, check your bullet diameters. Once in a while, a batch of oversized or eccentric bullets gets out, and those may bulge the case mouth and make for hard chambering.
 
Are you using the same die for 38 and 357? If you are? I bet the decaping die is adjusted for 38 and not adjusted for the longer 357.
 
It sounds as though you may have been shooting a lot of .38 special lead loads in your .357's. Is everything clean and residue-free in the cylinder throats and forward end of the chambers?
 
Thanks gents, I think we have a winner:

re: "check your bullet diameters."
same box o'bullets as used in the 38

re: "clean and residue-free in the cylinder throats and forward end of the chambers?"

good thinking but yes, they are clean. Sparking clean.

re{
I bet the decaping die is adjusted for 38 and not adjusted for the longer 357.
Click to expand...

I'll get back to you on this in the morning....
(sound of one hand smacking forehead)....
 
I am not so sure now. If the die was backed off and not sizing the case all the way down, then the old primer would not have been removed. Do you use the same tool head for different dies?

see this thread
To Smith Crazy and Bigfred. Thanks. Cleaning out cylinders!
 
OU812:

Thanks for the idea. Will give it a whirl and update later.

I use dies mounted in different toolheads for different calibers.....except this one.

Just finished large batch of 38s with no problem.

Both revolver cylinders have been spit-shined prior to this 357 effort.
 
I had a similar problem recently... After not loading up .357's for a long time I nearly completed a batch and decided to chamber up a couple of them in a nearby model 60. Same situation, they would only go in about 3/4 of the way, and some would fit with a little pressure.

My first thought was that the crimp was off or the cylinders had a build-up from firing .38's. Neither seemed to be the case, so I turned my attention to the sized cases. It turns out they weren't sized quite far enough down, so I pulled a few cartridges down, ran the case through my old Pacific durachrome size-only die. The re-assembled rounds chambered easily, so I guess it's time to use the puller a whole lot more!
 
full length resize a 357 mag case and see if it will chamber , if it does, the problem is in the bullet or the crimp if the bullet is 357 dia. then you have a crimp problem. check to see if the crimp is crimping into a cant. on the bullet
 
UPDATE:

I have discovered a couple minor points which improved but did not solve the problem.

1)(Note to self) Clean crimp die more often. That's why Dillon designs it that way;

2) recheck all dies, stations, adjustments, etc;

3) check bullet size; case trim length; OAL, etc;

4) run one case at a time to isolate station, checking between each for cylinder fit; no one station converts fit to non-fit;

5) individually separate pre-sized cases into 2 groups: one that fits and one that doesn't; measure with calipers, unable to identify difference;

6) Note case mfg on the 'non-fit cases'; equal mix of 1/2 dozen common mfg; note in 'fit-group' same distribution percentage;

6) run small batch of cases that fit; after sizing they still fit; after normal loading, they still all fit;

7) run small batch of 'non-fit' cases; after sizing some fit, some don't; run rest of small reload batch....about 30% fit the rest either stick 1/3 out, or right down near rim; some can be pushed with thumb into chamber; these set aside;

8) Now have 100 reloaded 357 mag rounds; will take to range for further study;

9) ordered Lee Factory Crimp Die set as this is what cured similar symptoms on 40 S&W and 9mm loads.

The cases that fit before sizing continue to fit after being reloaded.
The cases that are non-fit before, in large continue to not fit regardless of how I resize it.

continue shaking head....

All those 38s loaded perfectly.
 
is your brass head stamped American? If so throw them away as the cases are too thick
 
I'm not sure what is going on but by reading your posts you will soon know what the problem is. Keep us posted
 
Most don't want to fit quite all the way into cylinder of 2 different revolvers.
Click to expand...
I've occasionally run into this problem, usually with Colt revolvers that have a much tighter cylinder tolerance than my Smiths. Rounds that fully chamber in the Smiths will get hung up at the last little bit and can often be pushed in with a little pressure. This has always been caused by expansion above the base of the case and the solution is to turn the sizing die down a bit to make sure it sizes out the expansion.
 
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