Hornady bullet feeder die and pulled bullets

[croue]

I was having a tough time getting my 9mm bulletin feeder die set up and working. It would work great, then jam sporadically. I took it apart several times, trying to fine tune the collets and the die height. All to minimal apparent improvement. I'd think I had it, and then it would jam again.
I'd empty the feeder tube, disassemble the die and carefully put it back together probably like 6-7 times.
Finally figured out the feeder die is rather picky about the bullets. I was using pulled bullets, and every time a bullet with a cut in the plating that stuck out, or made the base deformed entered the die, it wouldn't feed.

Sorted them by feel, and got things working normally. So just a heads up if you plan on using pulled bullets with the Hornady feeder dies.

C

[9mmepiphany]

Yup, that happens.

That is why the Bullet Feeder die is less than optimal with coated bullets

[Paseclipse]

Not sure if this your problem but maybe it will help.

Take a look at this thread- http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_6_42/34...ve.html&page=4

On page 4, there's a post by GWhis (dated 4/18/2014, has a few pics) where he shows how to fine tune a Hornady .45 caliber bullet feeding die. Apparently this helps make the bullets feed more reliably.

Maybe you can give this a try on your 9mm feeding die. Not sure it will work but I figure it may help you.

[DougMurray]

I had similar problems with pulled 40S&W bullets. Seemed they had a sticky coating of some sort. I ran them thru the tumbler with walnut and then they worked fine. I didn't notice any issues with burrs, etc. on the bullets so that wasn't my issue.

[croue]

Interesting Murray (related to the monstrously large former Shark?)
Every time mine stuck, i was able to identify some 'flaw' on the base or on the side that would make it not slip through the die. But maybe I was biased since I knew it had stuck?
Of course, tumbling could also remove some burrs.
I have a bunch more plated 9mm pills to load. Maybe I'll tumble half and not tumble the other half and see what happens.

I have to take a look at how to fine tune the dies as well pas. Haven't done 45 with this setup yet, but it's next on my shopping list.

C

[croue]

Just read Gwhis' post. I had actually already adjusted the fingers. (used a screwdriver gently in the slots though) and inspected all of the same things. I think he means 0.030" larger for the bell though, not 0.30". These dies are pretty simple really. But the bullet MUST slip through the upper die when there's no case pushing on things, and the base MUST catch nicely on the little lip in the lower collet for things to work right.


C

[wbunning]

Yup.. they are finnicky. I had to polish and fiddle with mine to get them to feed plated bullets, but now they work well. I feed them out of brass tubes I made that hold about 15-20 bullets each. I pre load a bunch of tubes, and use the tube-swapping break to confirm the piwder drop, OAL, etc.