Please help with 40sw loading problem

[aguynamedbryan]

I'm running into a problem that's thrown my reloading confidence in a spiral and was hoping someone could help. I can't seem to find any other post's very similar to this situation.


I'm loading 40s&w with mixed brass, Berry's 155gr round shoulder (.401) and hodgon clays using Hornady dies. When I size the brass, it fits an L.E. Wilson case gauge perfectly. I then move on to bell the case mouth, drop powder, and seat/crimp (same step), then find that many of the rounds don't fit the case gauge anymore.


I tried using less crimp and the round wouldn't begin to enter the gauge. I tried using significantly more crimp, and the round seemed to go in better than with my original level of crimp, but still not great. Using significantly more crimp also seemed to damage the bullet.

As I write this out, I'm thinking maybe it's because I'm using a .401 bullet vs a .400 and the Wilson gauges are extremely tight tolerance? Every round passes the plunk test in my M&P 40 barrel, BUT most of the case heads seem to be sticking out way too far - definitely further than the factory ammo I plunked for comparison.

Anyone have any ideas or suggestions by chance? Not sure where to go from here.

Here are some pictures of a failed round in the gauge, the same round in the barrel that plunked fine, then another round after extreme crimping and still plunking well, then finally the severely crimped bullet:

https://imgur.com/a/449dLhg

Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions.

[BajaJames83]

So when you drop them in the barrel they stick out?

[aguynamedbryan]

So when you drop them in the barrel they stick out?

Yeah... if you're able to see on the link, they seem to stick out beyond what my factory rounds do. I get a good plunk but the case head sticks out.

I tried googling how to describe the part of the bullet I'm referring to that's more specific than case head but can't seem to find anything helpful.

[ojisan]

Lead or plated bullets are larger in diameter than a jacketed one.
This can cause chambering problems in guns with tight chambers.

Next, when you seat and crimp in the same step, the bullet is being pushed into an ever smaller opening, particularly just before the crimp is completed.
This can cause the bullet to be pinched and the top of the bullet to expand a bit.
Try seating as one step and crimping as the next step.

You don't need a special crimp die, just raise the die and lower the seating stem to seat the bullets.
Then lower the die and raise the stem so the die only crimps.
You'll find your ammo is much more consistent this way too.

[aguynamedbryan]

Lead or plated bullets are larger in diameter than a jacketed one.
This can cause chambering problems in guns with tight chambers.

Next, when you seat and crimp in the same step, the bullet is being pushed into an ever smaller opening, particularly just before the crimp is completed.
This can cause the bullet to be pinched and the top of the bullet to expand a bit.
Try seating as one step and crimping as the next step.

You don't need a special crimp die, just raise the die and lower the seating stem to seat the bullets.
Then lower the die and raise the stem so the die only crimps.
You'll find your ammo is much more consistent this way too.

Thank you for the input and suggestion... I will definitely try seating and crimping in two different steps. At the very least this will help further narrow down where the problem is occurring!

[divingin]

Every round passes the plunk test in my M&P 40 barrel, BUT most of the case heads seem to be sticking out way too far - definitely further than the factory ammo I plunked for comparison.

That sort of implies that the rounds *don't* pass the plunk test.

I personally prefer to have separate dies for seat and crimp (i.e. buy a taper crimp, FCD or second seat/crimp die) , but I also understand that money can be an issue. With a single die, the bullet is still being pressed downward as the crimp is formed. Not ideal (though it's worked forever, so...)

Mark up a problem cartridge with a sharpie or similar, work it in and out of your chamber a few times and see where it's dragging. Most likely it will be a bulge where the base of the bullet sits in the loaded round. Brass selection (thick vs thin walls) and bullet choice (diameter and seating depth) may play a part in this, as may over-crimping.

[aguynamedbryan]

That sort of implies that the rounds *don't* pass the plunk test.

I personally prefer to have separate dies for seat and crimp (i.e. buy a taper crimp, FCD or second seat/crimp die) , but I also understand that money can be an issue. With a single die, the bullet is still being pressed downward as the crimp is formed. Not ideal (though it's worked forever, so...)

Mark up a problem cartridge with a sharpie or similar, work it in and out of your chamber a few times and see where it's dragging. Most likely it will be a bulge where the base of the bullet sits in the loaded round. Brass selection (thick vs thin walls) and bullet choice (diameter and seating depth) may play a part in this, as may over-crimping.

Ah yes, I suppose you're right... I guess I should say they certainly "plunked" in sound and feel compared to factory rounds, but after plunking the base of the round is sitting up higher than it should be.

I'll definitely mark up a round when I get home and check it out. Do you have any opinion on whether the round is sticking up too far in my 5th and 6th picture of the imgur link by chance? https://imgur.com/a/449dLhg

[Corbin Dallas]

Can you show us what the finished round looks like outside of the case gauge?

I load 40 for my Glock(s) 22,27,35 and I have no issues, but that's me.


I'm loading Bear Creek .401 180g (moly coated lead).


Something else I thought about.

Have you tried the case gauge on an empty deprimed case?

Meaning resized, no primer, no powder and no projectile?

[BajaJames83]

How does it drop in the Barrel. Case gauges are often tight.
If it drops in the M&P 40 barrel just like a factory round you are good to go.

[aguynamedbryan]

Can you show us what the finished round looks like outside of the case gauge?

I load 40 for my Glock(s) 22,27,35 and I have no issues, but that's me.


I'm loading Bear Creek .401 180g (moly coated lead).

Definitely. I'll snap some more pictures when I get home this afternoon.

How does it drop in the Barrel. Case gauges are often tight.
If it drops in the M&P 40 barrel just like a factory round you are good to go.

In my opinion it drops in the barrel well, nearly identical sound and feel to the plunk as the factory round. One of my biggest concerns now is how much the case head sticks out, though..

[croue]

[newbie1234]

How about uses 4 dies set, or keep what you have and swap the Seat&Crimp die with this two

- https://leeprecision.com/bul-seat-die-40s-w-10mm.html

- https://leeprecision.com/carbide-fac...-40sw10mm.html

[aguynamedbryan]

Can you show us what the finished round looks like outside of the case gauge?

I load 40 for my Glock(s) 22,27,35 and I have no issues, but that's me.


I'm loading Bear Creek .401 180g (moly coated lead).


Something else I thought about.

Have you tried the case gauge on an empty deprimed case?

Meaning resized, no primer, no powder and no projectile?

Here's some pictures of a couple rounds I'm having trouble with... Any additional insight anyone could provide is appreciated!

https://imgur.com/a/ayh4NKB

Thanks for everyone's help so far

[croue]

In the first one - is there some shaved plating sitting on the case mouth? Or is that just an artifact of the photo?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Corbin Dallas]

Here's some pictures of a couple rounds I'm having trouble with... Any additional insight anyone could provide is appreciated!

https://imgur.com/a/ayh4NKB

Thanks for everyone's help so far

Are you using a full length resize die? or a Lee undersize die?

Does an empty case fit the case gauge after resize?