Dillon 550B pistol case welts

[milotrain]

I think perhaps the powder die is set to create too much of a bell. When I reload with RCBS dies on a single stage I don't create as much of a bell and they are fine. Also I'm using the older style dillon powder measure without the secondary bellcrank.

My main question is what do you think is causing this? OAL is fine and the welt exists before the crimp. Looks to first start at the powder die then get worse at the bullet seating die.

Second question is should I NOT shoot these?

[Bill Steele]

Are you talking about the bulge where the bullet seats into the case?

[milotrain]

Yes. There is a second slight bulge at the base of the case as well that did not exist in the brass before reloading (not a function of bulging due to firing) You can barely see the second one with the light and I can't feel it.

[Bill Steele]

Those are fine. The bulge is due to the sizing die sizing your brass down more than is needed. The bullet "resizes" the case. If you have a bulge near the base and are using Dillon dies, that is because the Dillon sizing die has a flared mouth and as such doesn't size the lower part of the case as much as more straight mouthed dies might (like your RCBS dies).

In any case, the bulges are not a big deal as long as the rounds chamber. When you fire the round the case will expand back out like a balloon and be straight until you size it again.

[bubbapug1]

All my 9mm pistol ammo looks like that. Thats just the bullet bulging the brass a bit.

[milotrain]

Sounds good. Thanks for the help!

[GeoffLinder]

Ayup. +1 to that typically being just fine.

BTW, correct bullet diameter for jacketed in 9mm is .355", if you are using bullet diameter larger than that it can cause this type of bulge to be more obvious and can cause excess pressure in the 9mm.

[EL_NinO619]

That is DIllions trademark. My LnL does not do that when loading with Lee dies. I think the reason Diliion does that is because the sizing dies are really open. For the ease of loading with the dillion dies I would take the bulging, Lee and other dies sucks on a PP

[milotrain]

That is DIllions trademark.

This was my assumption. I didn't see how, with the powder die designed the way it was and the size of the resizer die, this could not happen. I think I can get it to do it less if I raise the powder die a little.

[oddjob]

Very normal for my 9mm loads too.

[Enter_the_Dragon]

Those are fine. The bulge is due to the sizing die sizing your brass down more than is needed. The bullet "resizes" the case. If you have a bulge near the base and are using Dillon dies, that is because the Dillon sizing die has a flared mouth and as such doesn't size the lower part of the case as much as more straight mouthed dies might (like your RCBS dies).

Ditto - I replaced my Dillon resizing/decapper die to a Lee.

[Bill Steele]

Ditto - I replaced my Dillon resizing/decapper die to a Lee.

Funny how we are all different, or perhaps we each experience different things based on the +/- tolerances of the individual die we get.

I didn't like my Lee sizing die in .45ACP. It seemed to be a little too loose. It worked fine for almost any brass when loading lead. But when it came to jacketed, I had to sort and only use the thicker headstamps (like Fiocchi, etc.) when I wanted to load some of my favorite jacketed bullets. The Lee die was just was too loose to size the brass enough to get good neck tension on a .451 bullet.

I went so far as to buy a fancy Redding Dual Ring Sizer die. The Redding DRS ends up working about the same as my $25 Dillon .45ACP size/decap die. Of course, I am not going to use a $25 dies when I have one that does the same thing that cost $100+