Case Belling for 380ACP?

[bigdawg86]

Hey guys I just finished decapping / resizing a bunch of brass so I can get some ammo made up for my Ruger LCP... I have a RCBS and Dillon die set, yet I noticed there is not a die for belling the case mouths. Is that right?

Just for kicks I seated a sample round with a 100g plated FRN and it didn't shave the projectile or mess up the case, so I know those are going to work without belling... But I am a little nervous for my cast bullets.

Do these cases need belled or not?

[JagerDog]

Do you have standard dies or progressive dies? Progressive dies should bell with the charge thru die. Standard dies should have a stand-alone flaring die.

[Bill Steele]

You really should use an expander die to bell the case. You don't want to shave bullets.

The RCBS set should have come with an expander. If you got it second hand and it didn't come with the expander, I would just get a Lee powder thru expander die from Grafs, it should cost you less than $20 all in to get it to you (not counting the wait).

[bigdawg86]

Do you have standard dies or progressive dies? Progressive dies should bell with the charge thru die. Standard dies should have a stand-alone flaring die.

There was a third die I didn't recognize in the Dillon set, so I think it is quite possibly a progressive die set. I'll be sure to check it out when I get home... If that's the case I'll just use that.

[Bill Steele]

The Dillon die sets don't come with a belling die, it is part of the caliber conversion set, it is a nose for the powder drop.

[bigdawg86]

I picked up a Lee powder through expanding die on ebay... New for 18 bucks shipped.

[bigdawg86]

So I looked through the Rcbs die set and it does have and expander die, but it's stamped 38 cal... Is that right?

[Bill Steele]

So I looked through the Rcbs die set and it does have and expander die, but it's stamped 38 cal... Is that right?

That will work.

[JagerDog]

So I looked through the Rcbs die set and it does have and expander die, but it's stamped 38 cal... Is that right?

Same thing.