40 S&W reloading headache

BossHarley

BossHarley

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I recently started reloading for 40 S&W. I have reloaded a couple hundred cases fired once from my XDm. Having settled on a moderate load I bought some once fired Winchester brass - didn't look "Glocked", but I am definitely getting significant numbers of rounds that won't pass the EGW case gage. About 3/4 that won't pass the EGW will pass the barrel test.

I just ordered the EGW undersized die, hopefully that will solve my problem (current using Dillon dies). If not I guess I will have to go to the push through die.

Anyway, not really a questino, just venting - was hoping to reload 500-600 today and switch the press over to 45C for my cowboy loads....
 
The EGW die should work.

I prefer the Lee FCD, as it works on the LAST station.

EC will be along shortly to tell why the FCD is the Spawn of Satan and its use is The Road to Perdition.....
 
Scrivener said:
EC will be along shortly to tell why the FCD is the Spawn of Satan and its use is The Road to Perdition.....
Click to expand...

No, not at all. I've just never needed one because I do it right to begin with, rather than cobble together a ham-fisted fix on the way out.

The lesson here is, as always, "No good can come of the .40 S&W".

(Just kidding BH, the EGW die will fix you up. It's worked for all of my Glocked 10mm).
 
BossHarley said:
I recently started reloading for 40 S&W. I have reloaded a couple hundred cases fired once from my XDm. Having settled on a moderate load I bought some once fired Winchester brass - didn't look "Glocked", but I am definitely getting significant numbers of rounds that won't pass the EGW case gage. About 3/4 that won't pass the EGW will pass the barrel test.

I just ordered the EGW undersized die, hopefully that will solve my problem (current using Dillon dies). If not I guess I will have to go to the push through die.

Anyway, not really a questino, just venting - was hoping to reload 500-600 today and switch the press over to 45C for my cowboy loads....
Click to expand...

"Glocked brass" is a real problem in the 40. A lot of it will develop a "belt" when resized with a conventional die which will prevent chambering in some guns. The EGW undersized die works very well and is the solution for once fired brass. It has been my experience that this die will not work on brass that has been abused (fired in an oversized chamber) more than once. It has also been my experience that the Lee FCD will not cure this problem. I use the FCD, but not for this problem.
 
Hey I like Glocks, especially the dumbfounded look on the owners face when it blows up. Seen it happen twice so far to two different shooters and the look was the same.
 
Dnotarianni said:
Hey I like Glocks, especially the dumbfounded look on the owners face when it blows up. Seen it happen twice so far to two different shooters and the look was the same.
Click to expand...

Ah, yes; the apotheosis when they Become One With Gaston and Embrace the Glock..........
 
Might as well continue to derail this thread. Dnotarianni, of these 2 Glocks you've seen blow up. What were the circumstances? Perhaps the shooters shooting bad reloads? Just wondering?

Squeeze
 
People always blame Glocks for bulged brass but that's not always the case. .40's can build high pressure and cause bulges from many guns. My Sig would do the same thing.

I use a Lee U die and it works perfectly for me. Reducing failed case gauge checks to less than 1/100. The GRX works very well also but best when already sized.

For those that don't like Glocks... it's just a shame they can't appreciate a marvelous firearm.
 
clerk.mvgc said:
I use one of these push trhu dies from Redding. "De-glockifies" brass really well.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=358543
Click to expand...

This may be the best solution, but it requires an extra step. I prefer to use the "Undersized Die" in my progressive press. This way the rehab of the brass is a part of the reloading process; taking no extra time. The Redding die is, however, the only way to deal with badly abused .40 brass.
 
PS I too have so much good .40 brass that I just can't justify the cost of the Redding die and the time it takes to use.
 
Right in the instructions:
-------------------------------------------
Do not use the Bulge Buster Kit to reload for the
40 S&W Glock or similar guns with chambers that
do not fully support the cartridge due to the
intrusion of the feed ramp.
---------------------------------------------

Mike_Diako said:
Lee has a new product out called the "buldge buster" it's supposed to be $20. You might want to check it out when it becomes available. Here is a link to the instructions


www.leeprecision.com/cgi-data/instruct/1855.pdf
Click to expand...
 
DukeInMaine said:
Right in the instructions:
-------------------------------------------
Do not use the Bulge Buster Kit to reload for the
40 S&W Glock or similar guns with chambers that
do not fully support the cartridge due to the
intrusion of the feed ramp.
---------------------------------------------
Click to expand...


That's interesting- then what "bulges" are there if not from a fully supported chamber? This looks just like the GRX die.
 
Lugnut said:
That's interesting- then what "bulges" are there if not from a fully supported chamber? This looks just like the GRX die.
Click to expand...

That's just their disclaimer... they don't want to be responsible for people that reload weakened .40 S+W brass a whole bunch of times.

It's a roundabout way of saying "We know what you really want to use this for, but we can't officially endorse it because our lawyers said so..."

-Mike
 
drgrant said:
That's just their disclaimer... they don't want to be responsible for people that reload weakened .40 S+W brass a whole bunch of times.

It's a roundabout way of saying "We know what you really want to use this for, but we can't officially endorse it because our lawyers said so..."

-Mike
Click to expand...

Yeah- good point.
 
So, spending $20 for a tool with a specific purpose, which if it caused you and your gun to get injured, would result in their lawyers saying, "See! We told you not to use it"........

Toss the bulged brass, use non-bulged brass for your reloading, and move along... There's nothing to see here.
 
DukeInMaine said:
Toss the bulged brass, use non-bulged brass for your reloading, and move along... There's nothing to see here.
Click to expand...

Throwing away a piece of brass after one firing is dumb.... unless, of course, you have an infinite supply of .40 S+W brass. Most .40 S+W brass is going to have a bulge or stretching... The other thing is, you will still have to resize it, at least once, so you will still likely need a tool like this or the EGW to fix it after the first firing.

-Mike
 
As Gammon and I have pointed out, some of us have access to LEO ranges, and have more .40 S&W brass than we know what to do with.

Only a few of the .40's that I get have bulges, and it's faster for me to toss them than deal with some separate operation. And, I certainly have enough once fired that I can reload them one more time, and then toss them anyways.
 
drgrant said:
Throwing away a piece of brass after one firing is dumb....
Click to expand...

As is believing that you are going to catch every piece of bulged brass before it goes through your machine. You can try to catch them in a sorting process but you aren't going to get them all. If you have so many pieces of brass that tossing some is no big deal, you also have so many that checking them all for a slight bulge on one side prior to reloading them is a huge deal and totally unrealistic.

The EGW die takes care of the problem without adding an extra step of running it through a non-standard reloading operation like a push through. The CasePro is a really trick set up but it is also an additional operation and expensive.
 
Last edited:
Mike_Diako said:
Lee has a new product out called the "buldge buster" it's supposed to be $20. You might want to check it out when it becomes available. Here is a link to the instructions


www.leeprecision.com/cgi-data/instruct/1855.pdf
Click to expand...

It looks to me like the Redding die is a better deal at $40. Lee is charging you $20 for the attachments necessary to use a FCD for full lenght resizing; you still need the FCD. If you own a FCD of the appropriate caliber, it is most likely installed on a machine; you would have to remove it to resize the brass, and then re-install and adjust after the resizing is completed. Too much work, I would go with the Redding die. I might actually do that as I have a bucket full of severely "Glocked" brass. I have enough good .40 to last me a long time, but I hate the idea of dumping the "Glocked" brass.

PS I would not even consider this if the IPSC major power factor was still 175. This rehabilitated brass is best used in rather "mild" loadings.
 
Received the EGW die on Friday and tested it out last night. Loaded 500 rnds, and only had 3 that failed to pass the case gauge - not too bad.
I was surprised to see that it is a Lee carbide sizing die, guess made to EGW specs - don't know why it surprised me?
I did have a little problem in that the die is not quite long enough to mount in my Dillon 650, with enough thread on the die body to tighten down (with supplied ring), I used a Dillon die ring and with worked fine.
 
There's usually enough clearance to put the locking ring UNDER the tool head, rather than on top of it. That will give you enough threads.

BossHarley said:
Received the EGW die on Friday and tested it out last night. Loaded 500 rnds, and only had 3 that failed to pass the case gauge - not too bad.
I was surprised to see that it is a Lee carbide sizing die, guess made to EGW specs - don't know why it surprised me?
I did have a little problem in that the die is not quite long enough to mount in my Dillon 650, with enough thread on the die body to tighten down (with supplied ring), I used a Dillon die ring and with worked fine.
Click to expand...
 
DukeInMaine said:
There's usually enough clearance to put the locking ring UNDER the tool head, rather than on top of it. That will give you enough threads.
Click to expand...


You are the MAN! I didn't even think of that. I will have to look at clearance, but I think you are right.

Rep pts for thinking outside the box.....
 
"""Now slide a resized or loaded cartridge into
the base of the Factory Crimp die and raise the
ram to push the case completely through the die.""" from the lee instructions for the bulge buster

Does anyone else have an issue with using a raised pin to push a loaded round through a sizing die like the Lee instructions recommend? The push pin doesn't look too much wider than a primer.


Mike_Diako said:
Lee has a new product out called the "buldge buster" it's supposed to be $20. You might want to check it out when it becomes available. Here is a link to the instructions


www.leeprecision.com/cgi-data/instruct/1855.pdf
Click to expand...
 
I repeat:
___________________________
Do not use the Bulge Buster Kit to reload for the
40 S&W Glock or similar guns with chambers that
do not fully support the cartridge due to the
intrusion of the feed ramp.
____________________________
 

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