What did you do in the reloading room recently?

[whacko]

The heavy bullets are easy due to their mass. Wait until you try to remove a fractured frangible in .223 or even 9mm.

I don't own a single fire arm in either cal.

Fwiw the 357 I pulled was 125 grainers. 5 to 6 light taps and they pop.

 

[PL-52]

The theory behind the smash a whack bullet puller is the less rebound the more direct inertia that is applied to removing the bullet from the casing, if your hammer’s bouncing it isn’t doing what is designed for. Imho

 

[bigblue]

The anvil of my bench vise works perfectly for impacting my bullet puller.

 

[mac1911]

You'll ruin the puller on concrete.

The end grain of a piece of yellow pine 2x4 or or a piece of hardwood firewood is much better to preserve the hammer end.

I been lazy and use the foundation edge often enough and my Blue ( Franford Arsenal ) hammer has held up well.
The lead hunk works best .

 

[PL-52]

* Just a quick addendum, I have 2 of the whack-a-mole hammers for some reason, I have no idea where 1 of them came from. I never liked changing the rubber band on the 3 piece thingamabobs. I keep one set up for 9mm and 1 for .45acp

 

[xtry51]

* Just a quick addendum, I have 2 of the whack-a-mole hammers for some reason, I have no idea where 1 of them came from. I never liked changing the rubber band on the 3 piece thingamabobs. I keep one set up for 9mm and 1 for .45acp

Pro tip. You can use a shell holder plate inside the hammer instead of the 3 wedges. Since those stupid rubber bands on the wedges always break

 

[PL-52]

Thanks I never thought of that. I have an extra set of shell plates too!

 

[Mudflap621]

Pro tip. You can use a shell holder plate inside the hammer instead of the 3 wedges. Since those stupid rubber bands on the wedges always break

Just be careful I was using one for 30-30 and they chipped shellholder and messed up some brass before I noticed it. Thanks for the reminder I gotta get ahold of lee, wonder if they’ll replace it.

 

[Uzi2]

Pro tip. You can use a shell holder plate inside the hammer instead of the 3 wedges. Since those stupid rubber bands on the wedges always break

I just bought some better O rings.

 

[DW357]

I loaded up the last of my 44 cal 240 gr XTPs with H110 in anticipation of receiving my Desert Eagle next week.

I also loaded up 4 rounds of the Xtreme 240 gr plated bullets with H110. Curious if they can hold up to the velocity. I made a dummy round and it didn’t appear to break through the plating.
View attachment 455490

Finally shot the Xtreme bullets today. I only had 5 water jugs and that was not enough
Out of the Desert Eagle, in went through all 5 but I was able to recover the bullet in the berm.
I’m shocked how well the plating held up with a good dose of H110 and a firm roll crimp. I think it’s safe to say these are good to go in the DE.

 

[DW357]

Scored a bunch of PMC and Armscor “A USA” 357 mag brass at the range today. I’ve never used Armscor 357 brass before. Is it good to go?
Also snagged a bunch of shiny 30-30 brass. Love how people leave such nice brass behind....
Not to mention loaded rounds. Broke down a few rounds I found today, for primers...

 

[TrashcanDan]

“A USA” 357 mag brass at the range today. I’ve never used Armscor 357 brass before. Is it good to go?

Throw that garbage out. Had horrible luck with it in .45.
I toss it now whenever I get it.

 

[DW357]

Throw that garbage out. Had horrible luck with it in .45.
I toss it now whenever I get it.

Crap. Picked up like 40 cases. Bummer

 

[Demoman]

Crap. Picked up like 40 cases. Bummer

Use a universal decapping die and load them up for plinking. Only issue I have had is offset primer holes

 

[DW357]

Use a universal decapping die and load them up for plinking. Only issue I have had is offset primer holes

Good to know. Thanks

 

[Viper22]

Loaded up some .223 w/60gr & 77gr Sierra TMK's.

Few nights ago it was 9mm w/147gr Hornady XTP's

 

[38ExtraSpecial]

Loaded a couple hundred 9mm with MP 357-130 RN hi-tek Coated.
going to bang out a few hundred more before I switch over to 38s again.

 

[jpm]

Crap. Picked up like 40 cases. Bummer

let me check my stash, I could swear I've used that with good luck in 357

 

[bigblue]

Just bought 75 grain HPBT Hornady for $0.22 each, I consider that a win. My bolt gun loves the heavier stuff.

 

[p..]

Loaded a couple hundred 9mm with MP 357-130 RN hi-tek Coated.
going to bang out a few hundred more before I switch over to 38s again.

Do you size them to 356 when using in 9mm, or just run them from the mold?

 

[TrashcanDan]

Crap. Picked up like 40 cases. Bummer

So it loaded "Off Center" for lack of a better description. Like exactly one half of the case wall was thinner or weaker in a section and stretched out when a bullet was pressed in.
I had a picture of it , not sure if I still do, and it did it on every piece.
It was odd, like one half of the case was a straight line from the case mouth to the rim and the other side had this tumor like bulge to it.
I was running a batch of 400 or so at the time, that was the only brass that did it.

At one time, there was a list of Bad Headstamps To Avoid over at Castboolits. AA-USA was on there.

 

[bigblue]

So it loaded "Off Center" for lack of a better description. Like exactly one half of the case wall was thinner or weaker in a section and stretched out when a bullet was pressed in.
I had a picture of it , not sure if I still do, and it did it on every piece.
It was odd, like one half of the case was a straight line from the case mouth to the rim and the other side had this tumor like bulge to it.
I was running a batch of 400 or so at the time, that was the only brass that did it.

At one time, there was a list of Bad Headstamps To Avoid over at Castboolits. AA-USA was on there.

Lee Factory Crimp die would fix that, no?

 

[38ExtraSpecial]

Do you size them to 356 when using in 9mm, or just run them from the mold?

These actually drop at about .358” IIRC I size them to .357” which works perfect for me needs.

 

[TrashcanDan]

Lee Factory Crimp die would fix that, no?

At the time, I was using that Lee 4 die set. Tried a Redding Profile die and that wasn't it either. Narrowed it down to the brass, which was simple enough because it was all the same head stamp.
Not long after that, at around the same time I was getting a little more selective with brass I went to the Sq Deal. I had amassed enough .45 ( 2 -5 gallon buckets) to start sorting and keeping what I knew would work.
It was weird, looked like the lobe on a camshaft almost. Not that it had that eccentric kick, just off center. Like the old fuel pump lobes, but less pronounced.

 

[mac1911]

Just be careful I was using one for 30-30 and they chipped shellholder and messed up some brass before I noticed it. Thanks for the reminder I gotta get ahold of lee, wonder if they’ll replace it.

email them, lee has replaced more things for me than expected.

 

[mac1911]

Finally shot the Xtreme bullets today. I only had 5 water jugs and that was not enough
Out of the Desert Eagle, in went through all 5 but I was able to recover the bullet in the berm.
I’m shocked how well the plating held up with a good dose of H110 and a firm roll crimp. I think it’s safe to say these are good to go in the DE.
View attachment 461329View attachment 461330View attachment 461331

Looks like they never touched the rifling.

 

[jpm]

Crap. Picked up like 40 cases. Bummer

I just checked and I do have a ton of that headstamp in my primed and shot 357mag brass stash. They were good to go for me.

 

[mac1911]

Scored a bunch of PMC and Armscor “A USA” 357 mag brass at the range today. I’ve never used Armscor 357 brass before. Is it good to go?
Also snagged a bunch of shiny 30-30 brass. Love how people leave such nice brass behind....
Not to mention loaded rounds. Broke down a few rounds I found today, for primers...

might have been hard for the old guy to bend over. Was at the range and a old timer hardly made it from car to bench. Hate to see the effort for him to collect his brass.
Then theres the ones that leave the trass for the peasant s.

 

[mac1911]

At the time, I was using that Lee 4 die set. Tried a Redding Profile die and that wasn't it either. Narrowed it down to the brass, which was simple enough because it was all the same head stamp.
Not long after that, at around the same time I was getting a little more selective with brass I went to the Sq Deal. I had amassed enough .45 ( 2 -5 gallon buckets) to start sorting and keeping what I knew would work.
It was weird, looked like the lobe on a camshaft almost. Not that it had that eccentric kick, just off center. Like the old fuel pump lobes, but less pronounced.

Some brass does it more than others.
What o have found is when i get that deformation the bullet is not starting square. It will buldge


Bulge the side of the case as it goes in amd eventully the bullet straightens out a bit.
Its just enough to give it that shape.
i had more of a problem with cast loads with flat profiles using a rounded profile seater.
i eventully found a seater in my junk pile that was for truncated nose and it works great.

 

[DW357]

Looks like they never touched the rifling.

I know! The bullets are supposedly .429" but I’ll have to check when I get home. Wonder if they’re undersized. I know the DE barrel has polygonal rifling - no idea if that matters.