Lee Bulge Buster Kit for 45 ACP

B

Bayou

New member
Hi, Guys -

Just an inquiry to see what the members' experiences may be:

Does anyone use a Lee Bulge Buster for processing 45 ACP cases? If so, what's the benefit in performance in doing so?

I already use the Lee Factory Crimp Die and was wondering if there was any additional benefit to using the bulge buster kit for 45 ACP.

Thanks, in advance, for your comments.

Bayou
 
Hi, g.,

No, my cases don't have bulges, and I load them only moderately - 230 grain ball with 4.9 grains of 700-X.

But, I do pick up quite a bit of range brass, and I've no idea of the history of that stuff.

So, I don't know if its worth putting the brasses through this extra step. I do use a Dillon case gauge for the 45 ACP. After FL sizing, most cases fit nicely flush in the case gauge, but yet a small percentage won't fit exactly flush. That's what got me to thinking about this bulge buster kit, so I thought I'd just ask about it.

Thanks, Bayou
 
FWIW. I haven't read any problems with 45 ACP bulges other than reloading mistakes (prior to shooting). If you run across one that doesn't fit your gauge. measure it. See where it's too big. Even if it's range brass, finding out exactly why the case won't gauge.

I don't go to extremes when loading my 45 ACP (20 years). I inspect all brass, setting aside any "odd" cases for further inspection. I don't bother with a case gauge (I have one, somewhere) and when reloading I use the barrels of my semi-autos as gauges. I can't remember measuring case length on my semi-auto brass. I don't "crimp" my handloads, I just use a taper crimp die to straighten out the case mouth (de-flaring). I like most Lee products but the FCD is an aid to sloppy reloading. If any of my ammo won't chamber, I'll find out why and fix it, and most often it's just a simple die adjustment...

All my ammo is safe and more accurate than I am. I can't condemn someone for doing "extra prep." because it's their ammo, their guns, their time, and their fun. I just explained my methods.

Enjoy...;)
 
I use the Lee Bulge Buster for 40 S&W. No notice of an improvement in accuracy but all the ammo chambers without fail. My brass is all range pick up.
 
I use the Lee Bulge Buster for 45 ACP (and 10mm/40 Cal). It straightens out the base of the brass; and I would think that's a good thing.

Does it improve performance? Maybe. Coupled with the use of the FCD, it seems there might be a slight improvement in feeding reliability; but I'll be the first to tell you that the evidence is anecdotal. And I won't be conducting a scientific study any time soon ;).

Bulge Busting is an extra step in the brass reconditioning process (and it can't be done on a progressive). So am I doing extra work for nothing? Depends on whether or not you count OCD/peace of mind :p.

On a side note: Both my 10mm's are Glocks and the brass come out of the gun quite bulged. And running them through the Bulge Buster requires noticeable effort - and I use lube. So that tells me that bulge busting 10mm is a good thing - and the difference is visually quite noticeable.

So for 45 ACP, I'm probably just spending some extra therapy time at the loading bench. But with 10mm, I tend to think it's a more useful/necessary step.
 
I load lots of 45 acp range brass and for what its worth, I have never had a problem with one not chambering using just the Lee deluxe carbide 4 die set.
 
I literally have buckets of brass for reloading 9mm,40S&W, and .45acp, all range brass. Only occasionally do I stumble across one with a bulge, usually in .40S&W and I just toss it in the trash. With thousands of pieces of brass to last me a lifetime I cant justify spending $30-40 on a bulge buster die to salvage a 5 cent piece of brass.
 
If you reload your 45 acp brass enough times, the case shortens and the un sized base grows in diameter. This may cause chambering problems in a tight chamber. It did for me in one instance.

Instead of a bulge buster in 45 acp, just modified a lyman die and shell holder to size further down on the case.

If you reload brass fired from a glock or some others, full length sizing (by what ever means) can be a good option, especially in 40 s&w.
 
For those unfamiliar with it, the Bulge Buster lets you run the whole case through the sizing ring on the Lee Carbide Factory Crimp Die instead of stopping short of the head, as happens with normal use on a press. Some cases fired in barrels with poor chamber support at the feed ramp will look "pregnant" and that bulge can extend below where the die stops acting on the diameter when it is used in a normal loading press. If you have that issue or case heads fattened by long use, the Bulge Buster is a perfectly good solution.
 
Hi, Guys -

The little bulge buster kit was pretty inexpensive, so I picked one up and have started toying with it. In my experience with 45s, I use a Dillon case gauge after sizing to assure each brass fits smoothly and flush. Simply for convenience, I use the case gauge rather than the barrel for checking the cases since I keep the case gauge on the bench all the time.

After sizing, roughly 5 - 10 % or so of the sized cases would not fit flush in the case gauge either at the rim or at the head right above the rim.

After running the 45 acp cases through the bulge buster (FCD), all fit flush and smooth. It appears this process perhaps "uniforms" the head area and rim of the cases. That's just my description, and it's probably not technically correct from an engineering standpoint.

Last weekend, I loaded 100 of the cases and brought them to the range. There were zero fails to feed. I used several bullet 230 grain types including RN plated, RN lead powder coated, Hornady XTP HP, and Montana Gold HP.

The pistol is a SR1911 with almost 1K rounds of reloads through it. I've never shot more than a handful of factory rounds. In the past, I've noticed about 1 or 2 fail to feeds per 100 reloads. The reloading press is set to have a slight camover using the sizing die, so it's doing the most it can do.

Having no FTFs out of the cases put through the bulge buster was a good sign and certainly encouraging. I will continue using the bulge buster kit and continue to monitor the results.

That's what I'm seeing so far with this process/tool.....

Bayou
 
"...any additional benefit..." Keeps Lee in business. snicker. According to their marketing types, the assorted manufacturers must bring out new stuff regularly or risk losing market share. That's marketing speak for them all getting fired.
 
I only have a Bulge Buster for .40... About HALF of the range pickup .40's I process would have considerable feed problems if I didn't bulge-bust them!
 
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