New Bullets; Now Need New Expander?

U

uncle.45

New member
I changed from Brand 'A' .45acp 200gr .4515" bullets to Brand ' B' .4525-.453" bullets.
Since then, only about 30% of finished rounds will pass the case gage I have always used.
For the last 10,000 rounds Brand 'A' passed 100%. :)
I switched to Brand 'B' because so many people have raved about them on forums.
Since Brand 'B' are sized larger, should I call Dillon to ask for a .002" larger expander?
Any input before I call them in the morning would really be appreciated.I
Thanks!
 
A larger expander won't make the loaded rounds fit the gauge any better. Never mind the gauge. Do the rounds go in your gun's chamber without resistance? That's what counts.

-TL

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk
 
They will plunk in my SW1911 which has a generous chamber, but not in my S&W 625JM wich has much tighter chambers.
 
They will plunk in my SW1911 which has a generous chamber,
but not in my S&W 625JM wich has much tighter chambers.
Click to expand...
Then you have a sizing (not an expander) problem -- and not w/ the 1911, but with the 625.
 
If this is on a 550 press you can adjust the expander to go down further into the case by adjusting the die downwards. It is a fine adjustment and it is easy to go too far
 
Good post tangolima.

I load/shoot a lot of MoBuCo's 200 LSWC; specifically, the soft cast. Although, I have used their hard cast too.

I recommend the Lee Factory Crimp Die. It will likely fix your problem. I use it for every pistol round I load and it works. It has a collar at the base of the die that will smooth out any case wall inconsistencies and allow your rounds to chamber. Neat product.
 
They will plunk in my SW1911 which has a generous chamber, but not in my S&W 625JM wich has much tighter chambers.
Click to expand...

Ah, something else besides your 625JM's chambers is going on here. I am presently loading .455" bullets that fit my S&W 25-2 just fine. Your problem is related to your taper crimping or lack thereof.

Don
 
Either that, or he got tight chambers off a worn reamer. Ruger's are famous for that, but I hadn't heard of it in a 25 of any kind. Nonetheless, a pin gauge set will narrow it down if that's the issue. If it is, the cylinder needs to be reamed.


uncle.45 said:
I am loading on a SDB, and the only adjustment on that station is flare.
Click to expand...

That's the adjustment Tsquared was referring to. He perhaps thought the wider bullets were scraping. The part of the powder drop tube below the flare is a fixed width. If you got a wider one the bullets would just start to drop into the case and would not be held well. The brass is not strong enough to size the bullet down. It will just stretch over top of the bullet, same as others.

You have a couple of options, both of which require owning another press since the Square Deal dies use a different thread size than standard dies. I have always had a small Lee Challenger or Lee Hand Tool press for special operations. With a standard die size press, you can do one of two things: Buy a Lee bullet sizer that mounts on the press and narrow your bullets for the Smith. Buy a Lee Carbide Factory Crimp die and run your finished rounds through it to squeeze the overall cartridge diameter down. Personally, I would go for sizing the bullets down a little rather than add extra squeezing and wear on the brass. They make both a 0.451" and 0.452" sizing die. I would get the former for the Smith, as hard cast bullets will spring back out a little after going through it.

A third option is the one I already mentioned: get your chambers reamed to SAAMI maximum. It may sound drastic, but it is actually the first step normally taken when doing an accuracy job on a revolver.
 
When I found the same problem and that my Missouri 200 gr coated .452 was actually .453, I resized the bullets and never looked back.
 
my Missouri 200 gr coated .452 was actually .453
Click to expand...

I don't have a v-anvil micrometer, accurate to at least .0001" - the correct instrument for the job. But my calipers measured 6 out of 6 of my MoBuCo 200 LSWC's (not coated) at .452".
 
I don't have a v-anvil micrometer, accurate to at least .0001" - the correct instrument for the job. But my calipers measured 6 out of 6 of my MoBuCo 200 LSWC's (not coated) at .452".
Click to expand...

What should we take from that?
 
Quote:
I don't have a v-anvil micrometer, accurate to at least .0001" - the correct instrument for the job. But my calipers measured 6 out of 6 of my MoBuCo 200 LSWC's (not coated) at .452".

What should we take from that?
Click to expand...

Have no idea, but measuring bullets ain't rocket science.

Don
 
What should we take from that?
Click to expand...

It was said that MoBuCo's 200 LSWC's measured .453", so I thought I'd measure mine. But I did so with the caveat that I don't actually have the correct instrument to do so. But I suppose nobody reading this does either and are just using calipers - like me. A v-anvil micrometer is a rather specialized instrument; usually reserved for industrial use (which I have used in a previous job).

So perhaps I got a bit into the weeds to add something constructive to the conversation.

Apologies.
 
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