Quick Review of The Redding GRx Bulge Removal die for Glocked or Bulged Brass

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When I first started reloading 40 S&W, I used brass which had been fired from one of my M&P 40's. I had heard of the Glock bulge or "Glocked" brass, but it didn't matter at the time because I was using brass that had only been fired in my guns with fully supported chambers.

I also began collecting range brass knowing eventually I would run out by losing or wearing out that brass which had only been fired in my guns.

I had a 5 gallon bucket full of 40 s&w range brass, so I decapped and tumbled that filthy stuff in my big wet tumbler.

As I began inspection of some of the clean pieces, I noticed what I believed to be the "Glock" bulge, a small rounded protrusion about 1/8-1/4" or so above the head/sidewall junction, and about 1/3" around the perimeter of the case. It was easy to see with the naked eye on clean cases.

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The bottom piece of brass shows a Glock bulge

Before trying on a progressive press, I decided to see if I could size the bulge out with my RCBS carbide die and I found that I could not. The bulge is just too close to the case head and the die, even when contacting the shell holder firmly, to reach it.

I loaded a dozen dummy rounds that I sized with Glock bulge and several did still slide easily into a chamber checker, and a couple did not. They could be pressed into a chamber checker with the thumb, but clearly the bulge on some was protruding enough to prevent effortless chambering.

I decided rather than throwing away everything with a Glock bulge, which would have been at least half the brass, I would get the Redding Carbide bulge removing push through die.

I put 1500 pieces of brass through the die, without lube, some nickel plated, but all squeaky clean. It went pretty quickly as I got the bottle adapter and used a 2 liter coke bottle with the bottom cut off. This, appeared to remove the bulge but to test further, I made some more dummy rounds and they all chambered easily.
Inspection with the caliper confirmed bulge removal as well.

Lee makes a bulge removal push through die also, and Redding makes a steel version that is about half the price of the carbide. But, given the quantity I was about to do, I would regret trying to save a few bucks only to require a lot more effort, or have problems I have heard about with the Lee version. I also wanted to see if I could get by without lubing, and with clean brass, you definitely can.

So, in short, if you need to remove the Glock bulge on 40 brass, the Redding GRx will do it with minimal effort. It will supposedly do 10 mm too but I can't comment on that at this time.
 
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Pretty much same results. I bought 3k of brass when I bought my first 40. Lots of odd mishappened brass. I bought the EGW undersized die for 40 and the Redding GrX die. Both work very well for returning brass to intolerance sizes. I find both satisfactory. I cut a hole in the bottom of plastic Folgers can to sit on top of the GRx die with the locking ring holding the can to the die and press. Works for when you don't have the screw adapter.
 
FWIW, I have resized thousands of pieces of range brass 40 S&W with my Dillon Carbide die and have never had a single issue with any of it.

I believe the GrX die will do 40, 357 SIG, 10mm, 9x25, etc. with the same diameter.
 
FWIW, I have resized thousands of pieces of range brass 40 S&W with my Dillon Carbide die and have never had a single issue with any of it.
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Removing the bulge, or believing you need to remove the bulge is a somewhat controversial topic. It seems that, when it comes to reloading equipment, most folks scoff at pieces of equipment until they find themselves in a situation where they need it. Im not implying that you are in that camp. Im just making an observation.

Another example is the bulge above the belt on belted rifle cases. I reloaded for a hunting .300win mag, a savage, for years without needing the belt bulge die....Until i got a competition .300wm with a tight chamber and couldn't figure out why they wouldn't easily chamber despite fl sizing all the way to the shell holder after about 2 or 3 firings. I tried the belted bulge removal die and then they all chambered easily as if they were brand new and I only had to size the datum back .002".

Same thing with this GRx die. I didn't need it until I needed it. I got a competition M&P 40 S&W and round that WILL chamber with a bulge in my M&P shield and full sized M&P 40 wont chamber as easily in my comp 40.

So, for some folks it probably a waste of money and time to buy and use this die. And, after all this brass has gone though this die and fired in my guns, I wont need it again (on THIS brass). But, if you do need to remove a glock bulge, this die will do it.
 
Buying once fired 40 S&W brass I had the same results as in your pic. My sizing die rolled up a burr and actually displaced brass and I scrapped those cases. The Lee Undersized Die actually left worse damage. The Redding carbide GR-X push thru die sized the brass fired in large chambers perfectly saving me scrapping maybe a fourth of my purchased once fired cases. My reloaded brass fired in my G23 Glock and CX-4 Beretta Storm carbine rifle do not swell brass. Don' know what guns have large chambers causing swelling in the head area? Now in my purchases of once fired 40 brass, I have found 2 or 3 with the dangerous "guppy belly" which looked like they fired out of battery. You have to inspect all your brass because the Redding GR-X die will size them and you may not notice the dangerous guppy belly. Would not reload 40 S&W without running all my cases through the GR-X die. The nearly straight walled non-tapered 40 S&W pistol brass needs the push through die sizing the "entire" case wall. Your pictures are excellent.
 
Removing the bulge, or believing you need to remove the bulge is a somewhat controversial topic. It seems that, when it comes to reloading equipment, most folks scoff at pieces of equipment until they find themselves in a situation where they need it. Im not implying that you are in that camp. Im just making an observation.
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I wasn't aware of the controversy and it wasn't my intention to scoff. I have MUCH reloading equipment that no one NEEDS. ;)

I don't know what camp I'm in honestly, I too was just sharing a data point.

Another example is the bulge above the belt on belted rifle cases. I reloaded for a hunting .300win mag, a savage, for years without needing the belt bulge die....Until i got a competition .300wm with a tight chamber and couldn't figure out why they wouldn't easily chamber despite fl sizing all the way to the shell holder after about 2 or 3 firings. I tried the belted bulge removal die and then they all chambered easily as if they were brand new and I only had to size the datum back .002".
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I haven't had that trouble since one of my two belted mags, a 7mmRM, has a cavernous chamber and the 375 I resize full length every time.

I did look into that die but for the price I think I'd just buy new brass.

Same thing with this GRx die. I didn't need it until I needed it. I got a competition M&P 40 S&W and round that WILL chamber with a bulge in my M&P shield and full sized M&P 40 wont chamber as easily in my comp 40.

So, for some folks it probably a waste of money and time to buy and use this die. And, after all this brass has gone though this die and fired in my guns, I wont need it again (on THIS brass). But, if you do need to remove a glock bulge, this die will do it.
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Interesting, I too have the M&P 40 and have shot thousands of resized range brass without issue. I also have a Glock 20 and have resized many pieces in the same die for that as well. I used that factory barrel for a while but hated what it does to the brass so I have a few Lone Wolf barrels and they are MUCH better.

I didn't mean to imply that is was a waste to buy: if you need it, you need it.

Was there a measurable difference at the base after sizing or was it just more that they were the same diameter all the way down?
 
@ disseminator

It's the M&P with the 5" barrel which is tighter.

The standard 4.25" 40 and 3.25" shield both with run about anything, even bulged Brass. With the 5", stuff that is snug in the chamber checker won't always "plunk" in the 5". I'm sure if it was chambered from the mag it would close....but that's just not good enough.


Also, I think some of this brass was fired in a gigantic chamber.

Anyway, I wasn't assuming you were in any camp, as I said. You just reminded me I needed to preemptively mention how specialty dies are scoffed at by some folks.


As for the belted mag dies...it wasn't just brass cost. Once I had my f class load done,I didn't want to have to retest it with new brass every 3rd load so that was a factor also
 
I have the Redding carbide die, love it. Every piece of 40 brass goes through that die. Take gallon freezer bag, a couple shots of Hornady one shot and throw the brass in, shake it and roll it around. The difference in the ease of operation is night and day. Brass then goes straight into the Dillon 650 hopper.
 
I have the Lee equivalent and I've run thousands of cases through it (literally). Every case goes through the die, it does not take long to do a large volume. Glad you like your tool.
 
I bought the steel GRx die when they first came out. When they got the Carbide version out, I gave my brother the steel one, and replaced it with carbide.
I have a Lee push Through in 45acp also and it works well.
I normally spray lube my cases with Dillon or my homemade version of it.

I have a 1911 45acp as well as a S&W 625 in 45acp.
I have a G23 and a G35 as well as a S&W 610 in 10mm/40 S&W.
My revolvers really do not like bulged brass at all. I run all of my 40 and 45 through a push through sizer before loading on the 550 Dillon.

I had a bucket of OLD Range Brass that I dug out a while back to check the Bulge. I had far more and worse bulged cases in the old Range Brass than current Range Brass. I suspect changes in factory powder/pressure and newer guns having more support has lessened the bulge issue to some degree.
I still size them all.

Bob
 
I'm not suggesting that you are doing anything that won't work for YOU...
If it works for you, you can't ask anymore than that...

For absolutely FACTORY resized brass,
(for speed gun that might have sloppy chambers, something that has been fired through machine gun chambers, etc.)
I bought a case roller machine http://www.casepro100.com

At about $1,200 to start, I can't recommend it for someone that doesn't fire 50,000 or 100,000 rounds a year, but it will spit out a case that has a base diameter that is exactly factory, and it somewhat restores extraction rims.

This thing will also take the lower case bloat out of .223/5.56 & .308/7.62 that has been fired in a sloppy or unsupported chamber and work the bloat back up the side of the brass without shaving or thinning the case.
I have motor drives on mine (not loading live ammo, so no issues with government) and they will spit out bloat corrected brass at about 700 to 1,200 an hour with no issues at all.

Like I said before, if you aren't doing a LARGE volume, or doing competition where every round MUST chamber without issue, then this IS NOT The way to remove the 'Glock Bulge' or .45 Smile from your handgun brass.
Since I do large volume of milbrass, and I have ZERO idea what they were fired through, I run them through the roller so customers don't have issues, they start with a brass that is, for all intents & purposes, factory brass sized on the bottom end.
 
I do the same with all .40 and 10mm brass, but run them through a Magma Engineering Casemaster Jr. With a Dillon casefeeder feeding it, you can run the brass through the carbide die, base first, at a terrific pace. And they come out back to factory specs. A little shot of One Shot lube takes the work out of it. I've seen bulged brass that measured as high as .436", and normal dies will make a belted .40 out of them.
 
you can run the brass through the carbide die, base first, at a terrific pace.
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Redding recommends NOT sending them through the die base first. I have accidentally done it a couple times but I try not to do it. They will fit easily in a chamber checker after being run though the carbide die and they chamber perfectly in all my .40's doing it the way Redding recommends.
 
I had not used my GRx die in a while. I just started loading 1000 rounds with Berry 155's.
Cleaning the cases in the Big Dillon Case Cleaner,
Next through the GRx Die.
I look in each case for Dirt, Rocks, and 9mm cases before going in the GRx.
Then I load them on the Dillon 550, or Bag them in a 1 Gallon Zip Loc with a Note that they have been Sized.
I did have a few cases that did need sized in the GRx without a doubt. Still a few pistols bulging the cases. Too much trouble trying to check them. Just run them all through the GRx, problem solved.

I have loaded 800 rounds as of this morning. I had probably 20 Winchester Cases that would not take primer. The 20 all looked to have a crimped in primer like Military. I had not noticed this before.

Bob
 
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