Marco Califo
New member
I bought 3000 40 S&W range brass a few months ago. Now after wet tumbling with pins, and polishing in corn cob with NuFinish they are clean and shiny. I immediately noticed kind of a lot of bulged brass, some badly, and thrown out (Blazer mostly). So, I was obligated to purchase Lee's Bulge Buster kit. Note this "kit" also requires the Lee Factory Carbide Crimp Die in the same caliber as your brass. As long as you have that to you can process 380, 9mm, 40 and 45ACP.
How the brass gets bulged has been well covered in other threads, and I wont talk about that in this thread. The fact is I have bulged brass and am processing it, and intend to load it in typical target loads for range qualification, etc.
So I got started today. You actually disassemble your crimp die and remove the crimping sleeve. Then you screw the bulge buster into that die. The other piece goes where a shell holder would, and is a ram to push the entire case through the carbide sizing ring in the factory crimp dies. I am using a Lee hand press (held upside down) and catch them in a gallon plastic jar.
My question are:
1. If a case goes through the die, is it good to go?
I have seen some not bulged, some with bulges, and some with bigger bulges. But I have been able to get everyone through (over 50 so far).
I do have dial and digital micrometers, not within reach right now. When I measured some of the bulges I was shocked, but had no point of reference.
2. Is there a certain bulge size I should consider to be a No-Go case and discard?
None of these will be used for max loads. I have brand new brass for that.
How the brass gets bulged has been well covered in other threads, and I wont talk about that in this thread. The fact is I have bulged brass and am processing it, and intend to load it in typical target loads for range qualification, etc.
So I got started today. You actually disassemble your crimp die and remove the crimping sleeve. Then you screw the bulge buster into that die. The other piece goes where a shell holder would, and is a ram to push the entire case through the carbide sizing ring in the factory crimp dies. I am using a Lee hand press (held upside down) and catch them in a gallon plastic jar.
My question are:
1. If a case goes through the die, is it good to go?
I have seen some not bulged, some with bulges, and some with bigger bulges. But I have been able to get everyone through (over 50 so far).
I do have dial and digital micrometers, not within reach right now. When I measured some of the bulges I was shocked, but had no point of reference.
2. Is there a certain bulge size I should consider to be a No-Go case and discard?
None of these will be used for max loads. I have brand new brass for that.