The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

Zilberbak wrote:I used the resizing/primer de-capping die first on all of the spent rounds as I thought this would be sufficient to resize the cases (obviously not).

I will use the factory resizing die and check the case lengths afterwards ditching duds as I go.

Please explain the difference 'tween these two dies?

What make are they?

Do you have any photographs of them you could share?

Got to admit, I'm somewhat confused at the explanation....

Apologies I have yet to have used the factory resizing die and having looked at the Lee website and it appears it is used on a completed bullet to iron out any irregularities so in theory will chamber in to any gun.

I am using the Lee Classic with a four hole turret but only using the resizer/de-capper die, loader/flarer die and bullet/crimper die.

The factory die is a crimp die and not s sizing die, it will not fix lack of bullet retention in the case.

How are you setting up the sizing die?

If it is steel raise the ram with the shellholder in place and screw the sizing die in 'till it touches the shell holder and then use the lock ring to hold in position.

If it is a carbide die do the same and then back the die off an eighth of a turn so that it is just clear of the shell holder.

If that doesn't work then the die is wrong.

When you flare it should just kiss the case and the flare should be almost imperceptible, just enough for the bullet to seat in the case.

That is if you are using condoms.

Also check the expansion/powder through die, set it to touch the fully raised shell holder then back it out 1 complete turn, this should give you zero case mouth flare, if you've re-sized the cases and set the die correctly you should not be able to easily push a bullet into the case mouth using your fingers. To flare the case turn it in 1/16 of a turn and try, continue until you get the required amount of flare.

The bullet seating die should also be set to touch the shell holder then backed out by 3 full turns to stop it crimping the case mouth if you're also using the Factory Crimp Die.

Think l have it sussed!

Checking some of the other brass l was given there are a few that have already been de-primed and l have a horrible feeling that l did not re-size the ones like this in the first batch that l did.

l fired off 46 last night checking each one before l loaded the magazine. Four of them were loose so l put them aside.

This morning carefully took them apart including gently de-priming and resized them.

Bullet heads now sit nice and tight.

Live and learn, ho hum.

Thanks for all the advice.

...Ah!!!

I think I have sussed out your problem

You should try to seat ALL the bullet into the resized cases, not just the "bullet head".