Flaring

[Bullseye]

In another post about crimping a pistol round it was mentioned one thing it depended on was whether or not the case was flared with the expander die.

I know you need to flare the case mouth if loading cast bullets, but do you need to flare if using jacketed bullets since they generally have a slight taper on the edge that goes in the case.  I always flare mine when expanding but always wondered if I need to since you do not when reloading a bottleneck case with jacketed bullets.

[gypsyman]

I give my case's a slight flare, even with jacketed bullets. More of a personel preferance thing than a neccessity, do it just because it make's me feel better when I seat the bullet. I really like the Lyman M dies for my cast bullets. We keep trying peace, it usually doesn't work!!Remember-(12/7/41)(9/11/01) gypsyman

[OLDHandgunner]

I always give the cases for jacketed pistol bullets a slight bell. It makes seating a whole lot easier. It don't have to be as much as you do for a cast bullet.

[MnMike]

I think that even with jacketed bullets, a slight flare centers the bullets better, is easier on the neck, and eliminates the occational loss of a case. Obviously on cast bullets, more flaring is essential. I learned that the hard way.

mike

[Glanceblamm]

That belling is a very good practice with Jacketed along with cast. Besides centering the bullet as said already, it will keep you from shaving an edge from the bullet. If this happens, it is no longer concentric meaning that it will not spin on the center of its axis and will create a wobble.

[Reed1911]

Most folks do slightly flare when seating any bullets in pistol cases. In a bottleneck case usually the brass is a bit thicker and it will not cause a problem (depending on caliber). I do not flare on either; I cut a slight bevel on the case mouth and the dies I use pre center the bullet on the case before any seating pressure is applied. While it is hard to really prove if it is worth it or not, my feelings are that it helps prolong the case life a little and keeps the mouths from splitting and it aids in keeping tension uniform. Again, that is just my personal thoughs and no real research has been done on my end to proove it or disproove it. Unless you are set-up for it, belling the case slightly will be your best bet.