bullet seating shaves lead

[hunter3040]

I recently started loading for my 30/40 Krag using cast gas checked bullets.  As I seat the bullets, I am shaving off a little bit of lead.  When I load cast bullets in my 44, I bell the case to accept the bullet.  What do I do when loading the Krag to eliminate the problem?

Thanks.

[John Traveler]

You do eactly the same thing for rifle cases loading lead bullets as you do pistol cases loading lead bullets. You bell mouth them.

Lyman makes an "M" epander die that both slightly flares and enlarges a short part of the case neck to accept the cast bullet base.  It accepts the bullet base perfectly, and helps to keep it aligned as you seat the bullet.  

You can do the same thing with a hand-made tool.  Use a file to shape a 5/16" brass or steel rod spun on an electric drill motor or drill press.  A lathe is easier, of course.  Make the flaring end a stepped affair with .312" diameter stepped to .308" diameter. Attach a wooden dowel handle, and use it to press into the mouth of sized and primed cases.  Lead shaving goes away!

John

[Castaway]

When loading cast bullets in my Enfield, I use a nail punch to flair the mouth.  Just a light tap with a hammer does the job.

[Nobade]

Often just chamfering the case mouth with a VLD reamer will work. I have been also recently playing with the Lee universal expander die. It's pretty slick - more repeatable than a nail and cheap at about 8 bucks. They won't expand a section of the neck paralell like the M die will, but they will certainly flare the mouth to eliminate shaving.

[calvon]

I had the same problem with a 357 Sig, a 9mm Luger, and a .40 S&W. I was using RCBS combination seat and crimp dies. After tinkering around with each of them at some length I determined that the shaving was caused by the crimp feature in the seating die. The bullet was pushed into the case during the crimp process just enough to shave a little curl of lead which would pile up in front of the case mouth and prevent the loaded round from fully entering the chamber of the gun.

The cure was simple: I bought a Redding taper crimp die for each of the three calibers. I backed off the seating die just far enough to disengage the crimp feature. After seating without crimping I ran them all through the Redding taper crimp die.

It meant one more trip through my single stage press but I have had no more problems with shaved lead.

[Leftoverdj]

Another vote for the Lee Universal expander. M dies are worth while for stuff you shoot a lot, but the Lee will bell about anything

[Flash]

RCBS makes an expander die and different sized heads that screw onto a piece of all-thread within the die. It is set up like a decaping die and with the proper piece of all-thread, all you need is the expanders because the hex nut and the threads in the top of your decaping die are alike and will accept the all-thread. RCBS makes them in most all rifle calibers since belling the case mouth is necessary for cast rifle loads.