357 magnum problem

[ez45]

My problem is my reloads will chamber okay in one gun but not another. I have a ruger 50th anniversary flattop and an original flattop in 357 magnum. One round will fit in the 50th cylinder but not the original.

It will go maybe 2/3rds in and then stop. I have checked the cylinder and there is no lead buildup or ring from shooting 38 special. The crimp on the bullet is not excessive or causing any kind of bulge. I suspect it's just one has a smaller chamber than the other.

But, even so, shouldn't the rounds fit after full length resizing? Should I try another brand of dies? Do I have to separate the brass for each gun? Any ideas?

 

[CZ57]

ez, sounds like you have it figured. How old is your seat/crimp die? Might be worth considering a new crimp die and one I would highly recommend is the REDDING profile crimp die. It will both roll and taper crimp in one operation. The LEE factory crimp die will do similar (Roll crimp and post size) depending on your preference.

 

[GooseGestapo]

Check the adjustment on your sizing die.

If it's a steel set, it should be run down to touch the shell holder with the ram in the full-up position with a little flexing. If a "carbide" set, it should be run down to touch, then backed off 1/8 to 1/4 turn so case holder dosen't contact the die at full ram extention.......

If you still have issues... Send a sample case (not loaded ammo) to manfacturer with dies so they can "replace", adust, or diagnose the problem.

I've recently had to grind down the dies on two rifle sets from two Mfgs. to get brass to chamber in the gun they were loaded for. With CNC machining, and tigher tolerances on the newer guns being produced, the "clearances" are not as large as they generally were a few years back. An older set of dies may not meet current tolerance allowances......

 

[Sport45]

Before you mess with your dies try dropping a "factory" round into the two chambers. If it doesn't drop in, give the cylinder another good cleaning. If it drops in check your dies. I'll have to respectfully disagree with GooseGestapo. I believe all sizing dies, carbide or not, should touch the shell holder with the ram in full extension. This sometimes requires adjusting the die down a bit due to stretch when a case is in the shell holder.

I once had a similar problem with rounds not dropping into one chamber of my Dan Wesson and the thing looked squeaky clean. Turned out a bit of a swaged bullet had been rolled over the case mouth on a .38 and was "ironed" onto the cylinder wall. It was flat and shiny and I couldn't see it. A .357 casing, belled just enough to touch the chamber walls, caught it and scraped it out.

 

[jenrob]

I agree with sport45 sizer touching the shell holder at top of stroke
after shooting all my reloads I tried a friends about 80% of them would not chamber in my 357. We look and cleaned and then tried again no go. after taking his bullets and running them through a Lee FCD with the no crimp just using the sizer ring they would chamber. After this we started back tracking and come to find out that his seater crimp die was seat a little (lot) to low and when he was seating his bullets it was deforming the cases (bulge) just ennuff that you couldn't see it but that you could mic it and tell.
suggestion size a dummy round measure it then set a bullet in it the way you have been then measure it again.

 

[steveno]

make sure your crimp isn't bulging the case. you might need a caliper to find the bulge but it don't take much to prevent the case from going completely in the chamber

 

[rcmodel]

+1
Get hold of a Dial Caliper or Mic and do some measuring of your reloads.
O.D. of the .38 Spl./.357 Mag case should be .379" anywhere you measure it from the mouth to the rim.

You may be over-crimping them, which makes them too big over the crimp.


rcmodel

 

[The Bushmaster]

If your rounds are fitting in one .357 magnum revolver and not the other. I would revisit the fouled chamber possibility again and really look at it very closely...There just isn't that much difference in chamber dmentions from one .357 magnum to another.

 

[Bruce H.]

I have a similar problem with my Ruger New Model Blackhawk convertible for 357 and 9mm. I have no problem with 38 special reloads. They always fit into the chamber without a problem. The 9mm reloads are a diffferent story. It seems that the 9mm chamber must be a tighter fit. I have had some 9mm reloads that I had to push the round with my finger to seat in the chamber because it was stuck with about 1/8" of cartridge length still sticking out the back of the cylinder. I have even had some 9mm brass stick in the cylinder after firing and I had to remove the cylinder and use a hammer and a punch to remove the brass. I experienced this problem the first time that I used the 9mm cylinder, so it wasn't from being dirty. I have a Dillon Square Deal B press that I use for handgun rounds. I have noticed that the sizing dies for this press size the brass except for approximately the bottom 1/8". There is no way that I can adjust the sizing die to size the entire brass casing with this press. It is due to the design of the press. I believe that if I could full length size my 9mm brass I probably wouldn't have this problem. All of my other revolvers are designed for 357 and I have never experienced this problem with 38 special reloads that I have shot in any of them.