Weird Case Bulge

[zanders]

I almost missed it because it is right on the wierd cannalure looking thing that these cases have. It's not all the way around, maybe about a quarter of the case.

I was just wondering:
1. What caused this?
2. Is it safe to shoot or should I just pull the bullet?

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[243winxb]

To much crimp?

Case not expanded before seating? Fat bullet requiring to high pressure to seat bullet?

Bullet seated very crooked?

Pull bullet. Scrap case.

 

[grandpawj]

If that's a 38 special load, you might have inadvertently tried to load a 357 mag case and the press buckled it.

 

[zanders]

To much crimp?

Case not expanded before seating? Fat bullet requiring to high pressure to seat bullet?

Bullet seated very crooked?

Pull bullet. Scrap case.

Well I'm doing a batch of 100 and this is the only one it's happened to so the bullet is seeming like the most likely option out of those. Thanks.

If that's a 38 special load, you might have inadvertently tried to load a 357 mag case and the press buckled it.

It's a 357 magnum load, but I can see how a mixup like that could happen.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I'm guessing you are seating and crimping in the same step.

As you wear the bullet and get close to the bottom the die starts to crimp the case. If you have the die adjusted incorrectly the case will crimp before the bullet is completely seated and since the crimp prevents the bullet from moving into the case further the pressure buckles the case instead.

Either readjust your seating/crimp die or seat and crimp in separate steps.

 

[reddog81]

Looks like too much crimp and the case started to buckle. I’m guessing the round won’t chamber.

 

[Walkalong]

You buckled the case, so you are crimping before the bullet is seated completely. So way too much crimp.

Loosen the lock ring, adjust seater stem all the way up, and start over.

Using a case and no bullet adjust the die body up until there is no crimp going on. Then set the seater stem to seat the bullet where you want it. Then screw the seater stem all the way up again and adjust the die body down until you get the required/wanted amount of crimp. Then screw the seater stem down firm against the bullet. Then seat/crimp another bullet and tweak die or stem as need, remembering any movement of the die body affects the amount of crimp, assuming an RCBS, Redding etc die where the crimp ledge is built into the die body.

 

[Blue68f100]

If that was the only one it could be that that case is just a tad longer. So it hung up at the top of the canallure causing the buckle. The reason a lot of revolver who crimp also trim.

 

[243winxb]

is the only one it's happened to

If this 1 cases trim length, is the longest of all cases, it will get crimped to much, or more then the rest.

 

[zanders]

Very helpful, thank you everybody. I know over crimping is something that I need to work on already. I'm going to go with it being a combination of that and a single case that was a bit longer than the rest. I guess a case trimmer in next on my list of reloading gear purchases.

 

[GP100man]

A set of calipers before loading will help tell the tale , you`ll be surprised at the differences, I trim my revolver brass (1 of the not so enjoyable tasks of reloading) some tools make it go fast though, but ya still have to find the "short batch" so it`all will be the same.

If a batch is close enuff ,I`ll seat then crimp in separate steps .

Be advised , if loading lead boolits a taper crimp die can size the boolit down a bit , not good for accuracy or the boolits ability to seal gases behind it.

I feel a taper crimp die was made to close a auto pistol round after flaring to accept a boolit.

GP100man

 

[Walkalong]

Be advised , if loading lead boolits a taper crimp die can size the boolit down a bit , not good for accuracy or the boolits ability to seal gases behind it.

Only if overdone, and if anyone is destroying the base with a taper crimp to the point it doesn't seal well, wow.

 

[zanders]

A set of calipers before loading will help tell the tale , you`ll be surprised at the differences, I trim my revolver brass (1 of the not so enjoyable tasks of reloading) some tools make it go fast though, but ya still have to find the "short batch" so it`all will be the same.

If a batch is close enuff ,I`ll seat then crimp in separate steps .

Be advised , if loading lead boolits a taper crimp die can size the boolit down a bit , not good for accuracy or the boolits ability to seal gases behind it.

I feel a taper crimp die was made to close a auto pistol round after flaring to accept a boolit.

GP100man

Yeah I have a set of calipers already, I just haven't really bothered to use them for measuring cases so far. With the new starline 45 colt brass it hasn't been an issue and with some factory once fired brass it was an issue with 1/300 so far. I can see it potentially affecting accuracy though even if it doesn't destroy the case.

Any suggestions for case trimmers?

 

[MEHavey]

Seating while simultaneously (excessively*) crimping . . . and in what looks like a total copper-clad bullet that has no crimp groove to start.**

* That's a lotta mouth roll-over crimp in pic#1 . . . especially for what looks like/may be a 38SP(?)
** Does the bullet have a crimp groove?

FWIW: run the cartridge back into the sizer die just enough to squeeze the bulge back . . . just enough to chamber.
- - Go thou out and sin not more - - (i.e., get/use bullets with crimp grooves, or seat/crimp in two separate steps.)

 

[Drail]

When reloading you MUST measure everything. You cannot guess - you must know.

 

[1KPerDay]

I agree that in your case it's likely what is described above. It doesn't look "manufactured" to me. I had a few .38s do this out of a large batch of mixed brass and my crimp was very light and the bulge was very pointy and in exactly the same place on all of my examples. It prevented chambering. In that case it only made sense to me that there was some anomaly or manufacturing defect or feature particular to this particular batch of brass. It wasn't the cannelure that some old brass has halfway down that you sometimes see. The sides of the cases were smooth inside and out. The cases were Western headstamp IIRC.

 

[zanders]

Seating while simultaneously (excessively*) crimping . . . and in what looks like a total copper-clad bullet that has no crimp groove to start.**

* That's a lotta mouth roll-over crimp in pic#1 . . . especially for what looks like/may be a 38SP(?)
** Does the bullet have a crimp groove?

FWIW: run the cartridge back into the sizer die just enough to squeeze the bulge back . . . just enough to chamber.
- - Go thou out and sin not more - - (i.e., get/use bullets with crimp grooves, or seat/crimp in two separate steps.)

I can see how the color might be misleading, but the bullet is in fact a MBC 158 grn Hi-Tek coated SWC. The bullet does have a crimp groove, but it's not really visible in the pictures.

I agree that in your case it's likely what is described above. It doesn't look "manufactured" to me. I had a few .38s do this out of a large batch of mixed brass and my crimp was very light and the bulge was very pointy and in exactly the same place on all of my examples. It prevented chambering. In that case it only made sense to me that there was some anomaly or manufacturing defect or feature particular to this particular batch of brass. It wasn't the cannelure that some old brass has halfway down that you sometimes see. The sides of the cases were smooth inside and out. The cases were Western headstamp IIRC.

Sorry I didn't mean to imply that the rounds were manufactured, just that the brass was from some factory rounds rather than virgin brass. This particular batch was FC head stamped and I believe they were originally 158gr JSP rounds that I didn't like very much.

 

[1KPerDay]

Sorry I didn't mean to imply that the rounds were manufactured, just that the brass was from some factory rounds rather than virgin brass.

oh, I didn't take it to mean that. What I was saying is that in my case it appeared to be some kind of manufacturing defect. In your case it probably is the crimping issue described above.

 

[zanders]

Ah, got it.

 

[Walkalong]

but the bullet is in fact a MBC 158 grn Hi-Tek coated SWC. The bullet does have a crimp groove, but it's not really visible in the pictures.

Medium Roll Crimp on a plaed 158 Gr SWC. I didn't get enough light in the pic to see it well.

 

[Walkalong]

An old post about crimping and seating in one step vs two.

A 125 Gr lead bullet with a proper crimp groove seated and crimped in one step in a .38 Spl case.

 

[Walkalong]

Have you tried re-adjusting the dies yet?

 

[Bfh_auto]

Yeah I have a set of calipers already, I just haven't really bothered to use them for measuring cases so far. With the new starline 45 colt brass it hasn't been an issue and with some factory once fired brass it was an issue with 1/300 so far. I can see it potentially affecting accuracy though even if it doesn't destroy the case.

Any suggestions for case trimmers?

If you are only doing handgun, I like the Lyman EZee trim kit.