45 ACP seating depth.

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I'm at my wits end on getting consistent seating depth with my pistol cartridges especially the 45 ACP. Using any dead length seating die in my progressive presses ( Lee Loadsmasher, or a new breech lock pro), I can carefully set up the seating die EXACTLY. Then when I run a batch and check them, they run about
.008"--.010" longer. Same results with hard cast, plated, hi-tek coated and jacketed. I'm careful not to short stroke the press, but something must be limiting the upward limits of the ram. I have only one last guess to investigate. The factory crimp die. It does require it be touching the shell plate, and it offers resistance to the upward stroke. I'm awaiting a Redding pro crimp die as a last ditch to this annoyance. If I try to readjust while loading, even a minor change results in hunting + and -, never hitting a sweet spot.
Anyone encounter this phenom? Was there a solution. :confused:
Bud.

"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure"---- Dan Quayle, 1990.

Re: 45 ACP seating depth.

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That did not occur to me until this evening, and I'll try that in the morning. First I'll have to pull down some loads as all my brass is currently loaded. Yeah that die is looking pretty guilty. It does what it does real well, but I've noticed in the past after pulling down loads, that the cast and plated bullets are getting swaged down to around .450". So I won't miss it that much if it's condemned.
Bud.

"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure"---- Dan Quayle, 1990.

Re: 45 ACP seating depth.

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Marlene wrote: Sat Sep 08, 2018 9:14 am I like the fcd, but I never run them jammed all the way down. On my progressive, I just seat and crimp with the seater die. It does the job just fine that way.
I tried backing the die out until I could slip a piece of paper between the shellplate and die. It made no difference. The working force applied to the die by the case itself is offering enough resistance to cause my problem. Removing the FCD dropped uncrimped, but uniform OAL cartridges.
The die has a place in reloading, just not on a progressive press in my opinion.
Bud.

"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure"---- Dan Quayle, 1990.

Re: 45 ACP seating depth.

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Marlene wrote: Sat Sep 08, 2018 1:53 pm It might be ok if you dial back the amount of crimp and lean in to the lever at the end of the stroke to make sure you’re taking up all slop/resistance in the system.
Well... if I still have problems after trying the Redding pro crimp, I'll just go back to seating and crimping with the same die, and leave a station open.
I start my progressive press loading with brass already FL sized and primed. This allows me to use the Lee auto disk/expander, then an RCBS lockout die, Hornady bullet feeder, then, seat and crimp dies.
I've used the FCD on my classic cast turret and had no issues. Obviously, in that press, only one die at a time was influencing the press ram.

My secondary 45 ACP seating die is an RCBS, and oddly, that die has a roll crimp. It is a dual purpose die for the ACP as well as the 45 GAP. Probably why the roll crimp. Useless to me for my auto loaders, except for seating.
I could though, use the RCBS to seat, and try the Lee seater as a crimp only set up. Just now occured to me as I'm writing this. Gotta go try it!
Bud.

"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure"---- Dan Quayle, 1990.

Re: 45 ACP seating depth.

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Marlene wrote: Sat Sep 08, 2018 2:30 pm You could seat with the rcbs die and taper crimp with your other seater die?
Yep, that was my last line in the last post above.

Same results. Fearsome confused, I then changed out the whole die setup. I fl sized AND case mouth expanded in a separate operation. I took my RCBS uniflow and put a pistol rotor in it (it's case activated), then lockout die, bullet feed die, RCBS seat, Lee seat set to taper crimp. Less variance with plated. The jacketed and my own hardcast SWC checked within .001", near perfect. Missouri bullets Hi-Tek SWC perfect.
I had high hopes to get the plated to conform. The reason is, winter is coming and the indoor ranges here don't allow cast bullets anymore. The range closest to me is ignorant about Hi-Tek coated, and powder coated bullets, and turns me away.
The exact cause is probably not one thing, but a combination of things happening at once. I've spent more time chasing this gremlin than I like, and I'm just going to drive the extra miles to a friendly range with the Hi-tek's.
It sounds a bit crazy, but it's almost like the plated bullets act like a marshmallow. Push down on them to seat, then spring back a little, or get squished up in the FCD. I don't really believe that, but it's amusing to consider.
Bud.

"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure"---- Dan Quayle, 1990.

Re: 45 ACP seating depth.

11
Are you having strong variations during the string of loading, or is there a gradual change in seating depth? I don't use coated, instead using grooved bullets with wax based lubes. I have to watch seating depth closely because sometimes lube buildup will cause deeper seating.

Are you experiencing any sort of buildup in your seat or crimp die?

Re: 45 ACP seating depth.

12
NuJudge, sorry for the delay, I've been away a while. No gradual change. The first would be best, then the rest would be way off.

Well, I've solved it, hang on while I explain. My new Starline cases were a bit erratic in case length. To get them all uniform I trimmed them to .889", just a bit over minimum. When I set up the dies I do them separately. Because my brass was trimmed very short, the Lee powder charge expand die had to be adjusted down further to get adequate flare to seat the bullet. When I adjusted the seating die there was no case at the flaring die station. If so, that would have limited the ram stroke a bit. When I began loading, the case in the shellplate behind the seater die stopped the bullet from going all the way in. It was not the FCD as I had thought. For some reason my FCD had always added a mere .0005" to the OAL, nothing to worry about but curious nonetheless.
So, the trick is, if you have short cases, adjust your seating depth with a case in the expand die station at the same time. :oops:
Bud.

"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure"---- Dan Quayle, 1990.

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