Lee Bulge Buster

[ranger]

I shoot at a private outdoor range and many shooters leave their brass - I pick up range brass and reload. I have reloaded 45ACP for decades - lately I have seen a rash of 45 brass that has some form of bulge that prevents reliable functioning and I am using a Lee undersized sizing die. No, I do not know why there is so much bulged 45 or where it is coming from - confident it is not coming from my 1911. I have been case gauging all my 45 reloads and putting the "fails" in a box. The percentage of fails reached a point that I needed to do something so I bought a Lee Bulge Buster kit along with a second Lee crimp die. Using a RCBS single stage press, I set up the Lee Bulge Buster kit and ran all my "bulged" 45 though. Seems to work well and seems to have saved a bunch of 45 reloads. I will try 9mm next.

[LittleLebowski]

I use the Lee FCD (https://www.brownells.com/reloading/reloading-dies/handgun-dies/pistol-carbide-factory-crimp-dies-prod54165.aspx) to do the same with 9mm, works well, I never have to mess with it, and my rounds made on my 650 case gauge perfectly.

[ranger]

I use the Lee FCD (https://www.brownells.com/reloading/reloading-dies/handgun-dies/pistol-carbide-factory-crimp-dies-prod54165.aspx) to do the same with 9mm, works well, I never have to mess with it, and my rounds made on my 650 case gauge perfectly.

I use Lee dies on my Dillon 550. Lee undersized crimp die, Lee disc powder drops, and the Lee FCD. Use Lee setups in 9, 40, 45, and 380 on my Dillon 550s - plus Lee rifle dies too. Even then, I had some bulged 45 coming through - the bulges are so close to the rim that the dies are not getting it.

[LittleLebowski]

I use Lee dies on my Dillon 550. Lee undersized crimp die, Lee disc powder drops, and the Lee FCD. Use Lee setups in 9, 40, 45, and 380 on my Dillon 550s - plus Lee rifle dies too. Even then, I had some bulged 45 coming through - the bulges are so close to the rim that the dies are not getting it.

Ah, copy. Glad I’ve never had to step up to the bulge buster.

Also, I sure love the Dillon 550.

[Duelist]

Reloading for .40 with range brass pretty much requires the bulge buster.

[noylj]

The idea of bulges .45 Auto cases is sort of scary.
My own rule is that if I can SEE the bulge, the case is ruined.
For 9x19 and 9x21, I use the Lee 9mm Mak FCD to bust bulges.
Amazing how even my light .40 S&W loads need bulge busting so often that I just gave up and do ALL of them.
Just as an aside, I prefer, where possible, to use my barrel for a gage and run a Plunk test.
Take the barrel out of the gun. Drop rounds in until you find one that won't chamber. Take that round and "paint" the bullet and case black with Magic Marker or other marker. Drop round in barrel (or gage) and rotate it back-and-forth a few times.
Remove and inspect the round:
1) Scratches in the ink on bullet--COL is too long
2) Scratches in the ink on edge of the case mouth--insufficient crimp
3) Scratches in the ink just below the case mouth--too much crimp, you're crushing the case
4) Scratches in the ink on case at base of bullet--bullet seated crooked due to insufficient case expansion (not case mouth flare) or improper seating stem fit
5) Scratches in the ink on case just above extractor groove--case bulge not removed during sizing. May need a bulge buster.
This lets me SOLVE the problem instead of just setting it aside...

[LittleLebowski]

Glock barrels cause much of this.

[tankpondman]

Glock barrels cause much of this.

My 9mm reloads plunk right into a S&W 39 chamber.

Not so into my Gen4 Glock.

The scratch on the Glock round is just below middle of case.

Most every round of a box of 50 has same scratched place.

Can all the cases be buldged to start?

[LittleLebowski]

My 9mm reloads plunk right into a S&W 39 chamber.

Not so into my Gen4 Glock.

The scratch on the Glock round is just below middle of case.

Most every round of a box of 50 has same scratched place.

Can all the cases be buldged to start?

If they were fired out of a Glock.

[sparkyv]

I set up the Lee Bulge Buster kit and ran all my "bulged" 45 though. Seems to work well and seems to have saved a bunch of 45 reloads. I will try 9mm next.

First, kudos for gauging your handloads. I do the same for ALL my pistol handloads, don't ask me why. :p

Second, if you BB 9mm, you will need the bushing from the 9mm Makarov Lee FCD to make this work. It works well for me. Like Duelist, I have to BB 40SW more than anything else I load.

[SecondsCount]

Interesting issue.

I use Dillon dies and have never had this issue with 9mm, 40, or 45. Years ago I remember reading an article in the Blue Press where Mike Dillon said that he designed his 45ACP dies to "undersize" the brass case. This created more support for the bullet during feeding but I wonder if it helps with the bulge issue as well.

I have some Lee dies as well and prefer their 223 sizing die.

[noylj]

Sorry, no. Dillon dies don't even really touch the area where bulges appear. .45 Auto should never have a bulge due to low pressure.

[Mark D]

I use the Lee FCD (https://www.brownells.com/reloading/reloading-dies/handgun-dies/pistol-carbide-factory-crimp-dies-prod54165.aspx) to do the same with 9mm, works well, I never have to mess with it, and my rounds made on my 650 case gauge perfectly.

Bought one of the these last week in 9mm, based on your recommendation in another thread. My HKs are pretty forgiving, but every now and then they'll choke on my 650 reloads due to bulged brass.

[xdmikey]

I just finished a multi-k 40 cal project that involves BB an S-ton of 1x brass. All of it BB'd.

I'm glad to see that y'all are open minded as far as this case treatment goes.

I've had my fill of atomic loads and load middle of the road now but I'm a squeeze the crap out of the toothpaste tube kinda guy!

Many thanks to LittleLebowski for his arfcom post on the LTT XD-e pistol, which brought me back here!

[Borderland]

Bulged range brass is a thing. Some can't be salvaged. I check mine with a case gage after sizing. If it won't pass a gage I toss it. Not worth the time and money to load a case if it's bulged. I also crimp all my auto ammo with a LFCD. I use a heavier crimp on my 45 acp revolver ammo due to bullet creep. The die is much easier to adjust than a seat/crimp die. The extra step is no big deal. I think a lot of people have gone to seating and crimping in separate operations. Dismissed by old reloaders but very helpful for people like me who have only been reloading auto for a short time. It can be a little more challenging than roll crimps and helps eliminate a lot of frustration dealing with shaved lead and bullet creep. Getting a seat/crimp die adjusted can be a PIA.

[Tokarev]

For those interested in using the Bulge Buster; Lee is launching a new press called the APP. It will accept the BB die and uses a case feeder that should speed up processing nicely.

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