30M1 Carbine reloading problems

[taminsong]

Please help, I really couldn't make a nice looking bullet with my reloading set up for 30 M1 carbine.

I used the following dies:
sizer - lee carbide
lee powder thru expander
hornady seater die
lee factory crimp die

When the brass comes out of the powder thru expander, the other side of the mouth bulges noticeable and when I seat the bullet, it was crooked, and was really bad looking ammo!

I resized the brass in a forster coax press, and use and lee classic turret press for the powder drop, seating and crimping. But whatever method I do, I couldn't make the bullet seat nicely and without the bulge on the other side of the case mouth.

What's the problem here?

[Finster101]

Pictures ?

[fatelvis]

Use this before seating your bullet.
http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product...2vrsmjjt564cm6


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[Three44s]

Too much bullet for too much sizing on the case?

My point is you need to tell us what bullet you are trying to seat there.

An oversized lead boolit will need more room in the case mouth to avoid crumpling your case necks. You will need to approach this one or both of two ways: Do a better job of flaring your case mouths as member fatelvis has provided a link and or don't squeeze your cases down a far in the first place for the bullet or boolit you are attemping to load.

Even jacketed bullets can be caused to crumple brass if the sizer die is agressive enough. A different sizer may be needed here.

Best regards

Three 44s

[taminsong]

I am using an Armscor 110grns RN bullet. My suspect is the lee sizer die, it really compresses the brass that it is so hard to seat the bullet without first expanding the case mouth.

I am looking at the Dillon carbide sizer which has an expander built in, but for $104.00!

[dtknowles]

Try backing out the sizer until you only get barely enough neck tension on the bullet. The case is tapered so if you don't run the case into the die as far it won't size it as much. I bet the ammo you made will shoot fine but like you said it is ugly and might not be as accurate.

Tim

[dogmower]

it's hard to tell from the pics, but if the bulge you're describing is symmetrical, I wouldn't worry about it. I see that with long, straight taper cases all the time, especially if the bullet is a little oversize. I see it a lot with my cast loads (.459 boolit) in the 45-70. they routinely hit the 18 inch gong at 500 meters. as long as they chamber, i'd go ahead and shoot them.
for the future, consider getting the lyman "m" die for the 30 carbine. it expands not just the mouth of the case, but goes a bit deeper, makes bullet seating much easier. when I load the 45-70, I can drop the boolit all the way in without putting any pressure on the base, which helps accuracy.
John

[fatelvis]

For jacketed bullets, use this die.
http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product...2vrsmjjt564cm6


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[taminsong]

The bullet will chamber, no doubt, and it'll fire. My charged was 12.5grns of N110 and I'm getting 1775 fps.

I tried the Lyman M die, at first, but it creates a lopsided bulge thats why I stop using it. I tried using the M die in forster coax, the lee turret and the single stage stage, but still the bulge is not uniform. You can see and feel it, the other side of the case mouth is smooth and there's this bulge on the other. This will result a not perfect bullet after seating.

I have a factory made bullet and this one doesn't have the bulge, the bullet was seated perfect in the center of the brass.

I'm thinking it's the sizer die, or my shellholder was uneven. But my doubt was unto the sizer die. I was so frustrated last night that I went to bed not really feeling good about myself!

[abunaitoo]

My reloads look a little like yours.
They chamber/shoot fine. I just shoot them that way.
Try putting a slight flair in the case neck. I find it helps the bullet go in straighter.
If you want them looking better, try sizing the case less.
Instead of adjusting the sizing die touching the shell holder, back it out a turn and try seating a bullet.
If it still has the bulge, back it out another turn. Seat another bullet.
Do it until your happy with how it looks.
When you get to where you like it, tap the bullet down in to the case see how good the hold is.
If it pushes in to easily, you'll need more neck tension. Screw the die in a 1/4 turn and try again.
Seat another bullet and check the tension again.
Because it's semi auto, you don't want the bullet to be pushed back in the case when feeding into the chamber.
Could create high pressure and damage the rifle.
Also make sure to trim the cases to the correct length.

[ironhead7544]

Looks like the expander ball is not centered. You want to have a small amount of flare at the case neck also, when the case comes out of the expander. The flare should be larger than the bullet base.

Try this: loosen up the expander die lock nut only, leave the die in place. Size a case. Then run the case up into the expander die. Tighten the lock nut on the die with the case all the way up. This will help center the expander ball. Make sure you still have the flare you want.

Are you using the Lee factory crimp die?

[Wayne Smith]

It is either die adjustment as ironhead points out or, since it's happening with two separate dies it may indeed be your shell holder. I believe that you mentioned that it happens on two separate presses, so it's not your press that is out of alignment. If it is indeed only happening on one press it may be that that press is not precisely in alignment.

[seaboltm]

I get a bulge all the way around on my 30 carbine loads. I assumed it was because I was using .309 bullets from Hornaday, the 90 grain XTP. I have had no problem with cycling, reliability, or accuracy.

[mdi]

I'm not sure what's happening but I noticed "...bulge on the other side"(?) from one die, and "..lop sided bulge from an M die". Defects using two different dies?

[Sur-shot]

I understand that you might want your reloads to look perfect, but the M-1 Carbine is a replacement for a 45 Automatic pistol and if the carbine ammo will feed, chamber and shoot, chances are you are good to go, because there is no target model of the 30 Carbine. I have owned a ton of them and used to qualify National Guard troops that could not shoot worth a diddly, when I was in HS in the early 60s. You should treat reloading for a 30 carbine like reloading for a straight walled pistol cartridge, just bring the case neck back to straight so it can headspace and you are good. Try seating and crimping with two dies after you expand the neck real good to start the bullet straight.
Ed

[gwpercle]

Make sure you start the bullet in the case mouth just as straight as you can. If it is started crookedly the bullet will give you that uneven bulge. Try and get the bulge even all around, it is a sign the bullet has gone in straight and the case has a good grip on the bullet. It will shoot just fine. Carbide dies can't make a tapered sizer, they have to oversize the body to get the small enough. I have this same problem with 9 mm , a tapered case and Lee carbide sizer die. If I don't start those bullets in the case perfectly straight they will bulge unevenly .
Line the bullets up so they go in straight and you should be OK.
Gary

[Mr. Don]

You don't mention trimming anywhere in your description of your process? You need to trim .30 Carbine.

[taminsong]

I just confirmed my order for a set of dillon carbide die. I trim the cases to 1.285", at first I thought they might not fire, but I tried those 8pcs of ugly bullets and they shoot fine.

I am not reloading the 30M1 for myself, as I don't have a rifle, these are for a very good friend of mine, that's why I really want them to look "beautiful", lol!

Anyways, I got a very good tip here, how to set the expander ball, I think this is also applicable to sizing die button. I will try all the ideas here, and hopefully when the dillon dies arrived, I can test it and get back here again.

[abunaitoo]

I have RCBS and LEE 30 Carbine dies. They both don't have an expander ball, just deprimer rod and pin.
I loaded some Berry's bullets once. They were .305di and I didn't get the bulge.
I load .309/.310 cast and get the bulge.
The Berry's didn't shoot good at all.
I have a bunch of Armscor bullets I got a long time ago. Never tried to load them.
Looking for a gas check boolet mold.

[r1kk1]

I have a similar problem with a wildcat. I use two different tapered M plug expander's taking a 30-30 case to 40 caliber. I then run these back through the sizing dies and they easily fall into the chamber of my Encore pistol. Hornady makes dies for this project but the expander is not in spec. (I will send it to Ben at Hornady to check out. The die just flares the case mouth like the Lee Universal flaring tool does.) I then seat a Hornady 200 grain XTP and I get a bulge on one side of the case and this will not chamber. I pull it, resize the case, expand the mouth just barely and viola it chambers. I have CH4D sending me a 40 cal M plug. That should solve the issue. I have tried A Lee FCD in 40 cal and using tHe 10mm side. Nice taper crimp but it doesn't fix the one sided bulge.

Still, bullets make poor expander's.

Take care

r1kk1