NOE expander plugs

[Conditor22]

I recently asked All to put detailed instructions on the expander page.

[Jniedbalski]

I have noticed that clean brass is usally more sticky than once fired. I have been using lee case lube on my brass to size or flair or bell the case mouths. It only takes every forth or fifth one to do it for me. A Q tip inserted in the case mouth also every fourth one or so.i have used the lee universal expander and the noe’s plugs.My noe plugs came very finely polished. They do get stickey some times because I forgot to lube a case. With lee and noe plugs I have never had a problem using them. I also ordered all the sizes of noe’s in .358 for 9 mm and 38/357. I don’t use all the sizes I got but I got them if I need them. They where cheep enuf

[gareth96]

Just got my NOE expander plug for 9mm to help open the brass up a bit to keep from swaging the bullet. Using it on a Hornady LnL AP press in a Lee universal expander body. As I adjust it down to get it to where it just starts to flare, it also bulges the case. No bulge all the way up to the point where the bullet will sit in the mouth.. hit that point and BAM bulge... guess I'll try some lube next time, but what a PITA to have to lube cases mid reload...

[megasupermagnum]

Just got my NOE expander plug for 9mm to help open the brass up a bit to keep from swaging the bullet. Using it on a Hornady LnL AP press in a Lee universal expander body. As I adjust it down to get it to where it just starts to flare, it also bulges the case. No bulge all the way up to the point where the bullet will sit in the mouth.. hit that point and BAM bulge... guess I'll try some lube next time, but what a PITA to have to lube cases mid reload...

I don't like it either, but it is what it is. Hopefully they can make a better plug some day. It's still the best on the market.

[gareth96]

I just ordered some RCBS stlye expanders from buffaloarms.. see how they stack up when they get here... 4 weeks'ish

I like my RCBS and Redding expanders, but they don't expand enough for cast... so hopefully this is the ticket

[JBinMN]

I am not some "guru", but simply a guy who uses these NOE plugs for 5-7 different handgun rounds. { I have not yet used them for rifle rounds yet, but that is this years doins.}

I had to learn, by adjusting the die to make them work for me.

They work for me....

I check "every round" in a Go- NoGO gauge, since that works for me, "after" I checked each one in the chamber of what handgun I was going to use them in to make sure that the gauge will do the same as having the bbl. right there to check them. I do not mind the time as I do not want anything I can do "at the bench" to make me stop shooting & start wondering what the hell is going on... Time at the bench to check, saves me time shooting in the field/range if things are not right. Usually easy fix at the bench, and usually not easy to fix at the range/in field.

MY processes for doing such things may be different than everyone else, & I do not have "stock" in the NOE company and make $$ of promoting their stuff. Molds, plugs or whatever..

I just do what I have to do, to figure out what it takes to make it work for "me". I have not had to do much to make the NOE plugs work for me. ( I have a more than a few of them. & I still need some more rifle ones...)

If someone is doing something different & it is not working for them, then I suggest they do a bit of experimenting & adjusting, to figure out how to make the NOE plugs in the Lee Univ. Exp. die work for them.

None of us are right there with ya to show you exactly what might be different that works for us, vs. working for you. When you describe an issue you are having, giving as much info as you can, to help someone else help you figure it, is paramount to make it easy for everyone to find a solution.

In regard to what I would do if I was having trouble with the cases bulging using the NOW pugs is make sure I have the right plug size for the boolit I am using.

The NOE plug should be at least 0.001" smaller in the 2ND NUMBER than the boolit diameter you have sized or "as cast".

Using 9mm & what I do for my 9mm is I use a .355 for a .356 sized boolit, or a .356 for a .357 sized boolit in my 9mm since the bbl. was slugged at .355" . Either way, I am at least .001 over groove size for that semi auto 9mm.

I have run into what I call, "wasp waist" in certain mnfr. cases. How I define "wasp waist" is when the case bulges and you can see where the boolit sits in the case, then as you go towards the head of the case where the primer sits, there is a smaller diameter that grows larger as the case goes towards the rim & head of the case.

That usually happens by 2-3 situations.

One is that the cases by that mnfr are different in wall thickness than others. Some cases are thicker in 9mm as they taper to the head of the case(rim/primer end). So, sometimes that can be an issue for some folks. Maybe try another mnfr cases & see if that makes a change. { Just like sometimes S&B cases seem to be more difficult to put primers in because the cases primer pockets sometimes are tighter than others, and so on... It is just part of our reloading. Or, even a lot of things. Not everything is exactly the same as we might expect... Just think about metric & standard nuts & bolts on vehicles.. There ya go... Same deal, as far as I am concerned. Blame the engineers & businessmen, not the mechanics, the ones who make the nuts & bolt, or the guy who puts them together at the factory... )

Another situation would be that one is using a too large NOE plug to expand the case for the caliber. I.E. - trying to put a .358 boolit into a case that pretty much limits itself out at .357 or so. (Basically, trying to stuff 8 pounds into a 5 pound sack, which usually does not work well for the person nor the sack.))

One more thing may be that one has a .356 boolit but are using an expander that is over size & thus the case gets expanded, but the boolit is too small for the size expanded & the case , after seating is still too large for the boolit inside. Even after crimping only to remove the "flare" the boolit is still not firmly gripped by the case & thus the case will be bulged more than it needs and will not keep the boolit in place( set back can happen), or be bulged out bigger than necessary.

This is a long post & I am trying very hard to try to explain things that are harder for me to type out than show someone, or explain in a brief manner.

I will make one more recommendation to any who are using NOE product & their Exp. plugs in particular...

While I have not yet done so, I would suggest that folks who are having issues with the plugs, just give the folks at NOE a phone call, or send them an email, & explain your issues with their product, & I am pretty sure they will help you get things figured out.

OK... I tired to help out folks here & am tired of typing..
If anyone can do a better job at it, jump right in & help out. Won't bother "me" a bit.

I have more things to do now, other than this...


G'Luck! to all of ya!

[Conditor22]

doing 9MM I set the plug to only expand the depth of the drive bands, I get the flaring with my lee powder through die. Works for me

I also think many of the expanders are too long. If I had a lathe and the skill I'd shorten them to the length of the drive bands. Heck, if I had a lathe and knew how to use it I'd make my own

[gareth96]

Ahhh.. didn't think of letting the PTX do the flaring. Will give that a try in conjunction with the NOE plugs.

& thanks JBnMN for all the info. I'm sizing my PC'd boolits to .357, and using the .356 NOE plug. I think doing the flaring with the PTX in the powder measure will solve my issues.. I hope..

[GregLaROCHE]

Just got my NOE expander plug for 9mm to help open the brass up a bit to keep from swaging the bullet. Using it on a Hornady LnL AP press in a Lee universal expander body. As I adjust it down to get it to where it just starts to flare, it also bulges the case. No bulge all the way up to the point where the bullet will sit in the mouth.. hit that point and BAM bulge... guess I'll try some lube next time, but what a PITA to have to lube cases mid reload...

You may be inserting the expander too far and pushing at third increase in diameter that’s not supposed to be used. If you notice any flaring and not parallel sides, you’re going too far and putting more pressure on the case than intended.