Lee powder funnel/case expander fits very tight on .38 Spl

[BigBoxaJunk]

I'm relatively new to reloading. I got my Dillon 550 early last spring with 9mm dies and I've been loading and learning over the summer. I've had a really good time, and didn't run into any problems with 9mm.

But, I recently got a set of Lee .38 Spl dies and this past Saturday, my son and I set it up and loaded some. I figured it would take a little more force for re-sizing .38 brass, since it's a longer case, and it did, but not really very much.

But, where I did notice a really big difference was with the powder funnel/case expander die. I set that up so that it leaves just enough bell to seat the bullet, but the narrower part that pushes down about the same depth of the bullet (when it's seated) drags very hard when I pull it back out. My loader is securely fastened to a stout, heavy work table, but I still had to be careful each time I pulled up the lever so that it wouldn't shake things too much. I even ended up putting a very light coat of oil on the die every few rounds and that helped quite a bit. I ended up loading 130 rounds or so, with a range of powder charge for testing and otherwise, they loaded just fine and look good. Being new, I just don't know if that's normal or not.

I was using new Starline brass. I'm going to try some once-fired brass that I just cleaned and see if that makes a difference.

 

[17 squirrel]

The first thing I would do is attach the table to the wall and make it rock solid.
I assume that you are using Carbide dies, are you lubing the cases at all ? If not I suggest that you try using some spray lube and then see how much smoother your press will run.
I have been running Dillon machines since the beginning of the early eightys and I have never had to lube the powder drop tube if that's what you have oiled.
And what kind of oil were you using ?????
I ask because generally the word " oil " and the process of reloading brass don't go together, oil can easily cause contamination of powder or primers if allowed to interact.
I'm trying to understand why pulling a tapered expander from a already tapered brass would or could drag.
Are you sure that it's not your sizer die that not dragging ?
I have a old Dillon 450 that loads nothing but 38 special wadcutters. The only difference between use of I use Dillon dies for pistol loading. Almost all my 38 brass for waddcutters is also Starline.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

My bench isn't fastened to the wall, but it's made from a section of old bowling alley lane, and it's very heaving and solid. I use it for wood-working also, and I like to sometimes pull it out to get at both sides, but I have thought of setting up a rail on the wall that I can clamp the back edge to when I'm reloading.

At first, I figured it was the sizing die (carbide), but when I ran a few through one at a time, I realized it was the expander. I thought maybe it was just because it was new, but didn't get any better until I started lubricating it. I think I'll run some through with case lube and see it that improves things, in addition to trying some different brass. I didn't measure it, but surely the expander die isn't too big, since the bullets still seat normally.

 

[17 squirrel]

That sounds like a good plan.
Oh, and the only lube I have ever used with my machines is White Teflon powder that comes in small needle squeeze bottles.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

I also saw on another forum where another guy was having the same problem with .45 Long Colt. He took out the die and polished it up.

I may take mine out and chuck it in the drill press and go over it with a very fine emery cloth.

 

[Robert Richardson]

Normal operation for Lee dies, they are made with a floating expander and they do take more pressure to get them out of the case.

 

[Broom_jm]

Normal operation for Lee dies, they are made with a floating expander and they do take more pressure to get them out of the case.

This ^^^^

You can mitigate for it, preferably with a dry lube, but it's normal with Lee Dies.

 

[17 squirrel]

Question, are you using a Dillon expander & powder measure on the second station ?
Or are you using a Lee expander powder die on station 2 or 3 ?

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

Question, are you using a Dillon expander & powder measure on the second station ?
Or are you using a Lee expander powder die on station 2 or 3 ?

Using the Dillon powder die with the powder funnel/expander from the Lee die set. That's the same I have done with the 9mm set-up.