TargetTalk

I reload the .32SWL for ISSF CF on a Dillon RL550B press. I use Bullseye powder in Starline cases with Federal SP primers and locally produced .314 LHBWC (Vindicator). My press has a PhotoEscape/Uniquetek .314” powder funnel at station 2. Everything else die-wise is standard.

My rounds are not the most precise, i.e. in group sizes. It was suggested to me by more than one source that I should try a Lee Factory Crimp Die. I did a bit of research which led me to believe that a factory crimp might well improve the consistency of my rounds. A club colleague has one of the dies which he kindly lent to me. I set up the press this afternoon to load 70 rounds for this weekend's match, following the Lee instruction sheet. I used empty cases with the Vindicator pills to get the right seating and what I thought would be an appropriate crimp. The resulting crimp appeared to me to be a standard roll crimp but the cases were also resized by the carbide collar. All well and good.

So, I started reloading in earnest. The first round to pass through the crimping die at station 4 was a surprise (see photo). The round, after seating the pill in station 3, is on the left and the round, after resizing and crimping, is on the right. I could not figure out what on earth was going on. It then dawned on me that the resizing, which occurs as the round enters the FCD was creating air pressure which was “jacking” the pill upwards. I tested this hypothesis by putting through some rounds without primers (or powder) so pressure could not build up. The pills stayed flush with the case mouth.


The crimp on the pills looked no different than my Dillon roll crimp die gives me. So, needless to say, the FCD was promptly removed and the Dillon crimp die reinstalled.

The Lee blurb on the FCD suggests that the “special” crimp overcomes inconsistent case length. As it appears to me to be a standard roll crimp, I cannot see how this can be so. The Lee rifle FCD looks (from the drawing on the Lee website) to give a pressed crimp, i.e. like a tight collar rather than a taper or roll crimp. That might be the crimp that is independent of case length but that does not appear to be the same with the pistol variant.

Aside from the pill jacking, I'm wondering if I’m missing something with this die.

Bob

Greetings,

The StarLine brass and 0.314" HBWC bullets are not a precise match due to the case wall thickness at the middle of the case.

However, try this...

Size your fired cases with the Lee Factory Carbide Crimp Die. They should measure about 0.337".

Prime as usual.

Next, use the original Dillon powder funnel and expand the case mouth to accept the bullet. This should only flare the case mouth and not touch the inside of the brass case.

Charge with powder.

Seat the bullet to final length. The Hollow Base will collapse slightly but the case should not bulge. At 0.337" diameter the bullet should easily seat with little force. It will stop when the base of the bullet contacts the thicker case wall at mid-section.

Crimp as desired.

DO NOT RUN THE LOADED CARTRIDGE THROUGH THE LEE FACTORY CRIMP DIE!!!

Somewhere in my archives is a series of test targets using StarLine cases. The groups were less than 3" at 50 yards for ten shots.

Cheers,

Dave

Found a target using Speer bullets "bumped" up to a true 0.314". Factory 5" Pardini HP barrel.

I might test the StarLine brass sometime in the future with 0.314" bullets.

Many thanks Dave. Very comprehensive and valuable advice as usual.

When you say use the original Dillon powder funnel, do you mean the short one just to flare the case mouth?

Bob

Greetings,

I do not use nor own a Dillon device. I can only guess that the factory powder funnel is machined for a 0.312" jacketed bullet.

The goal is to size the brass case to match the diameter of the bullet being used.

Example, Speer Plinkers out of the box measure about 0.313" diameter. Using StarLine brass sized to 0.335" it provides a nice interference fit.

If I were loading with R-P brass, sizing the case to 0.332" provides a good fit with the Speer bullet.

I suspect that the Vindicator bullet likely measures a true 0.314". However, I have never seen any so loader beware.

One final thought. If the Dillon funnel only flares the case mouth and dispenses the powder the motion of the machine would be much smoother as you are no longer dragging the expander out of the case. A result of less "jiggling of the press" powder drops should become more uniform.

Cheers,

Dave

Thanks again. I’ll give it a go.

Bob

My old Hammerli SP20 slugged in at .3135" so I used .314" Vindicator HBWC.
Measuring a fired case I found that the factory sizing die was making the case too small and if I neck expanded to .314"
the case ended up looking like a coke bottle.
Using a diamond lap I took the carbide sizing die out .004", now it sized down to about 0.003" under chamber size.
Factory die appears to be for .311" (32 HR mag).
Neck expander was made in S/Steel to .314" and full wadcutter length.
A bullet could be pushed a little over half way into case by hand.
Seated and crimped (Universal crimp die, part taper, part roll).
The test was to take a loaded round, use a bullet puller and re-measure the diameter to see if the seating/crimping
had swagged the bullet under 0.314".
It did not.

Hi Dave and David,

I have now reconfigured my 550 press based on Dave Wilson's advice.

Manually deprimed, fired cases outside resized using the Lee Factory Crimp Die to 0.3345 in stn 1 (0.3300 with the Dillon resize, decapping die)
Case mouth flared and case charged with the Dillon short powder funnel (Bullseye 1.49gn stn 2)
Bullet (Vindicator .314 98gn LHBWC) seated flush with the Dillon die (pistol is a Pardini HP - magazines require flush seating), stn 3
Medium roll crimp with the Dillon die, stn 4.

Must say that operating the press is much easier with the short powder funnel. The powder drops are more consistent.

However, the proof of the pudding will be in the shooting tomorrow.

David M, I'd be interested in how you diamond lap the carbide collar in a die.

Bob

Peeled the diamond face off one of the plastic lap's (red medium) and wrapped it around
a mandel and used the lathe.
It took three days of lapping, testing, loading and shooting.
Now, I would just take a couple of new dies up to a commercial grinder (C & C Grinding)
and knowing the size just get them ground.

I've done similar lapping using an expanding brass lap in a lathe:

https://www.moldshoptools.com/catalog/l ... ory_id=103

and diamond lapping compound:

https://www.amazon.com/Diamond-Lapping- ... B00MALWGBI

To do it right, you also need to have an accurate means of measuring the results. Split-ball bore gauges & a good micrometer will work (with some practice).

My means of measuring was trial and error, as I had no idea how much I had to take out.
It was all experimental and testing.

Greetings,

Who makes the "Vindicator HBWC"?

I have a friend in Oz coming to visit me in the States.

I would like to try a few, if I knew where he can get them.

Cheers,

Dave

BobGee wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 7:06 am Hi Dave and David,

I have now reconfigured my 550 press based on Dave Wilson's advice.

Manually deprimed, fired cases outside resized using the Lee Factory Crimp Die to 0.3345 in stn 1 (0.3300 with the Dillon resize, decapping die)
Case mouth flared and case charged with the Dillon short powder funnel (Bullseye 1.49gn stn 2)
Bullet (Vindicator .314 98gn LHBWC) seated flush with the Dillon die (pistol is a Pardini HP - magazines require flush seating), stn 3
Medium roll crimp with the Dillon die, stn 4.

Must say that operating the press is much easier with the short powder funnel. The powder drops are more consistent.

However, the proof of the pudding will be in the shooting tomorrow.

David M, I'd be interested in how you diamond lap the carbide collar in a die.

Bob

Greetings,

Clarification, please. You are still resizing with the Dillon Die to 0.330"?

Cheers,

Dave

Dave,

No, I’m resizing using the Lee FCD in station 1 to .3345” (near as I can measure it with a digital caliper).

Vindicator swagged bullets from: https://www.texgunsupplies.com.au/. Not sure how up to date the website is.

If you can get you friend to PM me with contact details I can chuck 100 in a package and send them to him to bring over to you. I only have .314 HBWCs if that is sufficient.

Let me know.

Bob