Have anyone seen this before?

[senormik]

Guys,

I gave my new Lee .40-60 dies a try this evening, with weird results.    I lubed five new Buffalo Arms .40-60 cases (reformed .45-70 brass) and ran them into the sizer die.  They ended up looking like belted cases.  Not sure how to explain it.  The die was screwed into my press properly so that it touched the shell holder at the bottom of the down stroke.  The first couple of cases seemed harder to run through the die than the last three, but they all ended up with the "belt" at the bottom. 

Wondering if anyone has ever seen something like this before.  They seem to chamber fine.  Would there be any problem loading them up and firing them?

Thanks!
Michael

[Trailrider]

The situation (I won't say, "Problem," since the cartridges chamber) is caused by two things.  The first is the fact that the die body can only be tightened down until it touches the top of the shell holder.  The very bottom of the cartridge case is solid and won't be tapered from the front of the rim because the die can't reach clear to the rim.

In this instance it appears that the die is a bit small at the base, or else it isn't properly chamfered or rounded at the entrance to the inside of the die.  There are a couple of possible solutions:  You could obtain a .40-82 WCF sizing die, lube the case and force the cartridge in clear up to the rim.  You then drive the case back out with a 3/8-in. dia. bolt.  Then form the cases normally.  This swaging operation will only need to be done once as the case web won't re-expand on firing the way the hollow portion of the case body does.  (I've had to do this with .40-65 WCF brass formed from .45-70 cases.)

You also might have the sizing die alterred, but that may not do the trick.

Hope this helps.

[larryo_1]

MY question is: did these cases have these "belts" when they came out of the rifle when they were fired?  Then, have you tried just neck-sizing?  If you have, and these "belts" are not there then maybe you can have your problem solved.  This is a good way, also to extend the life of these cases.  I had the same sort of problem but that was because of a very damn poor job of QC on the part of Chappy and it cost them two rifles and then when I got a Cimmy from Uberti my problems were over but that is another story all in itself.  So--before you go and get too involved, try just necksizing and see what happens.  It don't take any time, a few matches or a candle and a die adjustment and it may solve your problem.  I would suggest you try this first before altering your die.

[senormik]

Gents,

Thanks for your helpful replies.  The brass did not have the "belts" after firing, so I assume that it's not a Chaparral problem, but a die problem.  I tried neck sizing several, only to find that the "belt" just got wider.  In other words, instead of a quarter of an inch of "belt" I ended up with about 3/8" of "belt", although the edge of the belt was not quite as distinct.  Hope this makes sense.  I also tried resizing an unfired piece of brass from Rocky Mountain Cartridge, which should be custom made to exactly correct .40-60 dimensions.  This, too, ended up with the "belt."  I guess at this point, I ought to contact Lee and see what they say about it.  I'll let you know.

Thanks,
Michael

[Joe Lansing]

    I tend to agree with you that it's a die problem. I have a set of Herter's 45 LC dies that does about the same thing. The die is simply too small.

                                                 J.L.