.40 S&W Reloading Issues

[Moparman485]

Good evening all!
So I’ve been reloading since I was 5 years old (literally) and have loaded nearly every mainstream and near mainstream pistol caliber under the sun. I have a 10mm Glock and carbine and bought conversion barrels for both to take advantage of the plethora of .40 brass I have on hand. I figured it would be an easy job since I reload for the 10 already and was using the same Projos (cast 180gr and federal HST 180gr), boy was I wrong. Since starting this, I cannot get these darn things to work.

heres the issue, so the assembled rounds will not pass the plink test in either barrel. I’ve tried more crimp, less crimp, more bell, less bell, different Projos, etc. it has me to the point of dumping all the brass in the trash and putting the .40 short and weak behind me for good. But before I do, I wanted to reach out and see if anyone on here has an “aha!” Moment.

my brass is mixed range brass (the issue happens on various headstamps, not just one), and I am using RCBS carbine dies (the same ones I run for my 10mm without issue). The “bulge” in the case happens at both the neck and the body of the case (where the base of the bullet resides).

Again, ive adjusted crimp from absolutely zero to crushing the case, and mouth bell from nothing to splitting the mouth. The symptoms are the same no matter what.

any input is much appreciated!

 

[HiredHand]

Pictures of your reloads might help. I’ve not reloaded 40, but I seem to remember that 40 fired from Glock barrels can bulge at the base do to the lack of case support. There’s a die made specifically to deal with bulged brass fired from barrels without case support. You might do a web search for it.

 

[thor447]

Yep, my first thought as well was brass bulge. I see it on both 9mm and 40, but more commonly with 40. Not only Glock barrels, but they are definitely the most prevalent that I found.

Can you take a piece of sized brass, without any further steps, and will it pass the punk test? We can at least eliminate brass bulge if it will pass the plunk test at that stage, but not after the round is finished.

 

[Uncle TK]

Get the Lee Bulge Buster Kit for 40 S&W
Run all picked up range brass through it
(If you are using your one Fired brass out of one Gun you normally do not need to run through Lee Die

 

[swampratt]

If I have a problem round that will not chamber I take a permanent marker and paint the entire case and bullet with that marker.

I then place it in the chamber and then extract it.
You will see scratches where the case or bullet is contacting and you can go from there as to what you need to do.

I have a 40 and have zero issues with any range brass but it is a Hi-Point and I use Lee dies.

 

[Cat City Slim]

I would recommend getting a Lee factory crimp die. I will remove case bulges as well as putting a good taper crimp on the round.

 

[Moparman485]

Pictures of your reloads might help. I’ve not reloaded 40, but I seem to remember that 40 fired from Glock barrels can bulge at the base do to the lack of case support. There’s a die made specifically to deal with bulged brass fired from barrels without case support. You might do a web search for it.

I can’t seem to get the bulge to show up on a camera. It isn’t the Glock bulge though as that’s at the base of the case and this is as the base of the projectile, roughly half way up the case.

 

[Moparman485]

Yep, my first thought as well was brass bulge. I see it on both 9mm and 40, but more commonly with 40. Not only Glock barrels, but they are definitely the most prevalent that I found.

Can you take a piece of sized brass, without any further steps, and will it pass the punk test? We can at least eliminate brass bulge if it will pass the plunk test at that stage, but not after the round is finished.

A piece of the sized brass passes the plink test in both barrels (until I bell/expand it of course). It’s only ones the projectiles themselves are seated

 

[Moparman485]

Get the Lee Bulge Buster Kit for 40 S&W
Run all picked up range brass through it
(If you are using your one Fired brass out of one Gun you normally do not need to run through Lee Die

It’s not the Glock bulge that’s causing the issue, that would be closer to the base of the case. This is occurring halfway up the case body at the base of the seated bullet and only after a bullet is seated, but the sized stuff plunks in just fine

 

[Moparman485]

If I have a problem round that will not chamber I take a permanent marker and paint the entire case and bullet with that marker.

I then place it in the chamber and then extract it.
You will see scratches where the case or bullet is contacting and you can go from there as to what you need to do.

I have a 40 and have zero issues with any range brass but it is a Hi-Point and I use Lee dies.

Great minds think alike! Haha. That’s the same process I used initially to discover that it was bulged at the base of the projectile and that’s what was contacting the chamber walls too much and causing the jam.