Got a bulge buster set today!

[Royce]

Unfortunately the Lee site says it won't work on the cartridges I am having trouble with. I have some 38 S&W caliber (not Special) rounds that fail the "plunk" test.

BTW I have a whole box from Steinel that won't chamber either. Mine - most chamber and fire just fine but a couple don't. Any ideas what to do next?

[mikld]

Any time there is a fit issue, measure. I would measure the brass after each step; sizing, priming, flaring, bullet seating, crimp. Find our when the round goes out of spec. and then it can fixed.

[Royce]

Any time there is a fit issue, measure. I would measure the brass after each step; sizing, priming, flaring, bullet seating, crimp. Find our when the round goes out of spec. and then it can fixed.

Good idea. I will measure the ammo from Steinel and see what is wrong with it.

I measured my own reloads and the case diameter is the problem Resizing the case works to fix the brass but then the bullet falls out.

[Royce]

Well I got out my dial calipers and the SAAMI specs. Turns out both my reloads and the box from Steinel was right against the SAAMI spec for case diameter at .386".

[Royce]

Running my rounds through the resize die (decapping pin removed) fixed the brass but turned the bullet loose. I decided to try resizing the ammo from Steinel and it turned out to be a success! The brass resized to .381" and the bullets stayed put. Success!

[Royce]

I ended up tossing my brass (two pieces) because life is too short to fool with stuff that doesn't work. I put the two bullets back in the bag.

[Fyodor]

The bulge buster is the wrong tool for you.

Just buy another sizing die body (or a whole die, and throw out the decapping pin). That's whyt I do with my 44-40. Works perfectly.

[Royce]

Well I did not "throw out" the decapping pin as it will be needed to decap the rounds that I fired. I shot the whole box of 50 Steinel rounds and they worked pretty good. The Enfield's double action only pull was a problem. It must be close to 20 pounds. I do not have a trigger gauge so I don't know. In any case the Zombie got killed but I wounded the hostage.

[RBHarter]

I think maybe the tool you wanted was a 9×18 FCD with the guts pulled . The Bulge Buster is for out of round typically ACP family and cousins . The FCD , factory crimp die is specifically for fixing things like crimp bulge on an otherwise finished load .

[Royce]

For the 38 Smith and Wesson I use the 9MM Makarov FCD as it is the right diameter. Lee does not make one otherwise that fits the 38 Smith and Wesson.