Greetings-

I reloaded some 7.62x25 using new starline brass and new Lee 3 pc die set.

First I loaded some sabots and it worked alright using separate seating and crimping operations (When I seated and crimped in one stroke the OAL was not at all controllable
for the sabots).

I found a ring of brass that was shaved off of each cartridge when I crimped the brass. This ring was still bareley attached or just hanging on the cartridge mouth. This was no big deal but led me to believe the dies maybe arent as smooth as they could or should be.

The big problem came when I tried to load 7.62 bullets and I found that about 75% of the time the crimping operation buckled my cases at the shoulder intead of crimping them.

Chamferring the case mouths seemed to have no effect and the case mouths had been belled open only enough to get the bullet started.

The bullets are Sierra 30 cal mouser bulets and Hornady 30 cal XTP, Both I think are .308 or .309 dia and seem proper for the case.

I tried to not chamfer too heavily due to recollection that pistols headpsace off of the mouth but I got to thinking that this is a shouldered case and I reckon it headspaces off of the shoulder unless the case length is out of tolerance, i.e. too long.

I can try teh following:

1. cut a heavy chamfer on case mouth (time consuming and may reduce the life of the brass )
2. polish out the crimp die ( void warrantee)
3. Inquire at Lee and return/exchange the die set (wait and get another "bad" crimp die?)
4. Check on availability of a "factory crimp die" I think it is called that suports the case while crimping. (I did not see this as an available option when I purchased the die set.)

Any body have this problem before?

Thanks for any help
Brad Stogsdill
RIDE TALK AND SHOOT STRAIGHT!

Either back-off your crimping die or trim your cases.