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.

I have never seen a reason to crimp 7.62x25mm, and I shoot at atomic levels.

Back the seating die further out of the press and screw the seater plug further into the die until the bullets are seated at the right depth.

Guys-

The idea of not crimping had not even occured to me (I had always crimped 357 and 44 mags)-no crimping would be the ultimate solution.

I assumed the bullets would float out and jam the mag or not allow the cartridge seat in the chamber or get pressed into the case from recoil...

I will go back and double check the case length (which was in spec as I recall).

I will apply only enough crimp to remove the bell in the mouth caused by the expander. (The bullets are flat based so I cant really start them without expanding the brass a bit).

Thanks a lot for the help- I will report back when I get time to try it out again may this weekend- I am tied up working on the garden this week.

Regards
Brad