Why did I buy the Lee Bulge Buster?

[Hogpauls]

I was wondering this while loading up some .40 SW the other day. This spurred an impromtu unscientific experiment to collect some numbers and justify why I bought it and use it.

I'm not gonna bore you with the excuses I used to convince myself why I got it. Trust me I've used lesser logical ideas to waste more money (lots more money) than I did on the Bulge Buster..........we all have. Nor am I gonna bore you with the 2 pages of big words Miriam Webster could provide and my thoughts about this fact finding mission. And, no I won't be doing this for my 10MM brass either. So for now "Just the facts ma'am".

Brass: 2x fired Winchester
Gun: Glock 23 gen 2
Dies: RCBS carbide and Lee Bulge Buster
Calipers: Starret dial calipers
Press: RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme

http://i766.photobucket.com/albums/xx308/Hogpauls/40swleebulgebusterjpg.jpg
http://i766.photobucket.com/albums/xx308/Hogpauls/40swleebulgebuster2jpg.jpg
For the time wasted on this I could've reloaded a couple hundred rounds, shot them and reloaded again. If this helps in your decision to buy or not to buy great.

[GioaJack]

Numbers, numbers, numbers, where the hell is Stephen Hawkin when you need him? My head hurts. :crying:


Jack

[Colorado4Wheel]

Sweet. Can't wait to go home and measure some brass run through a Lee Sizers to compare it to your RCBS sizer.

[El_Ron1]

http://media.avclub.com/images/articles/article/2230/city_jpg_627x325_crop_upscale_q85.jpg

http://www.liveforfilms.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/they_live_3.jpg

[F106 Fan]

It looks like the only example that doesn't meet the dimensions in the Hornady manual are from Example 1.

The base should be 0.424"

OTOH, your brass is coming out of the chamber at 0.432" so even the first example should fit fine. The SAMMI spec for chamber diameter at the base is 0.427" so, obviously, the Glock chamber is oversize. But I think I recall reading that this is the case for Glock barrels.

All of the cases are short when compared to the spec of 0.850" with a tolerance of +0.000, -0.010. The minimum would be 0.840".

You can get the SAMMI standard here:
http://www.saami.org/specifications_and_information/index.cfm

I would try a 'plunk' test on the first example and if it dropped into the chamber and rotated freely, I think I would just use the standard die.

Richard

[Colorado4Wheel]

My Lyman and Lee manuals say the base should be .425" or smaller just before the groove.

I sized a bunch of brass. WIN, Starline, Fed. My Starline had seen MAX loads. It sized back down to .424". All the other sized to about .422-.423". All better then your RCBS die by far and in some ways better then your Pass through FCD. Just depends if I would cherry pick it or not.

I have always said Pass through dies are a total waste of money UNLESS you have tried a Lee sizer first and found it not to work good enough.

[DoctaGlockta]

I'm glad I don't shoot and reload 40. Seems far to complicated and cumbersome. Plus I think that caliber must mess with your mind - look at the lengths folks go 'explain' their 40 reloading. Cult mind control that 40 caliber is.

[freakshow10mm]

I get a kick out of the guys that think they need something special to load .40 S&W. There are very few cartridges that need special steps or special tooling, like the 7.62 Nagant.

[El_Ron1]

I'm glad I don't shoot and reload 40. Seems far to complicated and cumbersome. Plus I think that caliber must mess with your mind - look at the lengths folks go 'explain' their 40 reloading. Cult mind control that 40 caliber is.

It's actually so easy a caveman could do it. Or bushpilot.