Dillon Expander ball too large

[Handloader]

I spent my weekend sizing, swaging, and priming about 2000 LC 223 brass. I do my brass for autoloaders in two steps. Step one is to: full length size, deprime, retumble, trim and hand prime. Step two is to: put back into Dillon, throw powder, seat bullet, and crimp. The problem I ran into was that the bullets were loose in the case. The bullets were 0.224inch (verified), 55g Hornady FMJ w/c boat tails. I thought at first I had overcrimped the case and ruined my neck tension.

I changed the expander ball out before I started the full length size of the brass. I had ordered a new expander ball in June, 2010 from Dillon, as the original had a chip in it. Come to find out, the expander ball measured 0.223inch, only giving me 1000th inch neck tension. I called Dillon and they are sending me a new expander ball.

Frustrating, but Dillon is making it right. Point of the post, I would normally never measure the expander ball, but it will be a first item check from now on…

 

[bignada]

Re: Dillon Expander ball too large

Get some crocus cloth or auto body work sandpaper, chuck the ball/rod assy in a drill and polish the ball until you get the tension you want.

 

[MALLARD]

Re: Dillon Expander ball too large

i noticed annealing isnt in your list of steps , i think it really should be

ya ,.223 expander is bad , you want at least .002 tension , and you got .001

you look like you got allot of work in front of you resizing all that brass.good luck

 

[jet_lagged]

Re: Dillon Expander ball too large

Dillon dies set should come with a carbide ball, so polishing down it won't work.......

Thanks for the post. I would not have thought to check diameter myself, but now I'm warned if I get something replaced or a new set from them.

 

[Handloader]

Re: Dillon Expander ball too large

Follow-up:a new expander ball came in the mail today....yep 0.223inch again..WTF? I will call Dillon again!

I did not anneal this brass as it was 1x fired. However, I ended up using a Lee Collet neck sizing die on the advice of a friend. All the brass was already full-length sized and trimmed, and with the lee die no lube was needed. I just put it in the first position on the progressive press, and drove on. Worked great!!!I got around .003inch tension, and no secondary tumble to remove all the sizing lube.

 

[ohiogunnut]

Re: Dillon Expander ball too large

Neck turn that shit!

 

[lightman]

Re: Dillon Expander ball too large

I just went and meausured several expanders from 222's,223's,and 22-250's.RCBS,Bonanza,Redding(sorry,no Dillon),and all were .221 or .222 including a Redding carbide one.
Don't feel bad,one naturally assumes that their dies will work without problems,most of us would not have meausured the expander ball either. Pete