Lee Loader

@ Ohio3Wheels:

That was my first thought, too. The die was disassembled and cleaned, but actually there was hardly more than a trace of residue.

I have to vote for proper case trimming, and a crimp grove to on the bullet to match.

Thanks again to all participants. My next steps will be to test bullets with crimp groove, and to trim some cases. Although I really don't want do that... Too many cases, and high fluctuations.

When I trim pistol cases I trim to the shortest or nominally short case . I've only done mag length cases ,I have 9mm that is nearly void of head stamps and never seen a trimmer.

I wonder if you have a case ,or possibly a die burr that is hanging up . I had a bunch of nickel 38 and 357 that I would wrinkle about 1 in 10-15 , the problem was a gritty spot in the sizer or more specifically a bit of grit that would leave just a mark on the last .1-.15 inch and it would hang in the crimp die . Outside chamfer on the brass cases kept them from hanging up.

Loading .38 spec at this moment. First round out was buckled. This happened in the crimper which is so light that it's only there for a little friction. Subsequent rounds came out with a very slight, but visible belly where the base of the lead bullet is.
Measurements:
Case length should be-1.155 measures 1.147 no need to trim
Case O.D. .373 should be .379
Case I.D. .350 should be < .358
Bullet O.D. .355 should be .358
So case length doesn't play a part here.
The case I.D. may be a tad small and smaller than the bullet
It does fit in the cylinder OK so I'll use all but the first one.

Poppop wrote:Loading .38 spec at this moment. First round out was buckled. This happened in the crimper which is so light that it's only there for a little friction. Subsequent rounds came out with a very slight, but visible belly where the base of the lead bullet is.

Is the ring all the way around the case?

yes
it's all the way around the case and where the base of the bullet is.
The case is very slightly belled at the powder drop and straight, insert and seat bullet-still straight--crimp very light-this is where I see the shape change. 98% of these do fit into the cylinder. If I tighten the crimp I get the bulge and bullet is useless.

If the bullets prints on the case, that is no issue.

I didn't think so since it does fit into the cylinder
Thanks