Bulge Busting
First please note:
You cannot bulge bust rifle cases.
You cannot bulge bust unsized cases.
You can bulge bust completed rounds.
Lee Precision has never had an official bulge busting option for 9mmP.
Roll sizing is a better option to sort bulged cases but roll sizing is very expensive.
Lee’s Bulge Buster has been the answer for most reloaders who cannot roll size.
Ok now let’s clear up a few bulge busting myths:
Glock’s or other handguns with unsupported chambers do not cause bulges to cases.
Old handguns with loose chambers cause bulges…looking at you CZ75.
Bulge Busting is not always the answer to your feeding problems. Your sizing and bullet seating depth is more likely to cause feeding issues.
Yes cases do bulge but this is more from age and from running higher than normal pressures.
Bulge Busting has been a tedious single stage operation. The APP changes this into a quick, easy to do operation.
Lee’s Bulge Buster Kit has always worked with their Factory Crimp Die.
You remove the crimp sleeve and adjusting screw and screw in the bulge buster, the die was then inserted into your press with the red sizer box on top. The punch went into your ram and you then added a case by hand and pushed it through the die. (Ps the old kits will work on the APP but you will not be able to use the sizer box)
The new kit works a bit different. The kit is now shipped with a Bulge Buster – basically a Breech Lock Bushing, 3 intake funnels and the punch.
The punch fits into the Shell Holder Adapter and goes into the top die carrier. You then insert the appropriate intake funnel into the Bulge Buster, rolled side first. You then screw the Factory Crimp Die into this assembly making sure it is tight…the bottom of the die screws in first. Then the bottle adapter goes on and the whole unit is then inserted into the bottom die carrier…making sure that the case can drop in freely.
Set your case feeder and load the feed tube…the cases must be loaded case mouth down! Cycle the press and test that everything works on the case feeder side…you might have to make a slight adjustment to the tube support height.
And then you start bulging cases as quick as you can work the handle…and feed the case feeder. Easy!
Now let’s look at bulge busting 9mmP…
Remember Lee has no official bulge busting option for 9mmp
Due to the tapered case design of 9mmp using the 9mmP Factory Crimp Die will not work. Using this die will lead to you either breaking your press or wrist – please do not try it.
The answer to 9mmP Bulge Busting is to use a 9mm Makarov Factory Crimp Die…again this is not official from Lee but reloaders have found this workaround years ago.
But now which size funnel to use with the new kit? The 40S&W funnel works. As far as I can work out this funnel just guides the case into the Factory Crimp Die. If you look at the older kits there was no intake, the case went straight into the die.
I have just bulge busted 200 cases without issue…yes 9mmp does take a bit of force but it can be done.
And as always lube is your friend.
Next we look at primer pocket swaging.
