Just got a 357 sig barrel for my Glock. Wanted to reload some rounds. But of course this a bottleneck case. So I have to use steel dies, not carbide. Do I have to lube??? Lubing brass is one thing I hate.

I looked for carbide dies, but could not find them (even Dillon dosen't make them). All the info I looked at did not say you did not have to lub them, so it looks like you will have to.Good luck.

Edited by - handloader1 on 02/11/2003 00:09:11

Actually Dillon does have them. Whole set a whopping $104. The sizer alone is 85 dollars. Thats insane. Some say you still should lube ever tenth case even with Dillon. Think I am just going to use the spray lube from Hornady and save my money.

You sure right about Dillon carrying them. Go to www.grafs.com (Product #DP22083) for $50.93 + 4.75 S&H. Good luck.

Handloader need some help.

First off this is the probably the most difficult caliber I have found to load for. If I put a regular taper crimp, it jams and then pushes the bullet back into the shell. I chambered a round 5 times starting off at a COL:1.135" and each time it pushed the bullet back a hundreth. So then put a very heavy crimp on it. And buckled the cases. Would jam in my chamber.

I find that the only way to get this to work is to crimp to right on the edge of buckling the case. And still, It will push the bullet back a little while chambering.

What this round needs is a carbide factory crimp die from lee. Maybe my barrel needs some work. Maybe this Speer 125gr gold dot (made for the .357Sig) is not a good choice. Maybe this once fired speer brass from midway doesn' t have good neck tension. But any way it goes I find it to be a tough one. Any suggestions? One thing I found out, is its better to crimp on a separate operation on a single stage. Instead of crimping and seating the same time on a lee 1000 progressive.

Handloader, went to grafs and they are asking $105. did I go to the wrong link?

Big Country:

We have the right web sight; I checked it out and they do want $105.00 for thoes dies. In my " Graf & Son' s 2002 Annual Catalog" they want $50.95 on page 73 it must be an error. Give them a call at 1-800-531-2666 to make sure.

It sounds like you are doing every thing right. When I crimp I adjust the die just enough so it won' t smash the case. I used 124 gr. Speer Gold Dot bullets for my 9mm Lugar, and I had a hell of a time getting them to chamber. I kept on getting stove pipes which caused the bullet to move in the case just like your 357 Sig. I tried different bullet seating depths (using the Frankford Arsenal Quick-Check Max Cartridge Gauges from Midway), but it didn' t totally solve the problem. It may help you. They were self defense loads so I stoped using them. I then went to Hornady 124 gr. XTP, and Remington 124 gr. JHP, and that solved the problem. My Browning Hi-Power did not like Speer Gold Dots which is too bad because it is suppose to be a excellent self defense bullet.

I was told by a gunsmith to smooth out the bullet ramp, but I never did I just changed bullets. Maybe that may help your chambering.

I have never used Speer brass, so I don' t know of it' s quality.

I have always seated, and crimped in the same step. I have heard it is better to seat, and crimp in a seperate step.

Let me think about your problem somthing might come to me. Good luck.

I think you hit it on the head with the gold dots I am using. Going to try XTPs and see what that does.

Big Country:

Let us know what happens. Good luck.

Hey Handloader. Got a unofficial tip from a Lee representative. He said I didn' t hear it from him. He said you can use a 40S&W factory crimp die, take out the .400" collar. Put in a 9mm collar from a 9mmluger factory crimp die. And put a whammy of a crimp on it.