I've recently had an issue with a .45 load.  I'm at a loss for answers here.

I'm reloading 230gn LRN, self-cast bullets.  All bullets have been pan lubed and through the sizing die.  All brass has been resized, and flared  (this is like the 5th time I've made these loads).

So, here's the problem:

After about the 20th round, I return the press handle to the up position, and there's no bullet in the end of the case!!  

Yes, I did put a bullet on top of the case before lowering the press handle.  The bullet got stuck in the die.

These are Lee dies, on a Hornady L-N-L single stage press.

Anyone have this happen before?  Any suggestions/answers?

Lube collecting in the top of the seating plug/stem?

Wrong style head on the seating stem "catching/grabbing" the top of the bullet?

Any marks on the bullet when you "get it back"?

that sounds like it to me. Make sure you're not using a "ball" seating head for a blunt nose bullet.

Built up lube and lube in your seating die. Clean and repeat.

I did disassemble the die and test that the seating stem wasn't catching on the bullet, no dice.

It almost looks like the case is closing around the bullet before it is all the way seated.

I'll try to get some pics of the bullet after I pulled it from the die.

I'm leaning towards this.

Ever use jacketed/plated?

I had this happen a year or so back teaching a club member to reload 9mm, he had 95 grain Ranier copper plated projectiles.

Only happened on say 1 out of every 250 cases.  Never came up with a cause, the 550B was set up with a separate seating and taper crimping die



only thing you can do is go on the defense - spot it before it goes to the completed cartridge bin and spills powder every where