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Brass for 9 major


wTEXgunner

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I'm new to reloading and new to 9 major. I have a quick question, how specific is 9mm brass needed in reloading for 9 major? 

 

I think I've read somewhere that you can't reuse 9 major brass as often and some say because of the pressure the wouldn't reuse it at all. 

 

I've also just stumbled across +P brass which I didn't even know was a thing. 

 

Should I stick with only new brass, once fired brass, processed range brass or +P brass? 

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I don't shoot 9mj, so...but people do reload 9mj brass more than once for sure...from what I hear, many reload it until the primer pocket gets loose. I would definitely use range brass (once fired, etc.) and cull out any that look suspicious. 

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I use mixed range pickup brass to load 9 major without issue, once my ammo boxed are full I just run my finger over the head stamps pulling out stepped brass to be used in practice.  IMT, FM, and ammoload all feature a step where the brass sometimes separates.

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Also, I tumble my loaded rounds to sort out loose primer pockets.  My 9 major brass was always in better shape than my 38 super because it never gets loaded more than a few times before I lose it.

 

When I go to a match with mostly reloaders I let them have all the brass, I only pick up brass in my indoor range where most customers are shooting factory ammo, that way my brass is usually in it's second to third loading.

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31 minutes ago, echotango said:

I load it until it's lost or splits. Also trash all stepped brass. 

Same here. I have loaded some of my brass at least one million times.

OK, 10 times anyway. :)

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3 hours ago, wTEXgunner said:

Should I stick with only new brass

 

It is essential to discard ALL 1x fired 9mm Major brass -

 

pls place it in a USPS mailer box, and I'll send you

 

my mailing address.

 

I'll be happy to discard it  ALL  for you    :P

 

Just as soon as I've reloaded it for the millionth time.

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I use all range brass and separate out the stepped as I'm loading it.  Just look at each piece as its going into the shell plate.

I pick up and reload several times when I'm practicing.  I don't pick it up at matches unless there indoor practice matches etc.

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Well all this is definitely some great news and saves me a bunch of money I can use on other components! 

 

If a thorough inspection is used throughout the reloading process, why not range brass???

 

Again I'm new to reloading so be gentle!! Haha

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21 minutes ago, wTEXgunner said:

If a thorough inspection is used throughout the reloading process, why not range brass???

 

In my experience the most valuable QC check is plunk testing each round of your match ammo in the barrel of your pistol.  I don't see any value in checking/sorting brass at the beginning of the process.

 

I dry tumble mixed brass (less than an hour), hit it with some case lube, load it, dry tumble again (again less than an hour), kneed it in a clean, dry towel, plunk test each round, placing the pass rounds in an MTM box, run my finger over the head stamps and pull out any stepped cases, and use them in practice.

 

Matches are much more enjoyable when your gun runs 100% :cheers:

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Realize it's more work to use one brand, but, primary reason is that it will have the same capacity, somewhat near the same length, same case wall thickness and same metallurgical content.  (Don't know why the font changed there)

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I live near an indoor range where most people shoot factory ammo they buy from the range.  That range also sells once fired 9mm brass for $10 per box.  The box is the case bulk 9mm ammo comes in and holds 2000+.  It is good in that the bulk of it is usually just two headstamps.  The bad is you have to sort out all the non-9mm cases, then clean and process the brass.  If you are willing to put in the time, that is a cheap way to go.  Personally, I can't be bothered.  I buy processed brass for $25/1000 in 9mm and $30/1000 for 40sw.

 

You also have to be willing to put up with more variations in consistency if you buy range brass.  Some brands are thicker than others.  Some have crimped primer pockets.  All of this contributes to variations in how the press operates, and reduces consistency.

 

If you are more serious about competitions, I would buy same headstamp, fully processed and roll sized brass rather than new.  Such brass can be bought for $60/1000.

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6 hours ago, Hi-Power Jack said:

I get very good accuracy in my TruBor from range brass, unsorted  :) 

Same with my Trubor, except I do sort and cull out certain headstamps (IMT, Ammoload, anything with a internal step, and anything that I don't recognize the brand) other than that everything goes into the hopper.

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I also use mixed range brass. Like others have said.

 

Case check every round. A case with a bulge or any kind of split in it will not case check and can easily be culled. 

 

The one time I got lazy and didn't do this by for a small local match. . . .case head separation on my first mag of the match. 

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I use mixed brass (minus certain odd headstamps) in 45 without issue. For 9, I separate by headstamp mostly because I had to troubleshoot some OAL issues and separating them helped sort out the problem. And in the midwest we do things like separate brass in January when it is -30. Now that they are separated, I keep them that way.

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One more thing to check is run a magnet over your brass to pick out the brass coated steel. We have found some Extreme and one other brand, can't remember the name, but they are a problem.

 

gerritm

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1.  I've never had trouble loading Blazer to Major ...

 

2.  Believe I have heard that during WWII, the Germans were loading

     there 9mm Very Hot - approaching PF 160 or so ???  Not a statement,

     but long ago recollection by a Very Old Person    :ph34r:

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yea ,yea yea

There are 1000's of 9 major guns out there running range brass without issue

Don't try and muddy the water with regurgitated magazine gun writer story information.

"The man with an opinion is at the mercy of the man with experience!

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2 hours ago, 57K said:

35,700 CUP was the pressure standard when I started loading. At that time you could buy cheap FMJ for $5/50 rounds. My interest in loading 9mm was accuracy and being able to load JHPs. To this day I've never loaded an FMJ in anything. I used cast instead and poly-coated, In 9mm though, I've loaded and fired more JHPs than anything else. Especially when we could buy bulk packs of Rem and WIN.

 

The loads are not that hot, and of course, velocity is higher with the slower powders.

 

Jack, you might want to check the case-wall thickness on Blazer Brass. It may have the same web dimensions, but case-walls are definitely thinner. I would definitely test volume against Rem or WIN before I even loaded them at +P.

I have reloaded buckets of blazer brass to 9MAJOR. Most of it several times over. Thin case walls? Get a Udie and pull the handle.

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4 hours ago, Sarge said:

I have reloaded buckets of blazer brass to 9MAJOR.

 

Just for grins I loaded a handful of Blazer aluminum cases with 9.4gr of SP2 under a 115 :devil:

 

Fired cases looked fine, I guess it would've been a better experiment to keep loading them until they split, but I don't have that kind of patience :eatdrink:

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