njl

You might also check the condition of your magazines and mag catch. Mark the magazine base pads so you can track whether the jams happen with a certain mag or mags. At >=130pf why are you using a reduced recoil spring? Go back to the stock recoil spring assembly.

The problem I have with coarse grade corn cob (sold at Wal-Mart as pet bedding) is that the pieces are big enough to get stuck inside 9mm cases. I end up having to inspect every case and usually need to use a small nail or pick to get stuck media out of at least one case. Fine walnut (sold at Harbor Freight as blasting/tumbling media) is small enough, the only place it might get stuck is flash holes. I'm curious to find some finer grade corn and use it mixed with fine walnut.

So you have one lock ring on the top side and one on the bottom side of the tool head?

huh? what are you talking about http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollow-point_bullet Read the Accuracy section. This is true for long range shooting, but for a handgun Why would the increased stability and accuracy apply to rifle bullets and not handgun bullets? At <=25yds, it may or may not be noticeable.

huh? what are you talking about http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollow-point_bullet Read the Accuracy section.

I'm loading 9mm on my RL550B using Dillon 9mm dies and lock rings. I keep noticing every couple hundred rounds that my resizing die is loose. Using the Dillon wrench, I've tightened the lock ring about as much as I think I can without breaking something. Is there some other trick I should try? Maybe using 2 lockrings?

After loading about 3k rounds, I finally started having trouble with the primer chute getting stuck open. Somehow the pin that holds the two halves together got a little bent near the closed end. I remembered reading about the safety pin trick, but I couldn't find a safety pin in the house that was the right size. They were all either too short or too long...and there's not a whole lot of clearance on either side of the chute for an oversize pin. I ended up using a section of large paper clip. So far, it seems to work. I loaded 200 rounds, and only one primer missed the bin. One somehow landed on the press frame above/behind the spent primer bin.

I questioned it myself for a long time, but it seems to be the only explanation. I was lubing the brass using a ziplock bag...dump the brass in, spray it down with lube, seal it up and toss it around a little. I think I ended up with lube inside some of the cases, especially those that were oriented with the case mouth toward the top of the bag. I assume that the lube dried in and around the flash hole, preventing ignition of the powder charge. There have been some other posts related to the same problem, and when I started spraying lube into the bag before adding the brass or folding the bag around the brass and spraying the lube onto the sides of the bag, the problem went away. What kind of lube? It seems kind of hard to believe enough lube could cover the flash hole that it wouldn't be blown aside by a primer detonating. I've been lubing by using a tiny dab of lansinoh (lanolin) on my fingers and rolling the brass in my fingers between the brass tray and the press. Works great for 9mm. I figure when I start doing rifle, I'm going to have to spray the brass and get more consistent/thorough coverage.

Unfortunately, no, that's not always the case. I just started loading and ran into a problem with case lube causing squibs (or at least that's my best explanation after ruling everything else out). Gun went "click" in the middle of a stage and I treated it like a misfire ('cause that's what it felt like...note that the RO didn't catch it either) and racked a new round into the chamber. Lots of smoke and some sparks out of the chamber on the second shot and a stuck slide due to a bulged barrel...I got lucky...could have been a lot worse. Haven't had any problems since, but the paranoia hasn't gone away yet... Not questioning you...but what's your explanation for lube causing a squib? I've been lubing my 9mm brass, and wonder if you were doing something I need to watch out for.

Where'd you get the idea for that load? That's about 10% below minimum from the two data sources I've seen. I just worked my way down to it. Apparently the powder I have is from a very hot lot. My first outing was right from the Sierra loading manual and it listed 5.0gr. for ~ 1050 fps. Imagine my surprise when it chrono'd 1285 fps (5 shot average) from a glock 19!!! (Yep, it felt like a cannon.) For comparison sake, I typically run MGB 147 CMJs at 1.100" OAL, ahead of 3.6 gr. of the stuff for about a 134 pf. Are you sure about that data? I don't have the book or my data in front of me, but IIRC, with Universal and a 124gr 9mm, 5gr is right at or above the max load. When I loaded up my first few small batches, I think 4.8gr was as high as I went. Out of a Glock 17, I did get more velocity than the Speer manual said to expect, based on what I've seen, I'd be surprised if 4gr broke 1000fps. You are loading shorter than me. IIRC, mine are more like 1.145 - 1.150.

I was googling for info the other day on .30 carbine reloading and came across a post that kind of scared me. The poster claimed that H110 was too fine a powder for the Dillon powder measure system and that it would act like sand and basically bind up the powder bar. I haven't started loading carbine yet (haven't found a deal I've been happy with on the bullets) but have a new 8lb jug of H110 waiting for when I find bullets. In a reasonably new & current RL550B, am I likely to have trouble dispensing H110?

Where'd you get the idea for that load? That's about 10% below minimum from the two data sources I've seen.

I've loaded a few thousand rounds of 9mm 124gr using Universal (Precision Delta FMJ and Montana Gold CMJ). At a power factor of about 130 (about 4.3-4.4gr), it's noticably softer shooting than typical 115gr factory ammo. It's been posted here before (maybe in a faq) but for 9mm, to adjust your crimp, measure the diameter of your bullets. Measure the thickness of your brass. Aim for a mouth diameter on loaded ammo of bullet diameter + 2xBrass thickness i.e. no real crimp...just remove the bell/flare you put in for seating the bullet.

International Clays is a shotgun propellant. Rarely (if ever) used in any pistol loads. Universal Clays is a shotgun propellant. Used in some major PF .40 S&W loads. Increasing rare anywhere else. Clays is a shotgun propellant. Used in many pistol calibers. Very popular in 9mm, .40 S&W and 45 ACP. This is the one that has a reputation of spiking. But then, all propellants will bite bad if poor loading technique is used. Universal, as the name implies, is more than just a shotgun powder. It's commonly used for all sorts of pistol loads and I can't imagine he'd have any trouble getting safely above the minor threshold. My 9mm load is 4.3-4.4gr Universal Clays with a 124gr bullet and does right about 130pf. That's right at the bottom (minimum load) of the recommended powder charge.

At what distance did you get hit with frags from .223 shooting steel? 15 yards----Yes I know neat scar though Shooting steel with .223 (AR I assume) at 15 yards?!? Darwin...cleanup range #3. (unless you're military or LEO and were shooting at a person who just happened to have steel near them or between them and you)

At what distance did you get hit with frags from .223 shooting steel?

I didn't think there were any other than possibly some prototypes that obviously wouldn't have been sold.

Just checking again...how did this load work out for you?

It's how they get new customers...it's why when people like me were shopping for a first press, the only question was which model Dillon to get.

I've got a Lyman digital scale, and I'm convinced it's just not accurate at the low end...i.e. weighing a single 4.3gr charge for my 9mm load, it always reads low by a few tenths. I keep 5 reject cases by the press (crimped spent primers intact) that I use only for powder charge calibration. I'll weigh either 5 or 10 charges together and divide appropriately before adjusting the powder bar. i.e. if 5 throws combined gives me within a tenth or so of 21.5gr, I figure I'm close enough to 4.3gr.

1700 fps has got to be a false reading. I mean that'd be just crazy hot for 9mm. If it was legit, you'd have noticed it (louder bang, nasty recoil). Using the same powder and charge, I consistently get around 1050 fps with 124gr jacketed bullets from a G17.

As I'd guessed, Lemi-shine is an acid. I wonder if you'd get similar results just using a little vinegar?

I've got and have loaded both. Given equal powder charges and OAL, the MG 124gr CMJ and PD 124gr FMJ chrono more or less the same from my G17. The only notable difference I've noticed was the bullet profile was different and the seating die needs to be adjusted when going from PD to MG in order to keep the OAL constant.

I would recommend you call Doug Giraud, as I recall he can create a custom shell holder/cutter for other specific calibers (I think you just have to send him a couple of .30 carbine cases). I could be wrong, but it would be worth the call to him. In my opinion, if you are doing rifle brass trimming the Giraud is the way to go. Take Care, Mike I emailed him. The response was that his trimmer can only handle bottleneck cartridges.

Well, I guess I should measure some of my brass. I'd read that they'd need trimming.