New loader with a Lock n Load.....and questions.

[IrishPsych]

Don't hate me I started reloading on a progressive It was a deal on Craigslist with basically the case feeder for free, couldnt pass it up.

I've loaded about 30rds of 9mm. Use Winchester 231 and 4.4grn with 125g bullets. Using a Hornady Lock n Load

1)I weighed the completed rounds and they vary about .5 - 1 grain, this normal?

2) I've noticed a line about 1/16 down on the nose of each bullet, very minor but its there. It took a while but I have the crimp/seat die set. I was freaking out because it's not a TAPER crimp like I've read it preferred but its whats included in the Hornady 9mm die set. I may use my empty station for a taper crimp later.

3) Sometimes a primer wont slide in. I think I'll polish and clean the area. The press was used for 38 special before I bought it.

4) The completed round seems to catch when it exits the seat/crimp die. If I go at a normal speed its not detectable.

5) How hard or smooth should the de-priming be?

I used non-tumbled, cleaned or lubed brass of that makes a difference.

Thanks for the info!

[a.roberts]

1) Brass cases could vary by that much. Throw in bullet weight variance, and yeah, it's possible.

I wouldn't worry about it.

2) That line is most likely from the seating stem contacting the ogive of the bullet. (the curved part)

Don't worry about it.

3) Polish it and lightly chamfer the edge.

4) Mine does that too. I think it's due to the compression imparted by the crimper. I don't worry about it.

5) It depends on the amount of sizing the case needs, IMO. Case lube makes it easier.

You should tumble your brass, or at the very least, get the grit off the outside somehow. Before I got a tumbler, I washed it all in soapy water, then dried it. Slow? Yes. But keeping the grit out of your dies will make them last longer and probably run smoother.

Case lube is another thing that'll make the press run smoother, and make it easier on your arm. But you don't need it with carbide or titanium nitride dies. But it certainly helps.

[Potato Chips]

9mm, could have some crimped primers, where'd you get your brass?

[rfwobbly]

1) What you want to weight very precisely is your powder. As was said, the weight of the case and bullet can vary wildly, so weighing finished rounds will tell you nothing you can use.

2a) Different brands of dies use different anvils to push the bullet home. Your brand may be contacting the ogive of your RN bullets instead of the nose. That's completely normal and will not affect your shooting accuracy. Some die brands come with a second, optional flat anvil for FP. If you have a flat nose bullet then try using that.

2b) 9x19 is, and always has been, a taper crimp cartridge. Many people set the die body too deep. When the case is crammed up into the die it has nowhere else to go but to turn inward. This looks like a roll crimp, but is simply a mal-adjusted taper crimp die. You probably need to raise the die body about 2 turns, and then start down again in 1/8 turn increments. In your normal seating die, the body does the crimping while the inner stem does the seating....

...so it's the body placement that needs adjusting.

3) There is a lot written about polishing the primer bar on the LNL AP. Some dry lube probably wouldn't hurt either. Do a Google or call Hornady.

4) IMHO this is simply the proof that your die body is set way too deep.

5) Remember that the sizing die is doing 2 jobs at once: sizing and de-priming. Sizing in itself can be difficult, especially with dirty brass. Try rolling the case on a "lube pad" to add just a hint of lube and see if the force drops significantly. Carbide dies don't "require" lube, but that doesn't mean lube won't help. Sometimes the de-capping pin has trouble finding the primer hole, and sometimes the holes can be undersized. Either of those issues can increase the force. You should be using a slow, steady pull that makes a cartridge no faster than 1 every 10 seconds or so. Nice and slow. Watch THIS GUY, he does it perfectly.

Edited May 6, 2011 by rfwobbly