Losing 7-10% of 9mm loads

[tanks]

Using mix range brass and Precision Delta 147 grain bullets. About 7 - 10% of cartridges do not make the case gauge. It seems to be independent of the brass manufacturer. Kinda driving me nuts. this is on a 550B using Dillon dies.

Any hints?

Thanks in advance.

Edited April 10, 2016 by tanks

[DWFAN]

Why is it failing? Crooked bullet seating or not sized enough?

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[9x45]

pics?

[echotango]

I had the same problem. I now use a Lee U die and I'm at <1%(usually cracked case or junk brass snuck in). Not a fan of Dillon dies.

Edited April 10, 2016 by echotango

[Hatchet]

Lee dies. I don't even case gauge any more.

[sfinney]

Lee undersize and never look back.

[v1911]

Lee FCD die for 147s.

Edited April 10, 2016 by v1911

[BrianKr]

I use Dillon dies and never a problem with 5.56, 9 mm, .45 acp and others. Frankly I like the Dillon dies because they are meant to work on their presses. I detect Berdan primers in the press by using their unbreakable deprimer. Yeah, it works as advertised, at least by hand power.

We need more information. Your reject rate is far too high by 7-10%. IMO every round should pass the chamber gauge.

Question... remove the barrel from your gun and use it's chamber as the gauge for the plunk test. Tell us what happens. But we still need more info' if that fails.

I suspect you have something misadjusted. Did you follow the manual when adjusting the dies? Have you adjusted the bullet depth for your chamber/barrel?

[Postal Bob]

The Dillon dies do not size the case all the way down to the bottom. So sometimes you end up with a slight bulge. I use only Lee dies, and never had a problem with 9mm, 40, or 45 cartridges.

[jtrump]

I loaded about 400 rounds of the same bullet yesterday with Dillion dies "set to touch the shell plate", I had one round that didn't chamber check and I think it's my fault because I remember seating a bullet really crooked when I normally line them straight up ;/.... I don't check with my case gauge anymore I use the barrel, simply because if I load zero's none of them will case gauge but all will plunk test in my barrel.

[OPENB]

Lee U sizing die, Hornady seater with alignment sleeve for a straight seat, Lee FCD, Lee Bulge Buster w/9mm Makarov FCD. I'm doing all this for JUST my DW PM9 and 147 Blue Bullets. Tightest !@#$% chamber I've ever seen. All my other 9mm guns run without the Bulge Buster.

Pay attention to getting the sizer down as far as possible, seating the bullet as straigh as possible, OAL not too long, and a good taper crimp,

[tanks]

I'll do the chamber check on the firearm with the rounds that failed. I did not have this problem with Dillon dies on the .45s. I am following the manual, as a matter of fact the Dillon tech support suggested I actually go as far as I could beyond "just touching" on the sizing die. Now, it seems that I have a set of Lee dies in 9mm, standard carbide. Is that the dies you guys are talking about or is there a special Lee undersize die?

Here is a pic of some of the rejects:

[Hi-Power Jack]

I get a few rejects, but 10% seems very high.

Betcha if you try to chamber them, most will fit - not the high primer.

I use my rejects for practice sessions, so I don't have to pull or

lose them.

[techj]

I'll do the chamber check on the firearm with the rounds that failed. I did not have this problem with Dillon dies on the .45s. I am following the manual, as a matter of fact the Dillon tech support suggested I actually go as far as I could beyond "just touching" on the sizing die. Now, it seems that I have a set of Lee dies in 9mm, standard carbide. Is that the dies you guys are talking about or is there a special Lee undersize die?

Here is a pic of some of the rejects:

Lower right one looks like a real high primer - are you sure that you're running the press to the full extent (cam over) and that all the dies are adjusted properly?

Anyway, I run a Hornady seating die and Lee FCD - I have gone to only case gauging rounds for competition (just in case) and haven't had a problem yet with my range ammo. What I found is that most of my case failures with this setup are a result of rim damage.

[superdude]

Do the plunk test with a magic marker to determine WHERE they are sticking. That will determine what you need to do to correct the problem.

http://www.shootingtimes.com/reloading/reloading-tips-the-plunk-test/

[BrianKr]

The EGW dies are deliberately made .001 undersize and are made by LEE.

[kneelingatlas]

What type of pistol are you shooting? I never use case guages, only the barrel of my pistol.

[tanks]

What type of pistol are you shooting? I never use case guages, only the barrel of my pistol.

VP9

[OPENB]

You won't know what is causing the hang up until you mark them up & see where they are dragging. I got my undersized die from Midway. I read they are more undersized than the ones Lee makes for EGW. I wouldn't think that HK chamber would be match tight. Do you have any other 9mm to see if they fit them?

[Jim Watson]

Looks like the OP has one of the EGW black anodized "chamber checkers", the 7 hole model.

Right, tank?

My similar 4 caliber EGW is the smallest gauge I have seen, it will fail rounds that will pass Lyman and Wilson gauges, not to mention the barrel.

I think because it does not have chamber throats and will accept only a GI type round with no bearing surface outside the case mouth.

[tanks]

Looks like the OP has one of the EGW black anodized "chamber checkers", the 7 hole model.

Right, tank?

Correct.

Looks like the Lee undersized dies are out of stock everywhere. I will do the plunk test for the rejects as I don't want to pull that many bullets. I have to load 3K+ rounds for use in the next couple of weeks.

Edited April 10, 2016 by tanks

[ghost21]

Just a question, not trying to hi-jack the thread!

But this is the third thread I have seen about this subject if failing to pass the case gauge!

And every time I do I see that the poster is using either hi tek, or poly coated bullets. And to mention these thread started when everyone was switching to coated bullets for cost savings.

Could it possibly be a coated bullet problem showing up?

I know that most lead bullets are 1 to 2 thousandths over jacketed bullets of the same caliber, so could that be what going on?

Just my brain working over the problem, maybe I'm seeing something that does not exist

BTW All I have used is Dillon dies in my 2 550s, and I never had a problem with rounds not having pass the gauge.

Edited April 10, 2016 by ghost21

[Bob DuBois]

Another fan of Lee's sizing die sizes closer to the extractor groove and tighter than other brands with an excellent primer punch design.

Spend a little time inspecting range brass, swagged toss it, Military brass swagged and has smaller case volume, toss it.

Odd head stamp toss it. Be sure to lube cases and Lee's carbide ring is closer to the mouth so Use a strip of paper as a go

no go gauge should pull out with pressure on the operating handle and not push in. Set to tight and it will break the carbide ring.

[tanks]

Precision Delta I am using is is FMJ TC not coated lead bullets.

https://www.precisiondelta.com/products/bullets/bullets-9mm-147-fmj-tc.html

Edited April 10, 2016 by tanks

[acpie360]

tanks - Pull the bullets from those failed rounds then check the cases in your case gauge. This will tell you if the problem is with case sizing or bullet seating.