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9mm Major Brass Life


jschroep

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How many times can I load brass to 9mm major?

 

I can get a good amount of brass from the matches I shoot and will buy some also. If I pick up the brass at the range and inspect it for stepped brass am I good to go for the most part? Also is it okay to just mix new and old brass or do you like to try and keep it separate? I chose 9mm because doing less work with brass seems nice. 

 

Will be getting a 750 soon and am just trying to stock up on brass. Also what's the difference between loading 115's and 124's? I've had several people recommend 115's over 124's because you can get more gas to drive the comp. I guess is that just a feel thing for your particular gun?

 

 

 

 

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I do range pickup with all calibers and I just try and inspect as much as I can.

As i pick it up, as I dump it in my tumbler, as I move it to my dryer, as I put it in a box and lube it, while they are running on press, etc. I can pull out a few at each part and have yet to have issues. 

 

115 vs 124. for me only means I get a few hundred less per case ordered for the same price. I am loading minimum PF though

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8 minutes ago, jschroep said:

1.  How many times can I load brass to 9mm major?

 

 2.  If I  inspect it for stepped brass am I good to go?

 

3.  what's the difference between loading 115's and 124's?

 

1.  I keep loading it until it cracks or the primers won't stay in

 

2.  Stepped brass and steel cases (use a magnet), and crimped primers unless

      you are going to remove the crimp or have a 1050

 

3.  The 115's offer the advantage you mention, and some people love them,

      but it's tough to get enough powder into the 9mm case to get them to

      Major.  So, if you reload very carefully, the 115's are a great idea, if you

      want to put up with the powder spillage.

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Load over and over and over. I use 115's because I prefer the feel. Many use 115's but more use 124's so just buy either one and go for it. Read through the reloading section about crimped primer pockets and try to make a list of which headstamps to watch for.

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2 minutes ago, Sarge said:

Load over and over and over. I use 115's because I prefer the feel. Many use 115's but more use 124's so just buy either one and go for it. Read through the reloading section about crimped primer pockets and try to make a list of which headstamps to watch for.

 

What powder are you using? Looking at SWMP. 

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I use Winchester AutoComp and also have 16 pounds of HS6 that I plan to try again. I have used WAC(Autocomp) for years now and like it alot. And in regards to my friend Jack's post about powder spillage, you will have to use one of the many mods out there to reduce the snap of the plate at the end of the stroke. Unless the 750 has incorporated some new feature to eliminate that?

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Hello: I load 115's and have for years. I mostly use HS-6 but have used other powders and have no spillage problems. I load to 1.170" OAL and around 8.6 grains. It is not a compressed load with HS-6 or other powders I like. I use a zip tie on my RL1050 from the powder drop to bullet drop station and yes I use an original Mr Bulletfeeder. As for the life of the brass I get between 6-10 reloads out of them. Your brass will either split or more common for me is it won't hold the primer any longer. I would suggest you try 115, 121 and 124's to see what you like best. Thanks, Eric

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Would you just get a pound or so of each powder get loaded up to major and see what feels best? Like I have a couple recommended loads from limcat but I guess I'm not sure if I should just stick with that or go chase some rabbits.

 

Worst case is I go back to what they recommend.

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I've tried all the recommended powders for 9mm major.  I'm sticking with SWMP.  I load 10.2gr under a 115 at 1.161" OAL and get virtually no powder spillage.  The charge isn't compressed either. AA7 is the same powder, so I'll be switching to that when I'm done with the 12 lbs. of SWMP I have left, just because it is made in the USA.

 

I chose 115s because they are flatter shooting than the 124s.

 

As for brass, I buy same head stamp, fully processed, once fired brass, load it and leave it one the ground.  I do retrieve most of my practice brass, so I reload that minor for SCSA.  If the stage has a brass catcher or a tarp, I;ll try to retrieve some of that and reuse for minor.

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I guess ill cross that bridge when I get there. When people say hs6 is dirty do they mean it's got a lot of residue? I've seen issues with people saying it's dirty.

 

Also with SWMP some have had issues with unburnt powder. Is that due to the OAL being too long and just bit everything gets burned? I've been advised to only use SRP for 9 major as well so I'm wondering if people aren't using those and having issues.

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HS6 leaves plenty of room for 115s. The photo below is a load of 8.4gr with a 115gr FMJ and JHP next to it. It has .2”+ of room to the top, I haven’t found powder spill to be an issue on my 650. 

 

I’m also in the boat of load it until you lose it. I pick up everything I get from the bays at my nearest range and do minimal sorting just to pull out steel and any cracked/crushed cases that stick out. I’ve only cracked one or two cases on the press in 15k+ rounds. I keep some spare deprimed/sized cases on the side to swap out to pull any badly dented/crunched cases that make it through to the press. 

 

I seen very few stepped cases but it noticeably raises the powder fill in the case, so if you’re watching powder levels they will be easy to catch. 

 

Crimped primer pockets mess up some primers, but I find most of the time the primer will seat without much extra force. I don’t bother sorting them out for loading, I sort the rounds with messed up primers to the practice pile when I am chamber checking match ammo but I’ve never actually had ignition issues with slightly crushed primers. 

 

 

 

 

1CFBD57A-8269-449A-A262-7599A688C135.jpeg

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shoot it till you loose it or see issues

last summer i loaded the same cases 27 times only a few split

none developed loose primer pockets (actually they got to tight)

after 15ish loading's most would have stopped loading those cases.

 

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3 hours ago, AHI said:

shoot it till you loose it or see issues

last summer i loaded the same cases 27 times only a few split

none developed loose primer pockets (actually they got to tight)

after 15ish loading's most would have stopped loading those cases.

 

Would you mind giving your load for your brass test.

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