9mm Reloading Questions

[Gian Strabo]

Hi there,

i have just started reloading my 9mm brass on my brand spankers Dillon 550B.

I have done about 400 rounds through, and have tested them to see if they chamber and extract properly in my P226 Sig, with no problems.

I notice that when the brass gets resized and deprimed, that the die only resizes it from the projectile end to about 2-3mm away from the rim at the base of the casing. this leaves a small bump in the case. Once the round is finished, it looks fine however still tapers in a bit from the primer end.

Is there a way to stop this happening and to make the die resize the entire length of the casing? I have tried to adjust the die but the depriming pin is already touching the baseplate.

Also, can someone please confirm what the OAL of a 9mm bullet is?

thanks,

Strabo.

[George]

The "Safe" way to test rounds in a gun without actually firing them is to disassemble the gun and use the bbl to check the rounds by dropping them into the chamber to see if they gravity drop fully into place and then gravity drop out. When you say they extracted fine, that tells me you cycled them through the gun manually. Man, that's dangerous at home!!!!

The little bulge at the base is typical and won't hurt anything if the round passes the chamber drop test I mentioned. 9mm is a tapered case, not a straightwall case so some taper from rear to front is normal.

Typical 9mm OAL is from 1.110" for a commercial 115gr JHP to 1.150" for heavy FMJ's. A very typical 9x19 OAL for reloading is 1.135". Measure some factory 124's and you will probably find them running around 1.115" to 1.125".

If you are using a "Carbide" resizing die, typical adjustment is to turn it down until the base of the die just contacts the shell plate when fully raised. Then back it out until it just doesn't touch the shellplate. This setting will be fine even if there are small base bulges left as long as the rounds pass the chamber drop in and out test I mentioned. If the decapping pin is sticking out too far, it will need to be adjusted until it isn't.

[mikeAZ]

I'm sure you will get LOT's of advice on this one..... I NEVER use the barrel a a guage.... BUY a Dillon or other case guage and use it RELIGIOUSLY. (LOVE the EGW "u" carbide die. Few if any, loaded rounds fail to guage). You need to be aware of the amount of "freebore" in your barrel(I can load out to 1.200 OAL with Mont. Gold FMJ's, STI barrel and not have land/bullet nose contact). You MUST have a few .000 freebore or you WILL risk very high/explosive conditions..... So far , I have found that the length of the "mag" seems to be the limiting factor in 9mm OAL, that is, some guns need a smaller OAL so that the round will fit the mag.... on STI/SV mags the SHORTEST FMJHP I run is 1.165 OAL...

[George]

A test gauge for ammo that isn't cut to the same (or tighter) dimensions as "your" chamber won't do much good. A quick test to see if a gauge will tell you anything is to compare the fit of a case fired in your gun (should still fit into your guns chamber) in your chamber to the same case in the gauge. If it is tighter in the gauge, or won't fit into the gauge, then the gauge is smaller than your chamber and rounds that pass it will also pass your chamber. If a fired case is looser in the gauge than in your chamber, then that gauge is useless for your gun.

I like the ammo gauges made by EGW. They are cut to minimum SAMMI dimensions and I trust theirs on average more than others I have tried (Dillon and L.E. Wilson).

[shooterbenedetto]

I AGREE, BEST AMMO GUAGE WOULD BE IN YOUR GUN!!!!!

ALL BARRELS ARE CUT DIFFERENTLY...YOUR PERFECT AMMO GUAGE IS YOUR GUN BARREL.

[LPatterson]

I AGREE, BEST AMMO GUAGE WOULD BE IN YOUR GUN!!!!!

ALL BARRELS ARE CUT DIFFERENTLY...YOUR PERFECT AMMO GUAGE IS YOUR GUN BARREL.

You could turn off your cap locks, no need to shout about everything.

[Mountain]

I notice that when the brass gets resized and deprimed, that the die only resizes it from the projectile end to about 2-3mm away from the rim at the base of the casing. this leaves a small bump in the case. Once the round is finished, it looks fine however still tapers in a bit from the primer end.

Is there a way to stop this happening and to make the die resize the entire length of the casing? I have tried to adjust the die but the depriming pin is already touching the baseplate.

People have called this "Coke Bottle Effect" and it appears to be "normal"

I'm new to auto pistol reloading recently producing 9mm rounds for my G-17. My ammo also has the coke bottle shape but functions flawlessly.

I did remove my barrel and use its chamber as a gauge.

My current load is 115gr JRN Speer in Win case with WSP primer and 5.7gr of Power Pistol with OAL of 1.125". I did try 6.2gr of powder but prefer the softer feel of the lighter load.

[Flatland Shooter]

One bit of additional information should you use your barrel as a chamber gauge: Make sure the chamber is clean.

Yeh, I know, its obvious. But not obvious enough for an old friend who wanted me to help him adjust his Dillon 550B because his rounds would not check no matter what he did.

Time to get smarter friends?

Edited June 5, 2006 by Flatland Shooter

[Gian Strabo]

Thanks everyone, that is reassuring to know, as i am only new to this reloading. It is a lot of fun once you get into a rhythm though eh!

When i said that they cycled ok i meant that i had test fired them at the range shortly after making them up. The reloaded ones were actually more accurate at 25m than the factory loads which was cool...considering i have only been shooting my Sig for 3 1/2 months. I did take out the barrel and drop test them to see if they would go in and out smoothly (and in a clean barrel i might add-haha) with no problems whatsoever so i must have it set up the right way.

That coke bottle reference is interesting but good to know that it is normal for 9mm.

I have measured the OAL of the ones I made and they are all around 2.98cm long (gotta love metric) which is about right.

Thanks again guys. The support here is great.

[LPatterson]

You can make the reloading process easier if you will lay a bunch of cases on their sides and spray with One Shot.

[eerw]

Most of the time the small bulge at the bottom is no problem..like the others have said chamber check your ammo using the barrel or a guage will eliminate that frustration.

to get rid of the bulge..you can get yourself a rollsizer..it is a device that sizes your case the hole length of the brass..they can get spendy though..

I use a EGW undersized 9mm die..and it is ground pretty low and gets way down on the case in the first station of my 550.

[jmorris]

Get a case gauge. I used to use the barrel as case gauge with great success, until after a few (too many) malfunctions, I realized a barrel does not cover the entire cartridge (only 25%+- of the rim) leaving room for error. Save your malfunctioning rounds and borrow a case gauge and you’ll see.

[Shawn Knight]

As far as Reloading 9mm brass on a Dillon goes I have loaded around 1000 so far with no problems. This is all different types of brass from range pick ups, to Midwayusa grade 3, all the way as far as Glock brass(out of my Glock). I have seen the bulge on some casses and others seem fine. Oh an BTW using a Glock barrel as a case gage is like throwing a hotdog down a hallway! No No No bad boy! Go with the others and use a case gage if you must. If you are still worried about the bulge on some of the cases then go get an EGW undersize reloading die. I have one for 45, 40, and 9. I use it on all brass that is not mine or fired through my Glock. I also have a SIG226 and shoot it quite a bit with reloads, and it is working just fine. If you get "once fired brass" from Midway or some other source then you need to check to see if it has that typical(it will) Glock firing pin strike and size that brass accordingly. I have some once fired brass that will chamber just fine in my Glocks, but not in my SIG barrel. Some guns are tighter than others(1911 9mm's in particular), and you need to be aware that what work for these guys or me may not work for you.

Edited June 8, 2006 by theknightoflight

[Vericio_Brazil]

Hello everybody,

I hope you can help me. I am planning to shoot in Production Division next year using a 9mm pistol (Taurus 92 AF). I would like to know where to buy the reloading dies, sheel holders and factory crimp die on the Internet.

Can you suggest a safe website?

Thank you!

Edited June 14, 2006 by Vericio_Brazil

[Vericio_Brazil]

Hello again,

Another question: Which one is the best holster to Taurus 92 AF (9mm)? Where can I buy it (on the Internet)?

Thank you again!

[Radical Precision Designs]

I like reloading the 9mm, although somehow it has posed some challenges, untill solved.

The first challenge, (common with other calibers) is that "case gauge". Don't need it, and don't use it. Not even the barrel as a gauge. It takes too much time, that I'd rather do someting else with. Take your "crimp die" (which came with your set of dies) and put it away. Install in its place a "Lee Factory Carbide Crimp Die". Adjust it the same way as you do your sizer-decapper, and use the knob to adjust the amount of crimp. This die does a "secondary resizing" as the case enters, it crimps it, and then resizes it again after crimping on the way out. As its name implies, it will yield similar dimensions to a factory new round in your handloaded cartridge.

The second challenge, which occurs mainly when seating to a long OAL, is bullet going on "crooked". I solved this by using a little bit of "belling"in the case mouth, and then seating my bullets using a "Redding Competition Bullet Seating Die". Yet another die from the original set to put back in storage next to the replaced crimp die.

Somehow if you want the best results, it may be cheaper and easier to buy the individual dies separately, as usually only the sizer-decapper die remains from the set after replacing the other two. Yes, you will spend a little bit more money "initially", but in the long run it will save you time (time is $$) and you will have more accurate cartridges.

The third challenge is what to do with the time now that you don't have to spend it "gauging" your cartridges or "rolling" them checking for crooked bullets. My solution to that is ...

[bberkley]

I like reloading the 9mm, although somehow it has posed some challenges, untill solved.

The first challenge, (common with other calibers) is that "case gauge". Don't need it, and don't use it. Not even the barrel as a gauge. It takes too much time, that I'd rather do someting else with. Take your "crimp die" (which came with your set of dies) and put it away. Install in its place a "Lee Factory Carbide Crimp Die". Adjust it the same way as you do your sizer-decapper, and use the knob to adjust the amount of crimp. This die does a "secondary resizing" as the case enters, it crimps it, and then resizes it again after crimping on the way out. As its name implies, it will yield similar dimensions to a factory new round in your handloaded cartridge.

The second challenge, which occurs mainly when seating to a long OAL, is bullet going on "crooked". I solved this by using a little bit of "belling"in the case mouth, and then seating my bullets using a "Redding Competition Bullet Seating Die". Yet another die from the original set to put back in storage next to the replaced crimp die.

Somehow if you want the best results, it may be cheaper and easier to buy the individual dies separately, as usually only the sizer-decapper die remains from the set after replacing the other two. Yes, you will spend a little bit more money "initially", but in the long run it will save you time (time is $$) and you will have more accurate cartridges.

The third challenge is what to do with the time now that you don't have to spend it "gauging" your cartridges or "rolling" them checking for crooked bullets. My solution to that is ...

+1 on the Lee Carbide Factory Crimp die

I've been using one for 4+ years and loaded thousands of rounds of 9mm with it in my Dillon 550. Not until I started loading Major 9, did I start using a case gauge. Out of the 1500 rds of Major 9 I've loaded, I've found 5 rounds that wouldn't drop into the case gauge that didn't have small burrs on the rim I could stone off. Closer inspection revealed that the brass was seriously bulged, and another run through my crimp die still wouldn't get the bulge out.

I never case gauge 9mm for my Glock. I use them for my STI Limited and Open guns though.

[George]

Vericio, you can everything you are looking for at the Brian Enos web store:

http://www.brianenos.com/store/home.html

Dillon makes and sells all the reloading parts you are looking for and Safariland makes holsters that will fit the Beretta. I am sure you will find everything you will need at Brians store.

[Flatland Shooter]

I've been using a case gauge for so long that I didn't remember that it was optional.

From the little blue box attached to my Dillon 550, the loaded shells go into a large cardboard box. Then, at my latest convenience, the shells go from the cardboard box into the case gauge and then into the little plastic box with the dividers. In the plastic box I can readily see any inverted, high, or otherwise poorly set primers as well as a good look at comparable loaded bullet length.

Now when I have a bullet malfunction, I know its (1) too little powder, or (2) finally time to clean my gun.

[Alan550]

I have to disagree on the clean barrel for chamber checking. I "chamber check" mine in a fouled barrel, so I don't get a surprise in the middle of a match by getting a round that will only feed in a clean barrel jammed in the chamber. That happened to me at a major match a few years ago, so I make sure there's at least some fouling when I check them now.

I only chamber check match stuff, so it's not a problem when it counts most. Chamber guages are not all cut to the same size as the barrel you may have in your gun, as mentioned above, so your barrel is the best way to guage your own ammo. I also don't have the luxury of shooting a common caliber (I shoot 9X23) and no one that I know of even makes a guage for my ammo.

Alan~^~