9mm cartridge gauge
- Thread starter Pat C
- Start date
shooter1911
New member
I've been very pleased with the Dillon Precision Gauge in .45 and 9mm.
Carriertxv
New member
Lyman has worked fine for me.
I won’t recommend a brand because I’m no expert, but will say that I use Dillon Pistol Gages for 9mm and 45ACP. I like them because they are cut to SAAMI specs for maximum cartridge length and minimum chamber diameter. If a cartridge passes the gauge test, it will fit my pistols, as long as the COL isn’t too long for a specific pistol.
ShootistPRS
New member
Pat, I don't know for sure if you are asking for a case length measurement or something to use with a loaded round to see if it fits your chamber. I will cover both;
1. case length -or- is it time to trim my brass.
You can use a good dial caliper to check the length of your case and compare it to the SAAMI specified maximum case length and then trim it to .005 under that or you can do like I do and run all the cases through a trimmer that is preset tothe length of your chamber (which may be longer or shorter than maximum and minimum SAAMI length).
2. Overall length - or - will my reload fit in my chamber.
It is extremely unlikely that any gauge offered commercially will be the same as your chamber. Unless you are using the same make bullet used in the reloading manual you can't use that dimension either. (I have tried and ended up with a bullet stuck in the barrel and my 9mm full of nice new powder).
The best way to check your loaded ammo is to use the chamber in your barrel. Most semi auto's can be field stripped in less than a minute and you can have the barrel in your hand. Use a factory round or one you have previously loaded that worked in your gun to check how much of the brass extends out the back of the barrel and then test your new loads. This won't tell you if you have seated the bullet too deep (which will raise pressures) but it will tell you if it fits in the chamber. If you are loading close to maximum loads in the 9mm you want the bullet extending out of the case as far as you can - without hitting the rifling (that raises pressures too).
>which die are you referring to?
The first thing with any problem, is to find out what is causing the problem.
If the sizing die doesn't go down far enough and leaves a bulge just above the extractor, you need a different sizer (Lee and Hornady tend to go down further) or you need to look into a Bulge Buster.
Then, if you don't properly expand (not flare the case mouth), you can have problems seating the bullet and can swage the bullet down and seat it crooked.
If your seating stem isn't a good fit, it can seat the bullet crooked. If the seating stem isn't coaxial with the press/die body, you will be seating to one side.
If your crimp is not adjusted right, you can either leave too much flare or you can crumple/bulge the case from too much crimp.
When you have a problem, do the following:
Take the barrel out of the gun. Drop rounds in until you find one that won't chamber. Take that round and "paint" the bullet and case black with Magic Marker or other marker. Drop round in barrel (or gage) and rotate it back-and-forth a few times.
Remove and inspect the round:
1) Scratches in the ink on bullet--COL is too long
2) Scratches in the ink on edge of the case mouth--insufficient crimp
3) Scratches in the ink just below the case mouth--too much crimp, you're crushing the case
4) Scratches in the ink on case at base of bullet--bullet seated crooked due to insufficient case expansion (not case mouth flare) or improper seating stem fit
5) Scratches in the ink on case just above extractor groove--case bulge not removed during sizing. May need a bulge buster.
The first thing with any problem, is to find out what is causing the problem.
If the sizing die doesn't go down far enough and leaves a bulge just above the extractor, you need a different sizer (Lee and Hornady tend to go down further) or you need to look into a Bulge Buster.
Then, if you don't properly expand (not flare the case mouth), you can have problems seating the bullet and can swage the bullet down and seat it crooked.
If your seating stem isn't a good fit, it can seat the bullet crooked. If the seating stem isn't coaxial with the press/die body, you will be seating to one side.
If your crimp is not adjusted right, you can either leave too much flare or you can crumple/bulge the case from too much crimp.
When you have a problem, do the following:
Take the barrel out of the gun. Drop rounds in until you find one that won't chamber. Take that round and "paint" the bullet and case black with Magic Marker or other marker. Drop round in barrel (or gage) and rotate it back-and-forth a few times.
Remove and inspect the round:
1) Scratches in the ink on bullet--COL is too long
2) Scratches in the ink on edge of the case mouth--insufficient crimp
3) Scratches in the ink just below the case mouth--too much crimp, you're crushing the case
4) Scratches in the ink on case at base of bullet--bullet seated crooked due to insufficient case expansion (not case mouth flare) or improper seating stem fit
5) Scratches in the ink on case just above extractor groove--case bulge not removed during sizing. May need a bulge buster.
ShootistPRS
New member
Assuming that you have the flaring die set so a bullet will just begin to enter you should be fine. Scratches on the base of the cartridge is hard to visualize as being caused by bullet seating. It may be that the feeding ramp is a bit rough and needs careful polishing. That would scratch the base of the case. The flare in the case is removed by the taper crimp in the seating die. To center the bullet better you can just start the bullet in the die, lower the ram and turn the case 180 degrees and finish the seating process. If that doesn't work then adjust your expander down, a quarter turn at a time until the bullets enter with little pressure.
One quick thought, are your cases trimmed to the same length? Shorter cases won't flare as much as longer cases so it is important to trim any cases that are longer than the maximum case length. With new brass (once fired) it is rare that any will be over the maximum length but I have found that some cases do trim after just one firing. Blazer Brass cases are the ones I have found that are long.
One quick thought, are your cases trimmed to the same length? Shorter cases won't flare as much as longer cases so it is important to trim any cases that are longer than the maximum case length. With new brass (once fired) it is rare that any will be over the maximum length but I have found that some cases do trim after just one firing. Blazer Brass cases are the ones I have found that are long.
One quick thought, are your cases trimmed to the same length? Shorter cases won't flare as much as longer cases so it is important to trim any cases that are longer than the maximum case length. With new brass (once fired) it is rare that any
I've never trimmed pistol cases, I should check a few to see how much they vary.
I've never trimmed pistol cases, I should check a few to see how much they vary.
ShootistPRS
New member
I run every cartridge I reload through the trimmer. The trimmer is set for the 9mm and I use bushings that I made to trim longer cartridges. That way I never have to readjust the trimmer and all my cases are fit to the gun they are fired in.
With cases that headspace on the mouth it is more important to keep them at or close to the length of your chamber. Too short and they may not fire and too long they will not release the bullet properly or, if long enough they won't allow the gun to return to battery.
With cases that headspace on the mouth it is more important to keep them at or close to the length of your chamber. Too short and they may not fire and too long they will not release the bullet properly or, if long enough they won't allow the gun to return to battery.
>4) Scratches in the ink on case at base of bullet--bullet seated crooked due to insufficient case expansion (not case mouth flare) or improper seating stem fit
>How do you expand the case more without adding more flare?
************
Are you serious?
An expander does two things: it expands the case ID and it flares the case mouth.
If the expansion isn't enough, you get a larger OD expander.
Do you think ALL an expander does is flare the case mouth? If so, take a sized case and measure the case ID than use a real expander die (not the case-mouth flare only tool that Lee calls a Universal Expander that actually does NO expanding) and measure the case ID.
If the ID is not close to but less than the bullet ID, seating straight becomes difficult.
What do you think the expander does on the sizing die for bottleneck cartridges? It has NO flare capability--all it does is expand the case neck.
See attached. That length that sticks out past the flare point is the EXPANDER and you'll notice it is about the length of a seated bullet.
>How do you expand the case more without adding more flare?
************
Are you serious?
An expander does two things: it expands the case ID and it flares the case mouth.
If the expansion isn't enough, you get a larger OD expander.
Do you think ALL an expander does is flare the case mouth? If so, take a sized case and measure the case ID than use a real expander die (not the case-mouth flare only tool that Lee calls a Universal Expander that actually does NO expanding) and measure the case ID.
If the ID is not close to but less than the bullet ID, seating straight becomes difficult.
What do you think the expander does on the sizing die for bottleneck cartridges? It has NO flare capability--all it does is expand the case neck.
See attached. That length that sticks out past the flare point is the EXPANDER and you'll notice it is about the length of a seated bullet.
