9mm weirdness

V

Vandikar

Inactive
Okay, loading 9mm nickel cases with bullseye. Dillon 550B press

1). Case deprimes and resizes fine.
2). case gauges perfectly
3). Powder loads fine.
4). Bullet is pressed into case, no problem.
5). Crimp crimps fine.

Net result, 1 finished ammo in 3 will not go back in the case gauge. it seems to fail near the head.

Again, at step 2, after resizing and depriving (and priming for that matter) the case is gauged and passes!

Any guess on why its failing at end? I've tryed resetting the dies. It does not help.

It only happens with the nickel cases.
 
I quit using the gauge because it gave me a false reading (no longer loading 9mm).

I use the barrel if I wondered.

Most brass full bullet set would not pass the gauge, worked fine in the barrel. Gauge was an ugly sort of guide as the head could stick out X amount and I knew it would fit in the barrel fine.

Nothing against loading 9mm, but my pistol did not shoot any better with hand-loads than factory and I got enough factory I have plenty to practice with before the ammo dropped off the shelves.

Oddly, the Remington Golden Sabre SD rounds were tack drivers out of my pistol. Too expensive to target/practice with, sigh. Sig Sp2000 lower cost pistol with a bad case of high class ammo ittis.

GS bullet is interesting as its a bore rider design. My brother gave me some to hand load but they were no better than low cost FMJ.


It was not a target gun but I liked to shoot targets as well, but other guns for that.

I used separate crimp die and made sure it was taper not roll.

ps: I tried sizing some nickle cases (Golden Sabre shuck offs) and dies were not happy, plenty of brass type so did not bother
 
what brand of gauge and type of gauge are you using?
What dies are you using?
what brass are you using? same head stamp of mixed?

I suspect you may be over crimping and creating a bulge near the neck. Depending on the gauge and bullet you could possibly have the bullet seated out too far and the gauge could be contacting the bullet.

I would load a couple with no crimp and see if they pass the gauge.

I personally like gauges, especially for progressive presses. I use the EGW gauges. What I found is that the Lee factory crimp die solved a LOT of my problems. it made it easier to adjust the crimp and gives a light body size to make sure it fits.
 
Perhaps your gauge is made for checking just the brass and isn’t designed for loaded cartridges. If so once the Bullet is added the ogive of the bullet is somehow interfering with how it seats in the gauge. I myself quit using gauges a long time ago and just plunk test using the barrels from my guns. I also do two things with 9mm that have eliminated any issues I’ve had in the past. I resize with an undersized die and finish crimping with a Lee FCD.
 
Ditch the gauge, do a plunk test with your barrel.

Using same bullet at same COAL, one will fit my Walther PPS, but not fit my daughters Springfield XDS.
Throat lengths are different.

I've run into more issues NOT doing plunk test with 9mm than any other cartridge.
 
It only happens with the nickel cases.
Click to expand...

The simple answer is to not use nickel plated cases.
But if you have a lot of them, you must bring them under control.

I have a Lee Carbide Factory Crimp Die in the last station of my Dillon and I have very few gauge failures with any color of brass. Sure, if I were shooting NRA or PPC, I would use same lot number brass with premium bullets in a standard taper crimp, but I shoot IDPA and USPSA where mixed brass and bulk bullets are adequately accurate but reliability is a must, so I Lee them.
 
9 mm brass is ubiquitous at the range (f you are allowed to pick it up).

If 9mm is an issue, PM me and I can arrange at shipping cost to send you a easily 300-500 brass cases, cleaned, sorted by head stamp. Have to look at what but known brands.
 
… Net result, 1 finished ammo in 3 will not go back in the case gauge. it seems to fail near the head.…
Click to expand...

Why do you think it fails near the head? Have you smoked the cases to see where the actual interference is located? What dies have you tried resetting and how did you reset them?

The obvious solution is to not use the nickel cases, but if you really want to use them we need more information.



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