Just starting out with 9mm - problem with chambering on 1 out of every 10 or 15

H

hwswhacker1256

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I'm starting to reload 9mm using a Lee 4-hole turret die. I think I have everything set up right. Except when I go to test the new handloads, 1 out of every 10 or so will not chamber. When I eject the round, the bullet is pressed into the casing about 1/8". I tightened down the crimp die another 1/2 turn after the recommended 1/2 turn to make a whole turn. I'll try to tighten it down some more and see what happens. Another thing I noticed is that when I'm running the crimp die, sometimes I can feel resistance and other times I don't feel a thing. Maybe I need to tighten the expanding die so the bullet seats in farther. I have it set just so it will accept a bullet and no more.
 
Let's back up a bit. Every gun chambers at a different OAL and yu need to take a fired case and make a 'dummy bullet' without powder to determine how deep you need to seat it for the cartridge to pass the 'plunk test' in your barrel.

Have you thoroughly read reloading instructions yet?
 
No further discussion until you tell us what your OAL is and is it consistent. Quit focusing on crimp, it is of minimal importance at this point.
 
I adjusted the bullet seater using a factory round. I did do a dummy round and it cycled just fine. I can't remember exactly the O.A.L. I'll make some more dummy rounds tomorrow and report back. I can tell you they were a lot less than what the Lyman's book said which was 1.169" I think. They may have been a little more than the factory rounds. [Edit: I just saw the above post]
 
COL based on a factory round.. alright.

WHO'S bullet are you using? Does it have the same profile?

Did you do push test to make sure you had crimp set right before you cranked down more on it? Take a completed round and push down on table...did the bullet go in deeper easily?

Are you sure you sized the cases right in the first place?


So much info missing here that getting to the core issue is just speculation for right now.
 
I'd guess an OAL problem but having 9/10 chamber fine is kind of odd. Basing the OAL on a factory round is an OK starting point but unless your bullets are identical to the factory round you might need to tweak the seating die. 1.16 is quite long for 9mm.
 
9mm is a tricky little round to reload. It seems easy, but it's not.

I had all sorts of problems reloading 9mm, after I started taper crimping via a combo seating and crimping die. It's way easier to seat and crimp separately, but I was forced to combine the steps. Combining seating and crimping created all sorts of headaches, including chambering problems, bullet in magwell separation problems, etc.

The solution I came upon? Use the Lee Undersized die. It has solved all my problems. The undersized die makes the rounds chamber easier and also helps by increasing neck tension and helps with cartridge feed reliability.

Oh, like the others said, shorten your COL. Mine is 1.13.
 
Depends on the bullet and the gun, I've loaded from 1.175" to 1.050" and these run thru both my OEM Glock barrels, LoneWolfs, and BarStos. L-R, all 125 grains, Montana Gold JHP, Bayou TC, Hornady XTP, and Bear Creek RN. Also only enough bell from the powder thru die to seat the bullet, and only enough de-bell (crimp) to remove the flare. Use the "Wipe" test, mark a case after seating, then thru the crimp. It should only wipe about .005" Take the barrel out of the gun and drop the rounds in the chamber in a vertical position, they should make a plunk noise. Loaded over 400,000 since I started running Glocks in 1992 on a Dillon 550 and Dillon Square Deal, standard Dillon dies.


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Don't guess on any cartridge dimension. Find the OAL for the particular bullet in your manual and start there. Measure, don't guess. There is no reason to crimp a semi-auto round, just use a taper crimp die to straighten the case mouth out enough for the round to pass the "Plunk Test". If I'm using Hornady bullets I use Hornady suggested OAL. Same with Nosler bullets and Sierra bullets. For cast lead bullets I use data from my Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook...

Perhaps it would be a good idea to review your reloading methods. Sounds like some basics may be omitted. Adding more flare to the case mouth won't have any effect on OAL. More crimp will only buckle the case and loosen the bullet.

Go slow, double check everything, and most important, have fun...
 
I reload 9mm for IPSC. Over 2000 rounds a year only for IPSC. Not counting other reloads I make in 9 mm.
My press is a Lee pro 1000.
My pistols Sig P226 HK USP tactical Bul cherokee and for carry a Belgian Browning HP. Collection Luger P08.
I cannot tell I never had an issue with a bullet, but I allmost do not remember the last time.
I do not use any chinese brass. My brass is a mix of lots of US brands, aguila and lc or wcc nato.
I have seen problems in chambering with Dillon sitting dies. I do not crimp and if, extreme light crimp.
I see other competitors that have problems in Glock pistols with reloaded ammo.
Might be that I am lucky withe my dies guns combination, but for me 9mm is not a problem at all.
 
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Lots to cover. First, stop crimping. It isn't necessary for a 9mm round. I suggest the use of the crimping die to correct for an over-expanded case. Otherwise the neck tension alone is sufficient to hold the bullet in place.

Second, do you own a caliper? If so, you obviously need to track the OAL that you are setting, especially when you get it right. If you don't own a caliper, please purchase one.

Third, do a search on the board for "Plunk Test." You'll find a very nice graphic, usually authored by "UncleNick" who is extremely knowledgeable and can lecture on the dynamics of just about anything ballistic related. Pull your barrel and perform the plunk test using the graphic. It's easier than trying to chamber the rounds manually and safer as well.

Fourth, those on the board who pointed out that chambers can be different in size are spot on. If you happen to own a CZ or Canik as an example, you will find their chambers are smaller than normal such that the OAL of your round won't even reach the minimum requirement in the data. So, you need to determine what OAL works in your firearm which leads me to item Five...

Make notes in your load manual, preferably on the appropriate caliber page so that you know what OAL matches to the type of bullet you may be using. Also noted by others, different bullet types may be different sizes so that affects your OAL. Make notes.

Sixth, brass is not consistent in size. Test this theory with your caliper and you will find the various manufacturers are within fractions of an inch of one another. This too affects your OAL so you must allow for slight variations.

Seventh, do not load max or near max until you sort our your OAL issue. If you compress the powder in an effort to get the bullet to chamber, well, anything is possible and it may not go well with you. I suggest worst case is to be a mid-point, or lower, until you figure this out.

Your initial note stated that you had the case expanded such that it accepted the bullet. That is exactly right. The bullet barely fits inside the case and your press does the rest of the work.

Good luck. Be safe. Measure, measure, measure and take notes.
 
Crimp consistency is dependent on case length.Measure your case lengths.
I'm not suggesting most folks trim 9mm,but you might sort out those over length,if any.

Excessive crimp can cause a diameter increase behind the crimp.You really do need a set of calipers to reload well.

Its easy to seat short/fat bullets a little crooked.That distorts the case,you get a little bulge.

You seem to be loading "seat of the pants".Not the way to go.Get a caliper.Use loading data specific to your bullet.Load to recommended length.

I suggest a Lee Factory Crimp or a taper crimp die.Your load manual should give a diameter to crimp the case mouth to.
Some crimp is Ok,but realize the 9mm headspaces on the case mouth.Its not OK to crimp excessively.There is not typically a crimp ring or groove on a 9mm bullet.Its different than reloading for revolvers where a good roll crimp is necessary.
Its a light crimp,you take off all the bell,and a touch more.
 
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Yes, I failed to mention I have a set of digital calipers. I did a search for 'wipe test' and couldn't find anything. Could you expand on that? This is the first time I've heard of it. (Nice setup 9x45).
 
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I don't have a definite number for you to crimp to.

Generally the plan is,have sufficient neck tension from sizing your cases and a crimp is not required,or particularly desireable.

However,you probably are belling your cases to start the bullets.

If everything could be just right,you would remove all traces of the bell with your crimp die.
Since getting things "exact" is really theoretical,we pick a direction to fudge into a little bit.

I read some advice from Tanner brass,which you can find by searching for 9mm crimp info.
He suggests that if you are going to crimp,size a piece of brass in your sizing die.Measure the dia at the case mouth.

When you set your crimp die,if you get .002 less than the dia of the sized brass,its plenty.
I suggest you try that.I suggest you use your longer brass samples to set it.
My Nosler book shows a case length dim of .754.
Yours do not exceed that length.
 
If you are using the Lee 4 Die Set with your press, the 4th die should be your TAPER crimp die. You definitely do need to set it to remove the bell that was put in the case on the expander/powder drop die.

Crimp it just enough to pass the plunk test in your barrel or case gauge. If you don’t have a case gauge, I would get one.

Also, you did not mention the gun/barrel you are loading for. I have tight barrels that require any one time or more fired brass from another gun to be sized using a SMALL BASE DIE. Lee makes one of those as well. This is true especially if I pick up range brass that has been fired through a Glock.

Set your dies up as per the instructions that came with them and get yourself a Small Base die.
 
Through trial and error I'm starting to realize that my biggest problem is that the charge is real critical - I can tell the difference by the recoil and sound in one tenth of a grain - and my charge dispenser is real inaccurate. I have to weigh each charge and sometimes, for some reason my scales go out of calibration. There's not much chance of an overcharge when charging at the starting load, but if I get and undercharge, the round will fire, but it won't have enough energy to push the slide all the way back to properly chamber the next round. I'm using a Glock 19 and a Sig P226.
 
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