9mm Reloads

[pharos]

Most of the reloads for my LCRX 9mm work fine. But occasionally, a round seems to have a slight bulge at the base of the case, preventing the round from seating flush with the cylinder. This prevents the cylinder from closing with or without the use of moon clips. All rounds pass the “plunk test” and all are sized with the same die. Any suggestions?

[Funflyer]

If your sizing die is adjusted properly and you still have a problem with certain cases, then you might want to look into the Lee bulge buster. They say it can't be used for 9mm Luger, but using a Makarov FCD you can. Here's a video on the setup.

YouTube

[DeplorabusUnum]

If you scrounge brass at the range, you'll likely end up with some that were fired from a Glock. Glocks are famous for causing case bulge that will prevent chambering in other 9mm guns with tighter chamber tolerance. As stated above the Lee 9mm Makarov bulge buster will solve the problem. I have one and use it on rare occasions.

[fredj338]

I have actually never gotten a bulged 9m from a glock, old shooters myth. What you can get are over pressureed brass from 9mm major. You can roll or pass yheu size but imjust try to not pick them up when I scrounge.

[Nevada Ed]

With my size die set "Hard up" minus a 1/32 twist, backed off, 99.9% of my cases will work in my 9's.

You might get a "go-no-go" metal case checker to first test your range pick-ups after sizing, but that is just an option, that might save you some headaches.

Even my maximum sizing with my die and press, does NOT go all the way yo the base of the case. There is a possibility that a over stressed case will not chamber. One reason I seldom load over a NATO powered loading.

Good luck.

[41 mag Dave]

When I started loading 9mm for an open bolt sub-machine gun I learned a lot about loading 9mm. The biggest problem is that most of us use carbide dies. Carbide dies use a ring of carbine to size the case. The 9mm case is tapered, being run through a ring can produce the bulge at the base.

The procedure that I use is to size the cases in a steel 9mm die. This has a tendency to squeeze the case back to size and not produce the base bulge. I also use a case gauge and check every case. Yes, it gets tedious. But, detonations out of battery are disconcerting.

One byproduct of this is that accuracy is better out of handguns in general.

[Scharfschuetzer]

41 Mag Dave is correct on the carbide v. steel die issue. While my carbide dies (RCBS and Dillon) load 100% usable rounds for the 9mm in a Browning HP, you might try a steel die and see if that solves the issue.

In the end though, the solution might be more effort than is worthwhile. I'd just toss the rounds that don't chamber properly and move on. If you carrying for self-defense, then use just cases with known reliability.

[Ole Joe Clark]

Question: Do you plunk test???

When I do any rimless, tapered pistol shell, I plunk test every one of them. A plunk test is just dropping the loaded shell into a shell gage or the chamber of your pistol. I remove the barrel from my pistol and drop each shell into the chamber, if it will work you can hear the rim hit the end of the chamber, hence the name "plunk" test. If not you got problems with your taper crimp or possibly the bulge someone mentioned. When I started loading this type of cartridge I had the same problem you have, I added this operation and the problem went away.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

[serger]

I have to admit I plunk. I use one of the Kahr
barrels because it's the tightest one I have in
9mm. I suppose I should get a go-nogo but I
never have.

[mikerjf]

I bought an RCBS case gauge so I wouldn't have to disasm a gun to plunk. Check every round.

I had a few 9mm's that had a bulge issue, but after sizing I eyeball them with that in mind. Generally I can catch a problem round there, before priming etc.

[mikld]

One of the most common reasons for bulged 9mm cases is over crimping. I own guns for, and reload for 4 different semi-auto cartridges. I do not crimp any. I merely straighten out the case mouth with a taper crimp die and plunk test. I use a gun barrel as I'm shooting my handloads out of a barrel, not a gauge so fitting to a barrel is what I'm looking for (I thought I needed a cartridge gauge when I started reloading semi-autos, 45 ACP being my first. I fought my methods, dies etc. [I even bought new RCBS dies] to get my handloads to fit the gauge. On a forum where I was complaining about my troubles one member asked me "do they fit yer gun?". They did and the gauge now lives in a drawer somewhere in my shop and I have assembled several thousand rounds quite successfully [tens of thousands?])...

[PPCSHOOTER]

FORGET THE PLUNK TEST. BUY A GOOD CASE GAGE A SHOCKBOTTLE OR EGW. EGW ALSO HAS SPECIAL UNDER SIZE DIES .003 SMALLER THAN NORMAL. THEIR DIES ARE ALSO SIZE FARTHER DOWN ONTO THE BRASS THAN NORMAL DIES.

THE SHOCKBOTTLE GAGE IN 9MM COMES IN 3 DIFFERENT TOLERANCES. I USE THE MATCH 9MM VERSION. IT'S EXTRA TIGHT FOR MATCH CHAMBERS. THE SHOCKBOTTLE IS A 100RD GAGE. I THINK THEY ARE WORTH THEIR WEIGHT IN GOLD ( OR PRIMERS IF YOU PREFER).

FOR THE NEW RELOADERS EGW STANDS FOR EVOLUTION GUN WORKS. THEIR GAGE IS A 50RD .
JP

[madsweeney]

Years ago I bought a Midway cartridge gauge for 9mm. I have NEVER gotten one of my loaded round to pass. Just now, I took a brand new Starline case, sized it, and dropped it in. Passed. put a 115 gr XTP in the case and it would not go in past the rim. pulled the bullet and tried with a 124 gr LRN - no pass. 147 gr factory Black Talons fail. So do 124 gr Hydrashoks. The only rounds I ever got to pass was some lightweight epoxy encapsulated no-penetration blue tipped something that I picked up long ago.
Midway insisted that their gauge was 100% correct, even though . . .
So , trust, but verify. Make sure that a known-good round for your gun passes before you reject a bunch of reloads