9mm and .380

[MWAG]

if the bullets for 9mm and 380 have the same OD, why does the 9mm case have a larger diameter? i would say it has to be because of the case wall thickness. would this be correct? i wanted to try to use my 9mm dies to reload my newly aquired .380's, but the 380's go right through the re-sizer. in a pinch, i could de-cap, bell the case and seat the bullet with the 9mm dies.

 

[Treeman]

The 9mm parabellum not only has thicker case walls, it is also a tapered case so the base is several thousandths larger than the .380's true srtaight case design.

 

[handgunner356]

You can use a .38/.357 sizer but you'll still need a .380 shell plate. Most everything else 9mm will work.

 

[alphabrace]

You can use a .38/.357 sizer but you'll still need a .380 shell plate. Most everything else 9mm will work.

Handgunner, what is a shell plate? I want to know because I have dies for a 9, and dies for a 38. I also have a 380 I occasionally shoot.
Thanks,

 

[ajpelz]

Handgunner, what is a shell plate? I want to know because I have dies for a 9, and dies for a 38. I also have a 380 I occasionally shoot.
Thanks,

RCBS #10, same as .223. Shellholder...

 

[WR Moore]

There actually are (or were) different RCBS shell holders for 9mm & .223/5.56mm. One of them (don't recall which) will kinda work for both, but you can't count on it. Some brands of 9mm have extractor grooves that don't match .223 specs and won't work.

 

[handgunner356]

He didn't say what kind of loader he was using. I was refering to a Dillon who will sell just the baseplate itself, which allows you to combine the .38 and 9mm parts to order to load .380s'.

 

[MWAG]

i was able to reload 100 rounds of 380 using everything for 9mm, decapping, belling the casemouth and bullet seating. all with the 9mm shellholder and repriming with a lee ram prime, lee single stage press and dies. shot 'em on saturday, they fed and shot just fine. did not resize cause these were unloaded from the hard primer cases that i mentioned on another thread................

i believe the 38/357 resizer is too big.........

 

[shovelwrench]

The biggest problem I find reloading the .380 is bullet setback. I have to rotate the bullets in the mag of my carry gun or they get way to short. Lead is fine, only the jacketed stuff does it.

I would think using 9mm dies would make the setback worse, being it wont size the brass as small.

 

[handgunner356]

The .380 is a straight wall case of .375" same as .38/.357, 9mm tapers from .391-.380".

 

[dave b]

Just get a cheap set of Lee 380 dies. Comes with a shell holder too.

 

[MWAG]

The .380 is a straight wall case of .375" same as .38/.357, 9mm tapers from .391-.380".

absolutely correct, HG356, i used the 38/357 resizer last night and it worked perfectly.........i stand corrected.