9mm Brass for Reloading

[skyking897]

I recently picked up a S&W 39-2 (my first 9mm). I had been shooting factory ammo, different brands before I decided to start reloading for it too. Reloading for my .357 seems so much easier, less confusing. This is when I learned about the "Glock Bulge" and 9mm brass is tapered. So I picked up some used brass at the range a couple of weeks ago and tried dropping some in my barrel and it won't go in as far as the factory rounds. I'm guessing this is the Glock Bulge? Anyway, I picked up a Lee Bulge Buster along with a set of carbide dies. While prepping the brass I noticed the rounds I fired thru the 39 take no effort at all to go thru the bulge buster but a lot of the range brass I picked up takes a huge amount of effort to press thru it and appears to be removing material from the rim too. It measures the same as the base of the brass now. Before I go too far here, I'm wondering if this is right or I'm doing something wrong? And is it supposed to be that hard to push a round thru the bulge buster?

 

[M29since14]

You might visually sort your range brass. I’d throw away any pieces that show a bulge that your normal full-length carbide die won’t completely straighten out. Always nice to have a maximum cartridge gauge around when you’re loading - particularly for the auto-pistol rounds.

Loading for 9mm is not at all difficult. As with any of the high-pressure auto-pistol rounds, it is crucial to be alert for bullet setback. Check the size of your expander. If it is bigger than 0.353” you might want to polish it to that size - maybe even a bit less. Don’t over-flare the case mouth, and don’t over-taper crimp. If you have the setback issue properly controlled, loading the 9 is just as simple as loading .357s - as long as you don’t expect the same accuracy from your 39 that you are used to from a good quality .357 revolver.

 

[Scuba16]

bulge buster

I used the lee bulge buster on S&W 40 cal but not on the 9mm i reload for paper or steel i just run them thru the 9 mm dies with no problem . Some that i have reloaded 9 times have had no problems with i shoot Ruger Sig .

 

[Scharfschuetzer]

I've been loading and shooting the 9mm for almost 50 years in seven different 9mm pistols now. I've never had any need to do more than FL size the cases, even for two different Glocks. I currently use Dillon dies, but I've used both RCBS steel and carbide dies in the past. All three have produced 100% reliable ammo.

If the "bulge" is a concern, then the older style of hardened steel FL dies will size your cases to match the taper of the 9mm case more closely than the carbide dies will. Of course you'll then need to lube the cases.

 

[RodD]

Had same problem with bulge buster set up. Rim diameters shaved. Have heard that Lee 9mm Mak sizer works best.

 

[rg1]

Never seen any need for a bulge buster for 9MM cases and I've bought once fired cases by the thousands. A RCBS or Hornady sizing die does just fine. I do use my barrel to check all loaded rounds and have not had any not chamber. None of my 9's both pistol and carbines over expand fired cases but all chambers are not the same size and some brand cases expand more than others. Now I do run all 40 S&W cases through a Redding GR-X push through die as the 40 case is almost a straight walled case without much taper. Especially range or purchased once fired 40 brass.

 

[Nevada Ed]

Not all pistol chambers are the same size..........
some might be a little smaller or ever larger than your pistol.

Cases are sized so that they will fit in your weapon.
Cases fired in your weapon "Should" size with less pressure than range brass
unless you are shooting full loads that "Work" the brass and make it "Flow".

Have fun.

 

[rockquarry]

I've never heard of a bulge buster or "Glock bulge", but once-fired 9mm brass with the same headstamp is very cheap, maybe the cheapest brass available and it may alleviate some headaches. I've seen good results with Winchester brass and still use some that I got once-fired thirty or more years ago.

Mixed range pickup brass will work, but never as well as brass that's all the same.

 

[hotshot357]

I started reloading 9 mm this year. I use a Dillon SDB & Dillon dies. I get my brass for my shooting range ( FOP range). So far I've only found a few that wouldn't reload.

 

[mikld]

For the OP; did you run your range brass through your sizing/decapping die before you tried them in your chamber? As noted above, chambers in postols vary a little to some extent and brass fired in a loose chamber will not fit in a modern, "tight" chamber. I have a Tokerev I bought in '87 which I have no idea as to the actual age of the gun (old!) and it's chamber is kinda sloppy. Brass fired in it won't chamber in my FMK
or Ruger without sizing. I too have never needed a "bulge buster" for any semi-auto round, just my carbide full length sizing dies (Lee and Hornady)...

 

[cmj8591]

I never used the Bulge Buster. My brass goes through a regular carbide size die and I also use a Lee Factory Crimp die. I've yet to have a problem chambering any round that went through that process in a multitude of 9mm's. I think the Bulge Buster just adds an unnecessary step to the process.

 

[muddocktor]

Had same problem with bulge buster set up. Rim diameters shaved. Have heard that Lee 9mm Mak sizer works best.

For 9MM Luger, you are supposed to use the 9MM Mak Lee FCD with the bulge buster, no a Luger FCD. That is because the Luger is a tapered case. The 40 S&W and 45 ACP are straight wall cases and can use the regular FCD die that comes in the Lee 4 die set.

EDIT: I have found that with 9MM Luger, the only cases I've found with a "Glock bulge" are seriously overpressured rounds loaded for SMG use.

 

[MyDads38]

I've never needed to use a bulge buster die for any caliber EXCEPT 40 S&W. I use the Lee 4 die carbide set to load 9mm and everything works in all my 9mm pistols (5 S&W, 2 Ruger). I sort my brass by headstamp (not really necessary), and check my loaded rounds with a Lyman case gauge. When in doubt, use your pistol's chamber as a gauge. If I find brass that has the dreaded Glock Bulge, it goes into the recycle bucket.

 

[Turn4811]

I never had a problem with the Glock bulge on 9mm and I have loads to +p ranges and hotter.

For 9mm Amerc, Maxxtech, Freedom Munitions, Xtreme, and Ammoland had the stepped cases for a while. Because of these I started sorting my brass about 15 years ago. I added TulAmmo, Wolf, B-West, SK, TCW, and TPZ as headstamps that get immediately tossed in the recycle bin - they all are very soft brass. I know some people that have loaded these headstamps but the headaches it can cause it is just not worth it.

I will load Agila, CBC, and Perfecta brass once to be used at an indoor range that has a slanted floor that tends to push most brass in front of the firing line. I have had an Agila case separate at the knurling on about the 5th reload. The CBC and Perfecta primer pocket gets too loose to hold a primer after the third or fourth reloading.

Every time I go to the range I know what brass I have loaded up. If anything other than that headstamp makes it back to my bench I will give it a close examination before I add it to my inventory.

 

[AManWearingAHat]

I have never hand sorted brass for anything but head stamp. My regular 9mm dies seem to handle brass of all origins just fine. Never a problem in thousands of rounds.

 

[Calliope]

The 'Glock bulge' was in 40 and 45 auto Glocks, not 9mm ones.

The Lee Bulge Buster is not designed for 9mm cases because they are tapered, says so right in Lee's literature.

NOTE: 9mm cases are not able to be used in the Bulge Buster because it has a slightly tapered case and the rim is not completely flush with the case

You must be forcing them through the .380 Bulge Buster?

So I picked up some used brass at the range a couple of weeks ago and tried dropping some in my barrel and it won't go in as far as the factory rounds.

That's because it's been fire in a chamber that may be slightly larger than your chamber, so it's not a valid test. You have to test re-sized brass.

I've reloaded Glock 9mm brass for years, never had an issue. Used it Glocks, HK's, 1911's, even a PC 952. I use the standard Lee sizing die.

 

[skyking897]

I'll try and answer your questions. Yes I sized and decapped before trying to fit a case in my barrel. I'm using the Lee 9mm Makarov FCD with the bulge buster. No matter how I adjusted the sizing die it will not reach to the end of the case and leaves a noticable bulge and this is where the rounds stop when I put them in the chamber of the barrel. After pushing a round thru the bulge buster that bulge is gone and the rounds fit the chamber. I've measured several cases and the taper is still there and the rounds measure comparable to factory ammo. My concern is how hard it is to push them thru the bulge buster. I'm afraid something is going to break. I've started to sort all this brass I picked up and I've noticed something else. There are cases with an IVI 86 headstamp and the primer pocket is noticeably smaller than any of the others.

 

[Nevada Ed]

Someone on this site posted this picture of the G Bulge problem. (thank you )

The new barrels have tried to fix this problem but the old pistols will still have the problem unless a improved barrel is installed........
or the pistol barrel supports the case better.

I hope this picture will help you understand, why some cases develop a bulge.

PS;
the improved barrel support is NEEDED for those that shoot the 9mm MAJOR loads
and might be one reason why they were made.

 

[LostintheOzone]

I use range brass exclusively. I've had the problem you described with 45 ACP but never 9mm. The solution was a case gauge.

Try sizing your brass and then drop it into a chamber spec gauge. I have those for every cartridge I load. Sometimes range brass is garbage and needs to go into the garbage. Cases won't size for lots of reasons and I just don't want to load a case up to find out the brass was blown out or the metal was fatigued from being loaded 10x. Neck tension is another thing to worry about so a case that won't pass the gauge needs to be culled.

I've saved myself a lot of trouble by checking the brass before I load it. If it fits in a gauge it's generally going to chamber just fine. There are two kinds of gauges. You want spec chamber gauge like this, not a length gauge.

HORNADY 9MM LUGER CARTRIDGE GAUGE | Brownells

Or just cram them into a FCD but I would rather just ditch those cases before I get that far.

Hope that helps.

 

[Calliope]

I think you are confusing the FCD crimp die with the Bulge buster.

A bulge buster is is a separate pass through SIZING die for straight wall pistol cases like 45 auto or 40 s&w.

The FCD is a CRIMP die that contains an extra ring to crush down any mistakes and apply a crimp after the round is complete.

Bulge Buster Kit - Lee Precision

Lee Carbide Factory Crimp Die - Lee Precision

Don't know why you're using 9mm Mak dies for 9mm Luger.

Have you tried 9mm Luger dies?????????

The Lee 9mm Luger sizing die is excellent at sizing all the way down to the base.