Help with 9mm Please

[Mals9]

I am new to pistol reloading but have reloaded 30-06 for a couple of years. I am using once fired Blazer brass @ .743", a 3 piece RCBS carbide die set, and Berrys Bullets 115gr, .355 diameter, round nose. The overall length is 1.153 to match the factory Blazer ammo. When I get to the point of the roll crimp the bullet spins in the case. I even tightened down the crimp to the point where it will create a step at the base of the bullet and it still spins. What am I missing or doing wrong?

Thanks
Mals

 

[arjay]

Try belling a case just enough to get a bullet started.If that one still spins after crimping,you might try polishing the expander button from the resizing die to make it a bit smaller.Seems like they are made for lead bullet diameters rather than jacketed bullets

 

[Rule3]

Without see it it is hard to say?

First, it Blazer BRASS or is it Aluminum

It sound like you have not resized the brass correctly which is done when you deprime the cases, I would check that die first.

Then when you FLARE or expand the bras it should be just enough that the bullet barely starts in the case mouth, not that it "falls" in.

Plus you are taper crimping not ROLL crimping a 9mm.

Post pictures if you can.

 

[robertrwalsh]

I think Rule3 above hit it right on the head.

 

[Mals9]

The bullet just barely starts into the case but I am able to push it in with my thumb once started. The cases are brass, not aluminum. I had to polish the expander on my 30-06 to help with neck tension. I will give that a try and work on pictures. By the way this is a single stage Lee press.
This is the extreme crimped bullet that still spun

Mals

 

[Mals9]

Solved it. I made a rookie mistake by not locking down the length of the depriming pin. it spun in the die and it was bottoming out before the die could fully resize the brass.
Thanks for the help.

Mals

 

[fredj338]

Your sizing die. Should be screwed allthe way down, touching the shell plate. If you are worried about cracking the carbide, not an issue with most dies today. Then note, over crimping can cause loss of neck tension, it buckles the case.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Glad you found the problem. Yes, it did look like the neck was not sized correctly in you picture.

Just a note for the future, crimping will never make up for poor neck tension and overcrowding mostctines makes it worse.

Like said above, taper crimp semi-auto cartridges and roll crimp revolver cartridges.

 

[Qc Pistolero]

Solved it. I made a rookie mistake by not locking down the length of the depriming pin. it spun in the die and it was bottoming out before the die could fully resize the brass.
Thanks for the help.

Mals

Sir,That's experience going in.Keep on reloading and good shooting!
Qc

 

[Ballistic147]

Solved it. I made a rookie mistake by not locking down the length of the depriming pin. it spun in the die and it was bottoming out before the die could fully resize the brass.
Thanks for the help.

Mals

Glad you figured it out. I just started reloading this year and and have made many rookie mistakes. For me, the ones you have to really work hard to solve will stay with you longer.

 

[ddraper]

One suggestion. Using the Berry's I would go for a COL of 1.150 Most of the reloading data for Berry's calls for that length.

Also as stated previously, use a taper crimp not a roll crimp.

 

[patrickd]

I noticed in your post you stated you're using a roll crimp. You should NEVER use a roll crimp on the 9mm or any other round that headspaces on the case mouth. Using a roll crimp can allow the cartridge to seat too deep in the champer creating unsafe headspacing conditions. If you avoid over expanding the case mouth you will have enough neck tension to not need any type of crimp anyway. Flare the mouth just enough to get the base of the bullet to start without shaving. Then adjust the seating die to only iron out the flare just enough that the round passes the plunk test.

 

[ddraper]

If you avoid over expanding the case mouth you will have enough neck tension to not need any type of crimp anyway.

I disagree with the above. You do need some crimp to hold the bullet enough so that chambering the round does cause the bullet to move and shorten the COL increasing your pressure. You also need to make sure the bullet does not move so you can reuse a round after it has been chambered. You don't need much taper crimp but you need some. Relying on the case "neck tension" to hold the bullet is not reliable.

 

[Collo Rosso]

Case tension, not crimp secures the bullet in a semi-auto cartridge. Semi-auto's head space on the case mouth.
I set my (taper) crimp die to just straighten out the flare after seating the bullet, nothing more is needed.
If a bullet seats to easily on the press most likely I'll find a split case.

 

[Mals9]

The RCBS die is a taper crimp not a roll crimp. Sorry for the bad information. I have adjusted the die to provide about .002 of crimp. Thanks for the replies and advice.

Mals

 

[jimbo728]

After taper crimp, my 9mm cartridges measure .377 at the case mouth.
Works great.
Glad you solved the bullet seating problem. Sometimes you have to become a rocket scientist to solve the occasional problems that surface when reloading.
Jim

 

[LostintheOzone]

Use the push test. Take the loaded round and push the bullet into a hard surface. If it doesn't move then you have enough crimp. Sometimes bullets will rotate in the case and more crimp only crushes the bullet. I just push test these and if it doesn't change the OAL I just shoot them. Never had a problem. I found that plated bullets generally rotate more than coated or FMJ. I don't know why.

 

[LostintheOzone]

The RCBS die is a taper crimp not a roll crimp. Sorry for the bad information. I have adjusted the die to provide about .002 of crimp. Thanks for the replies and advice.

Mals

I don't think any die sets for autos comes with a roll crimp die. I could be wrong.