Bullet sizer for 9mm Makorov

[milprileb]

Is there a member here that can open up a Lee 357 sizing die to 9mm Makorov bullet size ?

Thanks,

[HATCH]

buckshot or lathesmith
But its already harden so its gonna be hard.
You are gonna have to go up to .364 or .365

[GOPHER SLAYER]

milprilep, I think your sizing die is too large already. I have never owned a Makorov pistol but if it is a 9mm it is .355/.356. I just measured a 9mm jacketed bullet that is .354.

[RobsTV]

milprilep, I think your sizing die is too large already. I have never owned a Makorov pistol but if it is a 9mm it is .355/.356. I just measured a 9mm jacketed bullet that is .354.

9x18 Makarov is a .365/.364 diameter (9.27 mm)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9x18mm_Makarov

[GOPHER SLAYER]

Like I said, I never owned one. Why don't they call it a 9.27x18?

[milprileb]

RobsTV: if my die is .357, it ought to be able to be opened up to .364.

[ku4hx]

Is there a member here that can open up a Lee 357 sizing die to 9mm Makorov bullet size ?

Thanks,

You can do it yourself; many of us have.

I used a 3/8" drill and emery paper. It's been a while but I think I started with 200 grit and finished with 600. The trick is to go slow and measure often. The most I've opened one is .002" but I could have gone farther I'm sure.

There are threads here that are far more instructional than what I just said.

[jonk]

I just shoot them as cast.

I tried a Lyman sizing die in .363" but it didn't like the short stumpy lee makarov bullet at all- might be ok if I plugged some of the lube holes. I did have buckshot make me one in .364 'just in case' but it wasn't really an issue to load and shoot them as cast.

[ipijohn]

My Makarov push through Lee sizing die started out life as a .358 dia. About an hour with a cordless drill and various grits wet/dry paper wrapped around a piece of 1/4 inch rod that I hack sawed a slot in. Used oil, held die in my hand with an old towel in my lap. Wrap the paper around the rod so it is kind if tight in the die and in the direction of the drill rotation which keeps tightening it on the rod as you turn it. It took about 30 minutes to remove .007. Measure often, start out with 200 grit, when close switch to 400, then 600 and finish with 1000.

[Piedmont]

The plug in the die will be undersized if you lap out that much. Also, slug your barrel and go .001 larger. From what I see on the net most people just accept the diameter they read 9x18 is supposed to be, which will likely lead to undersized bullets.

[ipijohn]

"The plug in the die will be undersized if you lap out that much."

The above is true, but we are talking .007 or .0035 clearance around the plug. We are not trying to seal pressure just ram the boolit using a coupe of hundred pounds of force through a hole to size it. I have done many thousand and have never seen the base change in any way.

[2wheelDuke]

My Makarov push through Lee sizing die started out life as a .358 dia. About an hour with a cordless drill and various grits wet/dry paper wrapped around a piece of 1/4 inch rod that I hack sawed a slot in. Used oil, held die in my hand with an old towel in my lap. Wrap the paper around the rod so it is kind if tight in the die and in the direction of the drill rotation which keeps tightening it on the rod as you turn it. It took about 30 minutes to remove .007. Measure often, start out with 200 grit, when close switch to 400, then 600 and finish with 1000.

I did the same, but I polished it with toothpaste on a shotgun bore mop after the 1000 grit. I opened up to .365, and it works great for me. I took a couple hours total.

As a finishing touch, I made a label with the label maker to display the new size.