When Is A 9mm Case Mouth Too Far Gone

[ArrowJ]

I bought my first once fired 9mm brass and am giving it the once over. I have only loaded 357 and never had any bent case mouths. How bent is too bent? The image is of the type of cases I have culled.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160221/a481ac1430114f5c951cdbfd7bff32a3.jpg

[Ed_Shot]

If you can get it to go into your 9MM sizing die so you can resize it will be fine. Main thing is to check for cracks, splits or bulges at the base.

[trails4u]

I wouldn't bat an eye at those. Like Ed Shot said, if you can get them in the die, they'll size just fine. I've even been known to take a small leather/plastic mallet to some more expensive cases, just to get them to start in the die.....not that I'd recommend that. [smilie=1:

[Dale53]

In longer cases, i have just used a tapered punch. I just push it in, it trues the case enough to easily insert the case into the size die. As short as the 9mm case is, you might have to shorten the nose of the punch (to keep it from bottoming).

FWIW
Dale53

[country gent]

The case mouths dents can be straightened esily with a round pin or a tapered pin. You can make a simple straightener by turning a taper on the end of the pin .250 up to .356 1/2" long or so. WOrk the dent out with the taper then a simple push ito case mouth. Other wise a work the dent out with a 1/4" pin and run over expander. But at the cost and availability of 9mm how much time do you want to spend on this. Cracks in the case mouth arnt fixable . Bulges or balloned case heads are a sighn of stress also. They can be pushed back to shape but there is alot of added stress acompianing this.

[trails4u]

Dale53 and country gent are, without question, smarter than I am. :)

This is why we're all here......learning every day.

[ArrowJ]

Thanks guys. This helps a lot!

[John Boy]

Arrow - be sure to chamfer the mouth of those cases. Looks like a rat chewed on em.
Lee has a good OD/ID chafering tool but RCBS has IMO the best ID tool. It's not 28 degrees, it's 22 degrees ... http://www.midwayusa.com/product/435351/rcbs-chamfer-tool-vld-very-low-drag
All the tools ... http://www.midwayusa.com/chamfer-and-deburring-tools/br?cid=8936

[lightman]

I would not hesitate to load any of the cases pictured. The sizing die will fix them. I use a 50 cal Browning bullet to help round out dented case mouths, but those should easily fit into the sizing die. I also use a polished center punch for dented case mouths on rifle cases. I draw the line when the mouth is flat and has a sharp crease in it. Even these will straighten out but the case will usually fail prematurely at the crease.

[Lagamor]

What post #2 said. Those will be fine once they've been through the sizing die. Splits at the mouth are a much greater cause for concern

[Schrag4]

On cases bent much more than those, I've used the bottleneck of a 223 case to open them up some before sending them through the sizing die. It's what I had within arms reach, and it works. BTW, a 223 case can easily get stuck inside a 9mm case this way, so don't hammer it home. I usually just set the 9mm case on the bench and press down by hand until it's open enough to size.

[bob208]

you can even use the expander die to get them round enough to go into the full length die.

[MUSTANG]

GO to a 2nd hand store and see if they carry old sockets. Locate a small one with a radius toward the mouth; and small enough to fit into the mouth of the 9mm case. I have a couple different ones. Even use one to slightly bell the mouth of .50 BMG cases when loading cast boolits for my AR50.

[M-Tecs]

How bent is too bent?


These aren't even close to being too bent.

[funnyjim014]

No kinks. ..just run em home in the sizer

[William Yanda]

GO to a 2nd hand store and see if they carry old sockets. Locate a small one with a radius toward the mouth; and small enough to fit into the mouth of the 9mm case. I have a couple different ones. Even use one to slightly bell the mouth of .50 BMG cases when loading cast boolits for my AR50.

Man! That idea is as handy as pockets.

[NavyVet1959]

A good set of drill bits (i.e. where you have a lot of different sizes around the diameter of our bullets) works well to expand out the cases. Use the end that goes into the chuck, not the cutting end. Start small and work your way up. You can also use them as a sort of round anvil by putting them in the case and hitting on the case with a small hammer made from a softer metal. A lead ingot can work as a hammer.

But those are not that damaged, I would just put them in the sizer and run 'em through as usual.

[Plate plinker]

Load em up there fine.

[Petrol & Powder]

These aren't even close to being too bent.

/\ agreed /\

I've reloaded far worse.

[ArrowJ]

GO to a 2nd hand store and see if they carry old sockets. Locate a small one with a radius toward the mouth; and small enough to fit into the mouth of the 9mm case. I have a couple different ones. Even use one to slightly bell the mouth of .50 BMG cases when loading cast boolits for my AR50.

Did this on a few. Worked great.

[edp2k]

Just run them into the die with all the others.
You may have to slowly guide them into the die with your fingers
to keep the bent edge from hitting the bottom of the die.

[Blammer]

if they won't fit in the case sizing die, use the flairing die to round them out, don't put a flair on them though, then run them through the sizer.