New member question on 9mm cast loads

[Marcomalo]

I just got back into reloading after many years, never doing any bullet casting before now. I am interested in casting 9mm rounds, so I bought a mold and the bullets fell out just fine, +/-124 grains from combination of wheel weights and scrap lead. I cast and dropped into water. The problem I have is getting them to load without bulging the case.

I bought the Lee crimp and sizing die. Interesting design since I had only used RCBS before and had purchased it again going forward (SS press only). Even using the Lee die I still have the problem on lead, but works perfectly on jacketed.

Any suggestions? I wonder if the lead hardens due to the cold water dump to the point where it distorts the case. As noted, I am not a newcomer to reloading, just to casting. I originally thought to reload only 9mm and .223, but have experienced extreme and growing case of mission creep, i.e. dies and equipment keep appearing somehow. Funny how that happens.

[runfiverun]

it's not the end of the world.
your carbide ringed size die is making the cases smaller.

welcome aboard.

[alfloyd]

Are you sizing the cast boolits before loading them into the brass?

Lafaun

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Marcomalo,
welcome to the forum, and to casting.
You haven't mentioned anything about sizing your boolits? I can only assume you aren't ?
Here is a good read on loading cast in 9mm.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?121607-Setting-up-for-boolits-in-a-new-9mm

[mdi]

Whenever there is a "fit" problem, measure. What is the diameter of the bullets being seated? What's the diameter of the case after bullet seating but pre-FCD? Will the finished cartridge chamber? Is the FCD swaging the cartridge/bullet down?

[bangerjim]

I cast and load .358 for MY 9mm guns. Remember......I said MY guns. YOURS will probably be different. I have no problems with bulged cases at all. And all my 9's easily drop into my max sizing gauge. 9mm can be tricky to load for. You will have to play around to find what works for YOUR barrel and that tiny little cartridge/boolit. There is no "magic answer" to your problem we can tell you.

And I use the Lee Factory Crimp Dies on all my semi's 9/40/45 with 100% success. Unlike all the horror stories you hear about on here, the thing does work! And very well......if applied properly.

banger

[Eddie17]

If you are using the Lee FCD, your COL is to long for your gun. Need to seat bullits deeper.
go slow and do the plunk test in your barrel as you go.

[Scharfschuetze]

Not an uncommon situation. If they fit the chamber and feed reliably, you really don't have a problem.

When I load with a Dillon carbide die in 9mm I always get a noticeable bulge, even before seating the boolit as I use a custom made .355" expander plug for my .358" diameter boolits for the calibre. They are fully reliable and accurate.

9mm brass is all over the map as far as dimensions go and some brands will show more of a bulge than others. It all depends on the case wall thickness if you see it or not as well as how much your sizing die sizes.

You should be able to see the little bulge in these loads which use a .358" boolit and were loaded with a carbide die.

[waco]

IMHO you picked the worst caliber to try your hand at cast bullets. 45acp, 38spl, 357mag.....anything but 9mm to start. Just saying.......

[bangerjim]

Waco is right IMNSHO.............I feel the same way..........from lots of my personal and my several friends' experiences. And with all the problem threads seen on here, so do many others! I did not attempt 9mm until long after I had all the other many larger and more forgiving cal's I load aligned and defined in process and function. Some tend to think that just because it is a small cart, it will be easy to load for. Not so. Too many critical dimensions involved.

Good luck with your 9mm experience. I would highly suggest getting a max cart gauge to test your rounds! Well worth the money and time saved. No need to tear you gun apart for a plunk test. I have one for every standard cal I load for. Saves lots of time and embarrasment at the range from non-cycling loads.

bangerjim

[BUCKEYE BANDIT]

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/744135/egw-4-hole-chamber-checker-max-cartridge-gage-9mm-luger-38-super-40-s-and-w-45-acp

[mdi]

IMHO you picked the worst caliber to try your hand at cast bullets. 45acp, 38spl, 357mag.....anything but 9mm to start. Just saying.......
Yep, 9mm is prolly the most "finiky" round to cast and shoot lead bullets in. I started casting for a .44 Magnum and quickly figgered it out in just a few shooting sessions and a lot of reading, but, I'm still working on that "perfect" cast bullet and cast bullet load for my 3, 9mms...

[bangerjim]

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/744135/egw-4-hole-chamber-checker-max-cartridge-gage-9mm-luger-38-super-40-s-and-w-45-acp

That may work, but it is made out of aluminum. I use the STEEL Wilson gauges. Yes, they cost a lot more but they will last 2 lifetimes. Al will wear down, even if "aircraft grade" as stated. I work Al in my machine shops all the time and am very familiar with it. Even when "hard coated" or anodized, it wears down.

I just like to invest in the best I can find for everything I buy and use.

banger

[BUCKEYE BANDIT]

Totally agree,that is what I use,just thought it would give him three popular gauges in one.And when those 9mm tick him off he can try the 45 ACP or 40S&W. Don't see to many 38 super,wonder why they included that ??.
That may work, but it is made out of aluminum. I use the STEEL Wilson gauges. Yes, they cost a lot more but they will last 2 lifetimes. Al will wear down, even if "aircraft grade" as stated. I work Al in my machine shops all the time and am very familiar with it. Even when "hard coated" or anodized, it wears down.

I just like to invest in the best I can find for everything I buy and use.

banger

[Handloader109]

I've an extra barrel now that I have a threaded barrel for my glock. Using it to check my loads. Way easier than removing a barrel each time..... I've finally gotten it down pretty good lately. But 9mm can give you fits.

[bangerjim]

A max gauge is cheaper than a barrel and much handier! Check for diameter, headspace, OAL, and more. Worth the few pennies they cost!


The Max Cartridge gage gives reloaders the ability to check all critical maximum SAAMI cartridge dimensions of straight wall cartridges - mouth diameter, base diameter, rim thickness and diameter, case and overall length and bullet diameter

banger

[EDK]

A DILLON case gauge is the best $15 you'll spend loading for semi auto pistols. Gauge the fired cases for the ones that got 'GLOCKED" and deposit in the recycling can; check your loaded rounds too. I had more issues getting the crimp correct than overall length, BUT you may not.

The LEE CARBIDE FACTORY CRIMP die gets a lot of flack, but you can salvage minor screw ups with it.

Easy for me to say as a retiree scrounging range brass for fun and profit, but use the case gauge RUTHLESSLY on brass and save yourself a lot of headaches. Half the 9mm and 223 shooters at my club don't reload or pick up their brass, so I will cheerfully de-contaminate the shooting bays for the next contributor...I mean shooter.

[clum553946]

Bulge bust all of your brass with a Lee 9mm makarov factory crimp die & bulge kit. Gets rid of the glock bulge & makes it easier to reload when you resize.

[Yodogsandman]

Bulge bust all of your brass with a Lee 9mm makarov factory crimp die & bulge kit. Gets rid of the glock bulge & makes it easier to reload when you resize.

Another tool for a non-existent problem, IMHO.

[gwpercle]

9mm's are a pain sometimes. Remember the dies are set to size the case to hold a .355" bullet, and we are loading .356" , .357" or .358 " diameter boolit in that same case....yes you are going to see it. Double so if using carbide dies, the case is tapered, steel dies can taper, carbide can not taper . But the step ( it's not really a bulge ) is a good thing...it keeps the boolit from being shoved back into the case when hitting the feed ramp before going into the chamber.
As long as they chamber, fit into your magazine then manually feed and eject...you should be good to go. I size mine .357 and you can see the "bulge" and they work just fine in 4 different pistol's. I did have to experiment with seating depth to get them correct in all 4 but I'm getting there.
Gary

[ArrowJ]

I am in exactly the same position as the OP. I have a garage full of casting equipment and 2,000 cases I just sized with a carbide die! You guys are not very encouraging :) Now I am starting to worry.

[ArrowJ]

I have a Redding steel die as well. Should I switch over to that for sizing the rest of my brass?

[gwpercle]

I have a Redding steel die as well. Should I switch over to that for sizing the rest of my brass?

No you don't have to. If the .355 sized case shows a ledge from the .356" , 357" or .358" boolit being shoved in there, it's OK.
That's just what happens...shows your boolits are being held firmly in place. That's a GOOD thing. As long as the round chambers ...no problem ! I had trouble with .355 J- word bullets....they were loose and I was afraid they would be shoved back , into the case when they hit the feed ramp...had to extra taper crimp them.
.357 " sized cast boolits solved that nonsense . Don't worry ...load and go shooting !
Gary

[Scharfschuetze]

I am in exactly the same position as the OP. I have a garage full of casting equipment and 2,000 cases I just sized with a carbide die! You guys are not very encouraging :) Now I am starting to worry.

No need to worry. If you are loading cast boolits at .358" like I do, just get an expander plug of about .355" or so. That'll give you plenty of neck tension and yet not be so tight as to "shrink" softer cast boolits. You can also just go with what you've got and use a hard alloy for your boolits. Most commercial cast boolits are plenty hard and are sized to .356" or thereabouts. Either way, you really should be OK.

As I posted earlier, 9mm brass is all over the map as far as manufacturer's specs. Some just won't hold a .355" bullet well, but should be OK with a slightly larger cast boolit. Segregate your brass by headstamp to alleviate that issue. That will give you the most uniform neck tension for each lot of your loads based on the headstamp. Uniform neck tension thus derived will result in less extreme spread in velocity and pressure and should be more accurate as a result.

[ArrowJ]

Should I slug my barrel (XD Mod.2 3.3") or just try my bullets and see what happens? Of course I do not have a piece of lead for slugging, and more disturbing is that my Lee mold says it drops .356. I do plan on powder coating so that should add a little.

If these questions are derailing the OP just ignore them and I will start another thread. They seem related.

[David2011]

Marcomalo, welcome to CastBoolits!

I agree with the multitudes that 9mm is a hard place to start. I've seen the same case bulging in .38 Special. The brass is sized down undersize, the expander opens it back up and you can really see the brass showing the base of the boolit. The main thing is to verify that the boolits are not being undersized by the FCD. Pull a couple and measure them to be sure they're big enough for your barrel.


Another tool for a non-existent problem, IMHO.

Maybe. Maybe not. I don't run ANYTHING through my competition gun that hasn't been through the push-through full length sizer first. Even a modified Lee FCD won't de-Glock .40 brass. (I know; this is a 9mm thread but bulging was brought up.) It's not a 9mm; it's .40 S&W but the Glocked brass will definitely jam up the gun if I don't full length size. I use a Magma Case Master Jr. with a Dillon case feeder on it borrowed from the 650. I mark my brass so I only run brass through that isn't marked. One full length sizing is enough. After that it's only run through my STI and that barrel is fully supported.


David

[clum553946]

Another tool for a non-existent problem, IMHO.
You shoot your own brass exclusively, I agree. You buy once fired or pick up range brass, I think it's a very worthwhile endeavor!