POST sizing 9mm?

[20nickels]

Does anybody make a post sizing die (sizing loaded ammo) for 9mm? I have piles of mixed brass and some (Aguila) will bulge after seating. A standard sizing die will iron out any problems but I'm afraid it would also smash my .357/.358" boolits down. I do have a Manson chamber reamer... opening up a (non carbide) Lee size die is an option. Using a Lyman 130 gr TC. fwiw. Any thoughts?

[tazman]

If the loaded rounds will go completely into the barrel without hanging up, the bulges on the cases do not matter. They are cosmetic more than anything. Almost all my 9mm loads show bulges on the sides but they chamber and shoot just fine.
If they won't go into the chamber then a Lee factory crimp die might be in order. That is precisely the problem the factory crimp die is designed for. The only issue is if you run boolits as large as you say, the fcd might shrink the boolit while making the case fit the chamber the same as a sizing die would only not as much.

[noylj]

Don't post-size. Get the Lee Bulge Buster kit and a 9mm Mak FCD and pre-"size" all cases to remove bulges.
Any post-sizing can size down the bullet--thus, destroying accuracy and risking bullet set-back and a KB.
Also, you simply can't size or post-size a case low enough if it is in the shell holder to remove the bulge (or the raised ridge that comes from shoving the bulge down).

[20nickels]

If the loaded rounds will go completely into the barrel without hanging up, the bulges on the cases do not matter.

They don't chamber in the barrel, plunk test. The Aquila brass, for example, has a ring around the brass about halfway down that collapses some and bulges when seating/crimping. Post sizing in a standard 9mm die saves the cartridge but smashes my boolits down. I'm not going to sort through all this brass to throw out the troublemakers and I wouldn't catch them all anyway.
This setup is otherwise making perfect ammo with descent brass.

I like the 9mm Mak die idea, looking into this for final crimping and maybe ironing out the bulges.

[mdi]

Rather than "hide" the problem, fix it. If your brass is bulging when you seat/crimp, sumpin' wrong. First thing that comes to mind is too much crimp. Also if you are trying to seat crimp at the same time, you could be crimping against a moving bullet (crimp being applied to the bullet as it's being seated, and pushing the case down with it). A Lee FCD is often used to hide such errors...

[725]

As long as you aren't crushing the cartridge at your seating/crimping stage, perhaps you should add a taper crimp to iron out irregularities. Pretty much what a Lee Factory Crimp is, I think. In any event, a taper for autos is a good idea.

[Garyshome]

I use a Lee FCD.

[jwber]

I haven't had any issues with Aguila but CBC brass does this every time with .358 sized boolits for me. I've started looking through all of my range pickup and tossing any CBC I find into the scrap bucket.

I have started a collection of loaded rounds in CBC I need to pull.

[petroid]

Slug your chamber/throat. This will tell you what dimensions your ammo needs to be to function reliably. If you can't chamber a round with a "correct" size boolit you may have to open up the chamber or use jacketed bullets only. The pros and cons if the FCD have been discussed but you may be able to post-size just enough to allow the rounds to chamber without sizing the boolits down. Also make sure you are expanding the cases enough. If your brass is collapsing, there is too much pressure needed to seat the boolit. You may be able to use a 38 super plug in your expander die to expand deeply enough to seat the boolit without collapsing the brass or swaging down the boolit.

[20nickels]

It's my Lyman M die doing it! Damn it. It does such a fine job with the good brass, I'm cranking out perfect ammo on the LNL with the exception of the Aguila brass. Backing the M die off any more makes it useless. Maybe I'll have to throw out every piece I grab that has a cannelure or whatever that is around it. That rules out a casefeeder I guess.

Slug your chamber/throat.

Slugs at .358"

[jcwit]

I've Started using a 38 sp seating & crimping die to seat & remove the flare when reloading 9mm with .358 sized bullets. I'm using neck tension only and has worked fine for me. This method does not resize the led bullet.

Please note you will need to replace the inner bullet sweater if using Lee dies as the one used with the 38 sp die is to short. I made a longer one to my specs.

Hope this helps.

[petroid]

Slugs at .358"

If your throat slugs at .358 then that is the largest bullet that will chamber, provided it doesn't swell the brass too much. A chamber slug will tell you the largest OD of a loaded round that will chamber. What is the OD at the case mouth of the "problem" brass? Get this to the right size by taper crimping and you should be good to go provided the billet isn't swaged down in the process

[Tazza]

I have an arbor press that i use to push my .38 super and a mates 9mm ammo through from time to time. It uses an old carbide resizing die that has been ground so that the carbide has a nice sharp edge. A pin is mounted to the arbor press and you push the cases or loaded ammo through the die. If there are any bulges it squashes them back down at the very bottom where normal resizing can't get to when being held in the shell plate. If the rim has grown a little, the sharp edge will cut it off.

You can use it as a poor mans conversion of .38 super cases to .38 super comp. It does leave you with less for the extractor to hold on to though.

Not a really wise move resizing loaded ammo this way, so i can not advise to do it loaded, but it does work.