9mm leading

[P Flados]

BP,

Gotta give you a real attaboy on your man cave.

I share your pain with respect to having tools that just will not work like they should.


Tomme boy,

Some people get lucky & find 38/357 expander dies that will get the job done.

However, a lot of people try this and find that even stuff sold for the revolvers will not expand their 9mm brass enough (mine was no where near big enough).

I think there is one supplier (NOE I think) that makes expander plugs that allow you to pick the diameter. From what I have found recently, I could probably have saved myself some grief by just buying some plugs in 0.0005" increments from 0.355" up to 0.358" to let me find something that will do what I need using trial and error.

When I started, I now see that I did not have a good feel for what I needed for the brass ID after sizing, I did not have a good feel for how much "springback" to expect from the brass after expanding (varies greatly depending on maker), no clue as to how little my boolits would stretch the 9 mm cases during seating (next to nothing), and I did not realize how bad (way too much case diameter reduction) a "standard" 9 mm case sizing die was for my boolit loading needs.

In the long run it was a "learning experience" and it would seem that it ended up providing me with an "adequate excuse" to get myself a new toy (7x14 metal lathe) that I have wanted for a long time.

[robertbank]

Black prince I would lap the molds. What difference does it make if they cast out a bit different? You are going to size the bullets down to .357 so they all will end up being the same. I think we are over thinking this way to much.

Take Care

Bob

[Black Prince]

Well you are probably right Bob. I've got some lapping compound around here somewhere and I'll thread up some bullets and coat'em with the compound and give it a go. Can't hurt cause they are no good to me now anyway.

It started snowing here about 2 AM this morning and it's still coming down out there pretty good. The weatherman says it's gonna continue all day. I've got plenty of fire wood under good cover for the two wood stoves and the fire place, so I could care less if it snows. But those poor boogers who have to work and drive down there in Atlanta are in for one hellofva day. They are gonna be having wrecks everywhere. Sho am glad I'm retarded and can sit up here on the mountain, drink coffee, play my guitar, and sit in front of the stove. I may powder coat some of the Lee 124 grain round nose bullets and then, I may not. Life is good, but it'sa LOT BETTER when ya are retarded.



You can't see'em because it's snowing, but there are a lotta mountains right out there across the deck rail.



Think I'm just gonna sit here and learn to play a new tune.

[robertbank]

Feeling for you. I have another 3 months of sitting around watching the sun go up and down before I will be able to do much with my right arm. I start physio on the 15th, life as you say is good.

BTW you got about as much snow as we have up here. We got 2 feet about three weeks ago but it has been raining off and on ever since so we are down to about six inches on the valley floor. Lots of snow up on top though.

Take care and let us know how you make out.

Take Care

Bob

[Black Prince]

It's up to 5 inches deep now and snowing at about 3/4 inch per hour. Looks like we are gonna get 8 or 10 inches up here on tha mountain before it's all over according to the weatherman. Some of it will melt today and freeze into black ice tonight. Tomorrow will be a dangerous day to drive up here in the mountains. Even though I've got 4 WD, I'm NOT GOING ANYWHERE. I am always amazed at all the cars and trucks I see off the road down the mountain side against a big oak or rock after one of these little snows. People just can't stand it. They have just gotta go get some bread and milk whether they need it or not. They don't seem to understand that gravity is twice as strong up here on these mountain roads and when you start up or down the mountain, gravity combines with snow and ice to make sure you don't go where you wanna go. You can go fine in these conditions on flat ground, but these mountains change that dynamic right quick like. Even 4 WD and tire chains will not change that.



It's stopped snowing so hard and now some of the mountains are peaking out. But it supposed to start again any minute, so I put another log in the stove down here and started a fire in the one upstairs. Let'er snow. If it keeps this up, I'll start a fire in the fire place too. HAW!!! This ain't no step for ah mountain man.

[robertbank]

4 Wheel drive often just means you get stuck further and deeper. First thing you have to realize is you have to go slow. Brakes and ice just don't go well together no matter the shoes your vehicles are wearing. When I was young and invincible nothing could stop me. Now a book and a pot of coffee has a certain attraction when it is snowing like you got right now.

Enjoy a quiet day.

Take Care

Bob

[vzerone]

We have about that and it's still coming down here in TN!! I'm thinking the winters here have changed. They said rain with snow furries today on the weather news, yeah right.

[robertbank]

We have about that and it's still coming down here in TN!! I'm thinking the winters here have changed. They said rain with snow furries today on the weather news, yeah right.

I look forward to planting coconut trees in the back yard. "Sam McGee was from Tennessee" and he had the right idea. Shut the oven door you are letting in a draft. I dislike winter!

Take Care

Bob

[vzerone]

Well from what I've heard Bob, B.C. doesn't have as bad weather as the rest of Canada. I have a friend that lives in Vancouver and he said the weather is very nice there for being in Canada.

[robertbank]

Well from what I've heard Bob, B.C. doesn't have as bad weather as the rest of Canada. I have a friend that lives in Vancouver and he said the weather is very nice there for being in Canada.

Well the Lower Mainland and the Island are rather unique. NE BC is as cold as it gets. Living near the coast has some advantages even here in the NW. Coming from Alberta winters here are pretty easy to take. Snow is still snow, I remain a Sam McGee disciple My relatives left Queens, NY back in 1780 for Ontario. They could have just as easy gone South. I didn't have a vote!

Take Care

Bob

[skeettx]

Black Prince, I really like the SR-71
What an air CRAFT
Mike

[Black Prince]

4 Wheel drive often just means you get stuck further and deeper. First thing you have to realize is you have to go slow. Brakes and ice just don't go well together no matter the shoes your vehicles are wearing. When I was young and invincible nothing could stop me. Now a book and a pot of coffee has a certain attraction when it is snowing like you got right now.

Enjoy a quiet day.

Take Care

Bob

Yep. I can usually get around where I want to go except when the roads ice over. It's the knuckleheads that don't have 4 WD or tire chains that block up the roads by turning sideways and can't get straight and then one or two more stop behind that one and now you have a road block.



I drive this. It's got 4 WD and 20 inch, eight spoke chrome rims and off road tires. It's also gotta one inch lift kit just cause I wanted more tire clearance. I have chains for when I absolutely gotta go. This thing has traction control and it's amazing how much better it is over the old 4 WD's that had locked differentials and we had to get out and manually lock in the hubs to engage 4 WD. I've been driving Toyota Land Cruisers since 1976 until 2000 when they just priced me out of that market. Been driving these 4 WD Tundras since then. I bought this truck second hand from a local electrical company that trades in their trucks every two years when it had 47,000 miles on it. For a Toyota, that isn't even broken in yet. It just turned over 67,000 on my last trip over to Mississippi to deer hunt. It is pictured in front of a friends house near Vaiden, Mississippi. That is why you see all that FLAT land.

But it will not go anywhere and neither will that 4 wheeler up in the truck bed even though it has new tires and V-bar chains on it. So I have a 3500 pound Warn best quality wench bolted to the front of it. Now by golly, if I have enough cable to reach anything big enough to hold it, I can go dang near anywhere which comes in mighty handy in those Mississippi swamps. It also makes loading that 4 wheeler up in that high off the ground truck bed easy and safe. The days of me riding it up in there are O-V-E-R!!! Didja ever notice how scar tissue seems to make you smarter??

[Shingle]

WOW before id go through all that just slap a plain base gas check on those bad boys that usually ends most issues. Good luck.

[robertbank]

Yup on the scars.

I like your truck. I bought my last new truck on 2016...a Tacoma TDR Sport. Goes anywhere I need to go in the winter. I have highway tires on it so it is not something I want to take on mud with. The truck should last me as long as I am likely to be driving. The folks in El Paso, TX make a pretty decent truck.

Take Care

Bob

[Black Prince]

WOW before id go through all that just slap a plain base gas check on those bad boys that usually ends most issues. Good luck.

Hornady crimp on gas checks are running 4 cents each now the last time I checked. I can buy Berry copper plated bullets for 7 cents each and not have to do any casting, sizing or lubing. Gas checks can be cost efficient if you are shooting magnum loads or rifle loads and need them although I've been shooting .357 and .44 magnum loads for over 50 years without them. Elmer Keith didn't need'em and I don't need'em. For the three cents price difference, I'll choose to load solid jacket bullets and not mess with making bullets. But, that's just me.

Thanks for your advice. You are correct. That would indeed solve the problem.

[Dusty Bannister]

WOW before id go through all that just slap a plain base gas check on those bad boys that usually ends most issues. Good luck.

Black Prince, I think this is what Shingle is referring to.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...ssion-cap-cups

They are a lot less expensive that Hornady Checks, and yes, they are applied on plain based bullets, not gas check style bullets. Dusty

[Black Prince]

THANKS Dusty. I just sent him a PM. That is a solution that is cost efficient and at the price he quotes, I'll do that inna heart beat. If it works, that'll be a soultion I can live with and use the molds I already have. Is this a GREAT place for reloaders or what?