9mm Luger Range Brass Consistant Volumns?

[DonMountain]

I started reloading for a 9mm Luger pistol a few years ago after purchasing a LEE 125 grain mold for this caliber. Not knowing any better at the time, as I had been shooting Winchester factory loads all of these years, I bought 1000 range brass from a supplier, and discovered that they didn't load the same as the Winchesters. After inspecting a bunch of them, and looking at fired cases, it was evident that the dozens of makes of 9mm Luger brass are all of different volumes and would require different load workups for most of them. Does anybody have a chart of equivalent volumes of all of these cases so some of them could be loaded the same?

[charlie b]

Try a batch of mixed first and see how they shoot. If you are shooting at 25yd or less you may get decent accuracy without sorting them.

PS The only caution would be if you load max +P. Have to approach that with carefully.

[ioon44]

I have been shooting mixed range brass for 9 mm and don't see any difference to using one head stamp when shooting IDPA & USPSA matches as these loads are not close to max +P.
I just make sure they all pass the plunk test before going to a match.

[Jniedbalski]

I also use mixed range brass and have no problem. I do sometimes get thicker brass in differnt brands sometimes. I don’t load hot so ,everything works out good. My favorite load now is 3.5 to 4.0 gr of bullseye under lee’s 120 gr and 124 gr tc bullet.

[str8wal]

Been shooting mixed brass for years for range loads in various guns and have not seen any ill effects. If you are shooting 50 yard bullseye or loading to max+ then you might wanna get fussy but for practical purposes it is much about nothing. For my self defense loads I sort, but that is just my OCD kicking in, ha.

[lefty o]

so long as your not shooting super hot rod loads, mixed brass isnt an issue, and with a handgun likely you will never see the .1" difference in group size. beware the stepped cases (one look and you'll know), those just go in the trash.

[gpidaho]

When loading 9X19, I use mixed head stamped brass. As to range brass lefty o beat me to the stepped case warning. I don't load 9s close to max and I always knock the primers out as a first step before cleaning. The amount of pressure it takes (feel) to remove the primer will help you sort out the crimped in primers or the cases that may have been reloaded enough times to loosen the primers. Also I run range brass through a Lee Bulge Buster (9 mak) The ground at the range I shoot at is covered in 9X19 brass so I can be picky. Any doubt and it goes in the recycle bucket. Gp

[Tackleberry41]

I have bought the big bags of mixed brass, easy enough to sort them. I have not seen differences in volume, but differences in seating thicker or thinner brass.

[Kenstone]

Sorry if this sounds like an "I know a guy" story...
I have read about testing over a chronograph that tested if different volume cases/same load = different velocity.

I'm not going to rely on my memory to post any test results but I now sort 9mm brass by Mfg. toss any with visual steps (like Speer) and then load them.
I have yet to shoot groups with the separated brass loads but will soon.
Here's a pic I poached from that thread that shows the same amount of powder in different brands of brass:


You can decide,

[Silvercreek Farmer]

I have bought the big bags of mixed brass, easy enough to sort them. I have not seen differences in volume, but differences in seating thicker or thinner brass.

Which head stamps tend to be the thinnest?

[RED BEAR]

Range brass is pretty much all i use any more see no difference at all.

[Elkins45]

toss any with visual steps (like Speer)

I don't understand what you mean by this.

[dragon813gt]

I don't understand what you mean by this.

He’s talking about “stepped” 9mm brass. I don’t think Speer is one of them. But there are multiple headstamps that have a physical step in the case to prevent bullet setback. They’re bad news for reloaders for more than one reason.

[Petrol & Powder]

I been loading mixed brass in 9mm for decades.

The differences in casings affects accuracy but not enough to matter in most courses of fire.

If you need to squeeze that last little bit of potential accuracy out of the round, sort the casing by manufacturer. I've done just that and frankly, it's just not worth the effort most of the time. Just a guess on my part but at less than 25 yards the slight variations in velocities from the different case capacities isn't significant enough to change the point of impact much.

NOW, before everyone starts yelling - my standard load is below max. I would never recommend being so cavalier if you are operating at or near maximum pressures. 9mm Luger is a high pressure cartridge and seating depth plays a critical role in that pressure. I run COL close to max (1.16").

If you're running near max, sort casings and work up to your load.

[Sig556r]

Which head stamps tend to be the thinnest?

FC seems to size & seat the easiest for common headstamps. There are other oddballs, but Federal brass works well in 9mm especially on CBs

[lefty o]

speer is not one of the stepped casings!

[tazman]

I been loading mixed brass in 9mm for decades.

The differences in casings affects accuracy but not enough to matter in most courses of fire.

If you need to squeeze that last little bit of potential accuracy out of the round, sort the casing by manufacturer. I've done just that and frankly, it's just not worth the effort most of the time. Just a guess on my part but at less than 25 yards the slight variations in velocities from the different case capacities isn't significant enough to change the point of impact much.

NOW, before everyone starts yelling - my standard load is below max. I would never recommend being so cavalier if you are operating at or near maximum pressures. 9mm Luger is a high pressure cartridge and seating depth plays a critical role in that pressure. I run COL close to max (1.16").

If you're running near max, sort casings and work up to your load.

I agree with everything you said.
For target use, go through all the normal match ammunition steps for best accuracy.
For usage where pinpoint accuracy isn't needed, don't worry about it. Use whatever you have on hand.
If I need full power loads, I use the book recipes as written and work them up to make sure they are right. Everything else gets midrange loads.

[Elkins45]

He’s talking about “stepped” 9mm brass. I don’t think Speer is one of them. But there are multiple headstamps that have a physical step in the case to prevent bullet setback. They’re bad news for reloaders for more than one reason.

I’ve never seen this in any of the brass I’ve picked up. I must be living right.

[lefty o]

https://www.carolinashootersclub.com...-brass.172402/ not my pic, but thats stepped brass. besides messing up volume, they have a nasty reputation of separating right at the step.

[Kenstone]

I’ve never seen this in any of the brass I’ve picked up. I must be living right.

After I started wet tumbling with pins the step(s) become way more visible for me.
Speer:

As I see it, seating a bullet beyond the step will cause a pronounced bulge and possible plunk test failure.
Every caliper has a smaller/narrower section on the ends of the jaws that I use for measure wall thickness.
No, it's not exact, more a reference, and starting to measure at the case edge and then pushing the caliper down into the case shows a big increase in the reading (like from 0.010 to 0.020) that indicates a thicker wall/web from a case that the reading doesn't increase.
This
Measurement of edge, extreme 9mm case:

Measurement deep, same case:

jmo,