9 mm cast reloading ?

[jack19512]

I just recently started reloading cast for my 9mm and I am having a problem that someone here might be able to help me with. I am using Lee dies for the 9mm and I don't think this would be my problem but at the moment until I get a mold for the 9 mm I am using my cast 158 gr. boolits for my .38 and .357 and have tried sizing them to .358, .357, and .356 to no avail.

The problem occurs after I seat the boolits and then move onto the crimping stage. No matter what I set my crimp die to while I perform the crimp some how the boolit gets pushed back out of the case some changing my initial boolit seating depth. I have tried everything I know and can't figure out why this is happening. Of all the calibers I cast and reload for the 9mm is the only one doing this and giving me problems. Any ideas would be appreciated.

[GrizzLeeBear]

Thats a pretty big boolit for 9mm. I suspect it is being seated too deep and is down where the brass tapers and gets thicker. Then when you crimp it (factory crimp die?) the base of the boolit is getting squeezed so it tries to come back out of the case some.

[docone31]

I do not crimp. I set the crimp die so it almost does nothing.
It sounds like the die is sizing also on a taper. That pops the round.

[Seafarer12]

I would say it has to do with the length of the bullet. Might try getting some lighter ones and trying them.

[jack19512]

I would say it has to do with the length of the bullet. Might try getting some lighter ones and trying them.

I have tried not seating the boolits as deep but still having the problem. I don't have access to any other bullets at this time or I would have tried that.

[azjohn]

I also don't crimp. You have a good interference fit with a bullet seated that deep.

[deltaenterprizes]

Be real careful about using bullets that long in a 9MM,read the caution statement in the introduction in the Speer reloading manuals, a bullet seated .030'' too deep can increase pressures to TWICE the normal pressure.
Lyman had data for a 158 gr bullet in the old 45th reloading manuals but took it out.
You can buy plenty of bullets for what a new barrel costs.
Ever blow up a gun,its easy!

[jdgabbard]

I would say it has to do with the length of the bullet. Might try getting some lighter ones and trying them.

Bull Butter. They work fine.



Try using just the plain ol' seater die, just seat and crimp separately. Trust me, its a jewel of a round on jack rabbits out of my handy dandy Tec-9

[mtgrs737]

Might it be that the tight fitting bullet is compressing the air in the case and that is pushing the boolit back up?

[jonk]

I just tried this and got very good results with 2.5 gr of bullseye.

Try not crimping. Or rather just a roll crimp with the seater.

[jack19512]

Might it be that the tight fitting bullet is compressing the air in the case and that is pushing the boolit back up?

I actually thought about this and maybe the boolit compressing the powder so I seated the boolit out farther and still the same thing happened. I am wondering if maybe my crimp die is at fault, maybe defective. I have some loaded up to shoot now, I took the advice of some and just didn't crimp. The boolit seems to be fitting tight in the case. I thought the 9 mm needed a crimp. I will try shooting some without a crimp if they appear to shoot OK until I find out what is wrong. I will be shooting these out of my Ruger Blackhawk 357/9mm so OAL isn't quite as important as maybe with a semi-auto.

[jdgabbard]

The only thing you risk when not using a crimp in a 9mm is that upon coming into contact with the feedramp, if the the boolit is too loose it could be pushed back into the case. Not a good thing where pressure is concerned.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Pressure, as already stated , is an important consideration in the 9mm and it is effected seriously by seating depth....and by bullet weight. One has to be really careful as trouble is always lurking. While a varied number of powders work very well in the 9mm, I worked up loadings using IMR 4756 as I don't want to batter my Luger or other 9mms either with pressure or slide-slam. I use a slight taper crimp as that is what is necessary to avoid having the bullet driven deeper by contact with the ramp. A roll crimp is not desireable in a semi-auto as the cartridge seats on the case mouth. In looking at the enclosed pic, it seems to me that the bullet coming back out of the case is being caused by the factory crimp die. That type of die, although excellent in many respects, has I believe a carbo ring that makes sure that the loaded round will definitely chamber. It is possible that the cartridge when pulled out of the die...the ring is again squeezing the case and forcing the bullet to come up & out. I would suggest arranging for only a taper crimp. Of course powder or air compression might be doing it, but switching powders would quickly remedy that. Hope that any of this helps. LLS