New Guy Question

[mcornell]

I have been intrigued by swaging for several years and using cartridge brass as bullets jackets seems to be pretty cool.

I have a question that has probably been answered before, but I could not find the answer when digging around.

I am interested in swaging 9mm Makarov Bullets (hollow points like BTSniper's dies). The question is what brass can I use to make the Makarov bullets? The Makarov bullet diameter is .363 inches (9.2 mm), so can I use 9mm brass (neck diameter .380 inches, base diameter .392 inches)?

Would I need to trim the brass shorter? (9mm Brass weighs about 60 grains, and a 9mm Mak bullets is normally 95-100 grains).

What other would be suitable for use as jackets for the 9mm Makarov?

I appreciate your patience with what may be an obvious question, but I am a *** and I did look around for a "what brass can be used for what bullet" post without any luck.

Thanks.

[Reload3006]

The easiest answer is to tell you to use 380 9mm brass run it through a draw die to shrink it down.

[BT Sniper]

Yep 380 would make a good bullet. Another option is the .223rem. It is a little more involved but check out the possibilities.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=61843&highlight=.357+223

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=49487&highlight=.357+223

[mcornell]

The easiest answer is to tell you to use 380 9mm brass run it through a draw die to shrink it down.

380 brass is hard to come by for me. I have 9mm brass in abundance. Is the 9mm brass going to be too hard to draw down (since it is slightly fatter in diameter than .380 brass)?

The .223 Brass idea looks pretty cool as well.

Hmmm....

[Dark Helmet]

32 Auto brass?

[Reload3006]

380 brass is hard to come by for me. I have 9mm brass in abundance. Is the 9mm brass going to be too hard to draw down (since it is slightly fatter in diameter than .380 brass)?

The .223 Brass idea looks pretty cool as well.

Hmmm....

anneal it first its still going to take some horse power to get it through the die. but yep 9mm will draw down enough

[BT Sniper]

Here is what I came up with using 9mms. if you push the well annealed 9mm all the way threw a 9mm taper crimp die you reduce to .360. Anneal again and reduce the rest of the way to .350ish .......... WAIT!!!!!!! Your making .363 bullets!!!!! HECK! your set! Pushing a 9mm threw a taper crimp die is possible with a decent reloading press. Pushing a cut .223 case will be even easier! Now you just need the set of dies...... humm ?????? :)

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=98181

[BT Sniper]

Either way if your going to have to trim you might have better luck using the 223. Then you can make two bullets per case. Maybe trade some of that 9mm for 223, would be a hard trade to sell but reducing .375 down to .363 is a heck of a lot easier then reducing .390 down to .363.

BT

[Reload3006]

personally I think BT is on to something like all that brass berdan primed stuff you tear your deprime punch up on all the time. cut em off and USEEEEE em.

[BT Sniper]

find some 223 blanks. Usually there is a lot of those around that go to scrap.

[WilNsc]

personally I think BT is on to something like all that brass berdan primed stuff you tear your deprime punch up on all the time. cut em off and USEEEEE em.

That's a good idea, I have a pile of berdian south african I was thinking to reload but may cut up instead.