9mm, bore and bullet size

[fatelk]

I've never had the best luck with loading cast in 9mm. I've done it off and on for many years with mediocre results, so now I'm getting serious about making it work.

I have two 9mms, a couple of old Hi-Powers. One bore slugs .356 and the other is .358". I'm tempted to save up and buy another barrel for the larger one.

I have a really nice Accurate bullet mold, 125gr TC design. They drop at .358". What do you all use for an expander die, to open up the brass a bit more than normal for the larger bullet when necessary? Or is this even necessary? I'm not a real big fan of the expander design of the Lee die set, or the Dillon drop tube.

[ultramag]

I use a Lyman "M" die. The expander plug is marked .38AP on the end and is the one that came included with my Lyman 4 die set. I hate to keep saying it because it just feels like tempting fate, but I've had nothing but good luck with 9mm so far.

[JeffG]

I use the Lyman M die as well, then a Lee taper crimp die after that.

[too many things]

you may have problems with chambering with a .358 slug
you will find the velocity has a LOT to do with how a 9mm shoots. I had a S&W and it liked slow stuff the Sig like faster stuff

[canyon-ghost]

102624I use the 3 die set from RCBS: Part Number 20515, group B. It's listed as 3-Die Carb (carbide) TC Set, 9MMLUGER/9X21/9X23. It has the expander plug die for belling the case mouth. The limit of how much you can bell the mouth is the diameter of the bullet seating die. Not a problem because RCBS is made for the reloader/bullet caster.

I decap, clean brass, chamfer, EXPAND case mouths, prime and load. It's just one touch in the whole operation. I do surely love RCBS dies for this reason.

Good Luck,
Ron

[Sgtonory]

I had a custom Lyman M die made to work in a dilion powder measure. Buckshot made this for me a member here. Had one made for every caliber I reload no more issues with swaging down boolits.

[kweidner]

Competitive edge makes them oversize for mr bullet feeder. I use these and like them.

[MtGun44]

I load .357 or .358 for all my 9mms, HP, B92, Sig P6, and others all digest them
just fine. Lee 356 120 TC conventional lube, NRA 50-50 or LBT soft blue AC wwts is
accurate and feeds perfectly in all guns.

RCBS die set in a Dillon 550 works fine.

Bill

[freebullet]

The expander included in the standard carbide hornady 3 die set will bell the mouth so far out it won't fit it the seater die if you want to go that far. I like the lee expander though when its wide enough it gives a more gentle bell.

[kencha]

In my only 9mm, I shoot boolits sized to 0.358" (groove diameter 0.356"). I use the 38spl/357 M-die.

I stupidly wasted money buying the 9mm M-die, only to find that it caused the bullet bases to be sized down to 0.354" when seating. (See http://www.lasc.us/Brennan_LymanMDies.htm for M-die dimensions -- wish I would have looked at it before ordering the 9mm M-die.)

A custom expander was on my wish list (either Buckshot's or Buffalo Arms), but the 357 M-die works just peachy for me.


ETA: I was just reloading some more 9mm, and that reminded me that I actually had to modify the 38/357 M-die expander for use in 9mm. It is not a truly off-the-shelf solution.

The length of the first step on the 38/357 expander is much longer than the one for the 9mm. It is long enough that it actually caused my 9mm brass to begin to collapse, causing a bulge right below the depth of the expander. I turned the end of the expander down so that the length of the first step was the correct length for the bullets I use.

It also still works fine for my 357 loads, but I use the same bullet in both. If you shoot heavies in the 357, the expander may no longer work since it won't expand deep enough to prevent swaging of the bullet base when seating.

[fatelk]

Thanks for all the replies! I dug out an old RCBS .38 expander. I'll give that a try too, see how it works. Mostly I was worried about the tight brass swaging the bullet.


I had a custom Lyman M die made to work in a dilion powder measure. Buckshot made this for me a member here. Had one made for every caliber I reload no more issues with swaging down boolits.

This sounds like a good option that I'll need to consider. Buckshot has made me a couple of sizer dies, does excellent work.

I think the biggest problem I had in the past was shooting .356 bullets in a .358 barrel.

[Low Budget Shooter]

If you are using Lee dies, the answer is to order the expander insert from a .38 S&W (not .38 Special) die, and use that instead of the one that came with your 9mm dies. Very cheap and effective solution.

[Ed_Shot]

Agree with ultramag, the M-Die with the 38AP expander plug is just right for 9MM. Bet you can get one Lyman.

[fatelk]

Well I loaded and shot a bunch today. I used an old RCBS .38 special expander, then loaded them as regular. They shot fine through both guns, and no leading!

I also dug out my Dillon powder drop funnel for .38 special. I was curious to see if it could work for 9mm, but the length is just too short for 9mm. I guess for the Dillon I would need to get a custom oversize funnel.

Thanks everyone!