What are my options for reducing 9mm brass to make jackets?

[tiger762]

Hello!

Just wondering what options exist for reducing 9mm Luger brass (0.394") down to 0.352" to use as 9mm/357 jackets? I have about a half a ton (literally) of 9mm brass. It wouldn't hurt my feelings one bit to turn half of it into jacketed bullets for the other half to shoot :)

Thinking that maybe this would be a two-step reduction, first to 0.373, then the rest of the way to 0.352"? Something with a punch that has a tip to locate inside the flash hole would be ideal, to keep the brass centered throughout the operation.

Thanks in advance!

[Cane_man]

easy one step draw if the case is annealed properly...

you can make your own draw down die and i have detailed drawings and instructions in my 30 cal die making thread on how to do this, or there are vendors on the forum that sell them but they are $$$

[BT Sniper]

push it all the way threw a 9mm taper crimp die will bring it down to .360 and is easily done, then you just need to take it the last little bit to .350ish.

BT

[tiger762]

I gave that a try but it liked to wore me out. The Walnut Hill was barely budging it. So I put the die and a grade 8 bolt (as punch) in my vertical mill's vise, and used the vise as a press. Lubed it up good with lanolin swaging lube. Dear Lord that was some business right there. Finally pushed it out the top of the die and indeed it was 0.360" in diamter, but the 5/16" diameter bolt allowed the brass to cant. If the mill's big vise couldn't have got it done, the next and only step was going to be the hydraulic press. But by that point, I usually start wondering if what I'm doing is prudent, hehehehe........

[kawalekm]

Here's a trick I learned to make it easier. I used a Lee bullet sizing die to bring 9mm down to .355". It would also jam up if you started pushing from the top of your press's stroke. The trick is to unscrew the die so you have to raise the ram almost to the cam over point. That's where you have maximal leverage. After the press "cams over", you lower the ram and then screw the die in further. Normally, you only have to do this two-three times to get it passed through the die.

[BT Sniper]

Be sure to fully anneal the brass and clean it of all left over scale before attempting to draw it down.

BT

[Cane_man]

i tried pushing 9mm cases through the Lee 9mm sizer dies and could not get them to go through my RCBS press... only way I could get them to draw was when i made my own dies using a taper pin reamer and a making a bushing that fits on top of the die...

you need to flame anneal so the brass is between cherry red and orange, then the brass will be soft enough to draw without any problems... also, if you deprime the 9mm cases they will anneal a little easier

[jimbull34]

For doing the reduction by hand anneling is necessary, for my hydraulic press, not so much. It will reduce it in two steps quite nicely, do it in one, but you do split the heads off a few by going one step. The one nice thing about my hydraulic press is, IT DON'T GET TIRED! I never thought about derimming the brass, just another step for me, but its a good idea...

[yruiz]

I have a Richard Corbin cartridge reducing die that takes 9mm and .380 down to .355. I make .357 bullets with the cartridge jackets. For annealing, I have found that using my self cleaning oven and letting the brass soak for 3 hrs does the job. The .380, for me, is easier to work with as I don't need to use an extra push rod and 2 press pulls for each case as I have to do with the 9mm. The cartridge cases do make really good bullets, but it does take a strong press even when the cases are annealed.

[Cane_man]

i do the draws with a 2 ton arbor press, with a 30" length of pipe that slips over the 12" handle