Case gauges for checking final cartridges?

[Shadowden]

I started casting wheel weights using an NOE 133 gn 0.358 mould and sizing to .356. Shooting out of glocks (a variety). Predominantly, I have been seeing good accuracy and function from the gun. However, when it isn't right, it is really bad. Failure to go into battery and lodged to the point that working the slide doesn't work. I have pounded the cartridge out from the muzzle with a steel rod. Feels extremely sketchy, but not sure of an alternative.

With that said, I thought I would run them through a lyman case gauge. Some passed easily, some fell to the rim, and some were set back quite a way. I verified brass was sizing correctly ( it wasn't, so Dillon sent a new friction plate). I am now getting consistently sized brass, but still not getting cartridges that consistently pass the gauge. This is the same for both the square deal press set up and my lee turret set up. Overall length is not a problem.

So three questions:
Is it improper to use a case gauge for cast boolits sized to 0.356 since plated and jacketed rounds are 0.355?

If it is okay if the boolits do not pass the gauge, I'm still curious as to why some pass and some do not. I did dial in my taper crimp on the turret and dillon, but still don't get 100% pass. My goal is to understand where the inconsistency is, how to mitigate, and not run into failures that end range trips.

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Having ready a fair but of the FAQ on the 9mm, I'm getting good shooting characteristics, but the inability to eject and failures to go into battery are very problematic to me, though they seem related. Are the tests that matter most the bullet slug diameter of the rifling and the brass after firing to alleviate my issues? The cartridges that passed the gauge shot very well and no evidence of leading in my g19.

As a follow up. I did look at brass headstamps and brass that failed, also had examples of passing. So fails and passes of blazer, win, fc, r-p. Need to check the brass i collected at the range as i don't seem to have cbc that passed, but a fair amount that failed.

[PJEagle]

I had some similar experiences with a couple of Springfield Armory 1911's. The first thing I did was to sort my range pickup brass by headstamp. The second thing was to sell my case gauge, remove the barrel and use the chamber to check my finished rounds to see if they would plunk. If those two things don't fix the problem, you need to send your barrel to DougGuy to have it throated.

Case gauges are good, but only the chamber will tell you if they fit an individual firearm. Many pistols have enough throat for fmj bullets, but not enough for cast boolits.

[JimB..]

Sounds like a brass problem, rather than a bullet problem. Try gauging 200 pieces of prepared brass (sized, but not loaded) and remove any that don’t pass. Load the remainder and see how many loaded cartridges fail, if any.

BTW, what is a friction plate?

[castmiester]

you have case bulge from oversized boolits. With a larger expander like a cowboy type, it gets rid of the bulge. Chill WIlls here on the forum can make you a custom expander. Get with him with the details.

[243winxb]

To much crimp will bulge the brass. A taper crimp should just remove the flare.

Range brass, at different trim lengths, some will get more crimp then others. I have trimmed some range brass that was over maximum length.

Lyman gauge- Read the instructions, again. It measures maximums. I use the barrel.

Dies make a difference. RCBS is my choice.

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?media/albums/taurus-g3c-9mm-luger.317/

The case does headspace on the case mouth. The trim length is most important. Dont over crimp.

[country gent]

I would check for bulge at bottom of case. Then since you said cbc brass is the big culprit measure the neck size of some of the loaded rounds that failed and passed also check neck wall thickness. Your .356 bullet and thick brass may be an issue. Another is to try different crimps you may have a bulge behind the crimp.

If your using a steel rod to push out stuck rounds, get a piece of shrink insulation and put over the steel rod to protect the bore. Better still a piece of 8mm or 5/16 brass rod would be even better. You can get a foot of this from on-line metals.

[Shadowden]

Thank you all.

I have run ~100 pieces of brass with 100% pass pass either in my lee press or dillon press. So a combination of brass and bullet makes sense.

I do not want to load bullet specific to gun...so maybe casting wasn't the best choice for me. Was hopeful I could run the same loads all through my g19s, g26, and g43. I'll pull my barrels and drop the dummys in and see what happens with the actual chambers.

A friction plate is a plate Dillon uses between their die head and the press on the square deal. When I contacted them, they referred me to a vidwo that showed that inconsistent case sizing occurred when the friction plate was worn. Mine was worn, but that issue is now resolved.

I am limited to dillon dies in the square deal. I could change out my lee dies on the turret, but ultimately want the dillon to work as it is WAY more efficient.

I did load some dummy rounds using cases that passed gauge. I was about 50% pass/fail.

So am hopeful that actually backing off the taper crimp will be the answer. I was definatly going with more taper to shrink things down, so good to know I was just moving it back and potentially making it bulge (still got some passes).

I'll look up Chill Wills.

Thanks again!

[racepres]

I fireform everything since I been wildcatting since the '70's..
I would rather a Perfect chamber fit, than any gauge...Thanks...

[farmbif]

yup, plunk test. I was once driven half near crazy with 270 win reloads that would not chamber, I got both Wilson and Lyman case gauges. cartridges both loaded and just resized fit in them perfectly. but still would not chamber in a rem 700 or a savage 12 the cartridges had just the slightest neck setback and bulge that could not be seen from turning the sizing die into press just a bit too much

[castmiester]

I fireform everything since I been wildcatting since the '70's..
I would rather a Perfect chamber fit, than any gauge...Thanks...

this is true. Probably better off slugging the barrel and running groove diameter boolits.

[Shadowden]

Well, I am happy and confused by what I am learning. All but one of the dummy rounds I loaded following the repair of my press passed the plunk test in my most persnickety barrel (Gen 5 G19). I'm going to do the same with my other barrels. It still bothers me that they are not passing the gauge test. If the gauge is a maximum, they should be fitting in there relatively easily I would think.

In regard to the one that did not pass, looking at the shoulder, it appears it may not have seated square as the amount of shoulder over the brass does not look the same.

Having said that, I have backed off the crimp considerably while leaving enough to remove the flare completely. I am hopeful this leads to more uniform cartridges and smoother operation.

I did contact Chill Wills. I have some homework to do there. Plan to contact Dillon ASAP to determine if their dies are all the same. I don't understand how the cowboy expander eliminates case bulge, but anything that will help reliability and prolong case life is welcome.

Finally, I would like to pull all these bullets as easily as possible. I do kave a kinetic hammer, which is brutal for this many rounds and for recovery of the powder in loaded rounds that i still need to verify with the plunk test. Have any of you had any success with the RCBS collet puller? I have the die body, but would need a collet. If you have had success, which collet are you using for 9 mm? the .357/.38 seems like it would be too big, but maybe it clamps down enough?The .348 seems too small. I've searched the internet some, but didn't find anything very helpful. I also called some shops that sell the collets, but none of the customer service folks were personally familiar and didn't have an answer. Worst case, is a call to RCBS.

Thanks everyone!

[JimB..]

You’re using an oversized bullet, so it makes sense that the case gauge designed for a smaller bullet isn’t the right tool for testing your reloads.

I like the RCBS collet puller, but if you have a single stage press you can just raise the press ram with no die in the press, grab the bullet with a pair of side cutters, and lower the press ram. It destroys the bullet, so back in the pot it goes.

When you seat bullets it helps a bunch if they start square. The RCBS cowboy expander is both slightly larger than a regular expander and it has a little step that helps get the bullet started straight. Wouldn’t use it for 9mm though because I think it’s too long given the geometry of 9mm brass.

I do think that part of the problem is that some brands of brass are thicker than others. You might want to sort some by headstamp to test.

[ddeck22]

Well, I am happy and confused by what I am learning. All but one of the dummy rounds I loaded following the repair of my press passed the plunk test in my most persnickety barrel (Gen 5 G19). I'm going to do the same with my other barrels. It still bothers me that they are not passing the gauge test. If the gauge is a maximum, they should be fitting in there relatively easily I would think.

In regard to the one that did not pass, looking at the shoulder, it appears it may not have seated square as the amount of shoulder over the brass does not look the same.

Having said that, I have backed off the crimp considerably while leaving enough to remove the flare completely. I am hopeful this leads to more uniform cartridges and smoother operation.

I did contact Chill Wills. I have some homework to do there. Plan to contact Dillon ASAP to determine if their dies are all the same. I don't understand how the cowboy expander eliminates case bulge, but anything that will help reliability and prolong case life is welcome.

Finally, I would like to pull all these bullets as easily as possible. I do kave a kinetic hammer, which is brutal for this many rounds and for recovery of the powder in loaded rounds that i still need to verify with the plunk test. Have any of you had any success with the RCBS collet puller? I have the die body, but would need a collet. If you have had success, which collet are you using for 9 mm? the .357/.38 seems like it would be too big, but maybe it clamps down enough?The .348 seems too small. I've searched the internet some, but didn't find anything very helpful. I also called some shops that sell the collets, but none of the customer service folks were personally familiar and didn't have an answer. Worst case, is a call to RCBS.

Thanks everyone!

Yes, the 357/38 collet is specifically made to grab 9mm (.355/.356/.357) bullets. The more exposed bullet the easier to grab it. Also, an aggressive crimp will make it difficult to pull, especially with soft lead.

[Soundguy]

I use a case gauge just as a go / no go quick check on like 1 in 20 rounds. Your guns chamber is the real test..though if it passes a case gauge..it should fit ANY gun. I doubt the oversized bullets is the problem. 99% of what I shoot are my own cast lead bullets and all of them are at least .001 over jacketed..and do not cause problems. Taper crimp seems to solve many problems if done correctly..over crimping usually causes problems. Also.. the lee FCD is a good crimp choice. it will either be a collet.. or in some cases taper..but also has a carbide ring in the base ( newer ones ) .. and it irons out over crimp mistakes that bulge the brass.

[gloob]

I have had zero luck trying to pull softcast pistol bullets in a press, even in 9mm which has a lot of the boolit exposed. If you try hard enough, you can get just the top half the boolit out, which does you no good. Kinetic is the only way for me, on this type of ammo.

There's a semi-automated kinetic puller using springs. I think Frankford Arsenal makes it; it's loud.

[racepres]

As Said..your individual arm's chamber is the True Test.. Fully Half of My Rifles would be SOL if I depended on a case gauge..Wildcats!!
Heck, Even my 25-06 (25 Niedner), is from before they were Standardized!!

[rockshooter]

As others have noted, plunk test in your own barrel is the only test. Stash the case gauge at the back of your drawer somewhere. Looking at the NOE 133gr RN- if that's what you're using, you might try seating it to where the end of the straight side is even with the case mouth, with any flare removed but just a tiny crimp. Bear in mind that 9mm cases vary in length, but I've never trimmed them, using exclusively pick-up brass. A major issue comes with powder-coated cast bullets- the bullet design needs to account for the added powder coat on the nose after sizing the bullet sides. Lee carbide factory crimp dies will make the base small enough to load in almost any chamber. Ever barrel/maker is a little different. My glocks eat anything, since they have more generous leades, but a CZ with no leade took more fiddling to chamber cast bullets. Be prepared to struggle a little bit- don't get frustrated- that's how we all learn. As far as pulling 9mm bullets- less hassle to find a gun that shoots what you have-may need to buy a dozen to try. And use factory glock barrels- a little sloppy is a good thing!
Loren

[Beast of Burden]

I, too, have struggled some with my 9mm loads. I have found that sometimes I can't size the brass low enough at the head. I will switch to the the LEE Undersized sizer and it seems to help. I also set my sizer die to cam over on my Lyman t-Mag press.

Some times the brass seems to be oversized at the base and will not chamber in my pistols with tighter chambers. I use a L.E. Wilson case gauge to test my sized brass before I go any further with priming, etc. so that I don't have to pull bullets. After loading and crimping (Lee FCD), I check again with the Wilson gauge or pistol barrel of my tightest chamber (S&W M & P 2.0).

If the loaded round does not fit the gauge, I separate it and use it in my Beretta 92fs. My Beretta 92 will eat everything. It must have a huge chamber.

[racepres]

I, too, have struggled some with my 9mm loads. I have found that sometimes I can't size the brass low enough at the head. I will switch to the the LEE Undersized sizer and it seems to help. I also set my sizer die to cam over on my Lyman t-Mag press.

Some times the brass seems to be oversized at the base and will not chamber in my pistols with tighter chambers. I use a L.E. Wilson case gauge to test my sized brass before I go any further with priming, etc. so that I don't have to pull bullets. After loading and crimping (Lee FCD), I check again with the Wilson gauge or pistol barrel of my tightest chamber (S&W M & P 2.0).

If the loaded round does not fit the gauge, I separate it and use it in my Beretta 92fs. My Beretta 92 will eat everything. It must have a huge chamber.

I thought "they" made something called a Bulge Buster for such instances?? Otherwise, keep sticking problem brass in that Beretta, and it will soon be the only arm that will digest yer handloads!!!

[Soundguy]

I thought "they" made something called a Bulge Buster for such instances?? Otherwise, keep sticking problem brass in that Beretta, and it will soon be the only arm that will digest yer handloads!!!

yup..good for glocked brass..or other unsupported chamber guns.. A lee FCD with a sizer ring usually works too

[dverna]

Assuming your weapons will shoot factory ammunition reliably, there are three reasons reloaded rounds will not chamber. One is that the base of the case has been "blown out" so it jams and does not go into battery. The second is the bullets are either too large in diameter and/or the nose profile hangs up in the throat of the gun. The third, which I have never experienced, is the case is too long and does not headspace properly.

I do not consider over crimping, as that is so obvious and easy to fix that is does not merit much discussion. Learn to apply a good taper crimp.

IMO a case gauge will (should?) determine if the case is "blown out", or the bullet is too large.
That can be determined with a micrometer as well.

The max diameter of the 9mm case is .391" and tolerance is -.007" If your cases measure more than .391 you need to "bulge bust" them or scrap them.

The maximum diameter of the case at the case mouth is .381" max. and tolerance is -.007". If your cast bullet is oversize, and expands the mouth to over .381", you will need to reduce the diameter of the bullet. If you have an undersized chamber (use Cerosafe to check it) return the barrel or have it reamed to specification. BTW, if you have an oversized chamber in a gun, it could be "blowing out" cases and creating a problem in other guns. Get that barrel replaced.

A case gauge will not tell you if your bullet profile is a problem. Issues with bullet profile can sometimes be addressed with shorter COL, changing to a different bullet that is more forgiving, or having the barrel throated.

I agree with you, having a specific bullet or seating depth to match the issues of each weapon is not an ideal solution. It goes against my KISS philosophy. My reloaded ammunition should be as good or better than factory, therefore it should work in every gun.

I used to have four lever action rifles and four pistols that used the same .38 Spl load. I may have been lucky, but it was convenient not to have to worry about which load I needed for which gun when heading out to practice. Currently I have three 9mm pistols and two 9mm carbines that use the same practice load. Easy-peasy.

9mm brass is too cheap to mess around with. Sorting brass after every range session and having a load that will work with one lot of headstamps but not another is silly IMO. If you have some bad brass, sell it or scrap the offending headstamps.

Your expectations are reasonable. Do not listen to advice to tailor your loads to the gun. If that was required, factory ammunition would be a nightmare and we could not fight wars. You are not creating benchrest ammunition. KISS

[jsizemore]

I had a bit of trouble with a 135 RF HTC bullet in a g19x. Mixed headstamp 9mm was part of the problem. I had a powder funnel made that expanded the brass but was just shy of the start of the web. Got an Accurate 35-115Y mold that is for PC or HT. Even with the bullet seated so the junction of truncated cone and the body are flush with the case, the bullet base doesn't get into the case web. 100% function in a glock 17, 19x, sig 226,p320, awg320 and ruger PC9. Just a hint of the bullet shoulder is clear of the case mouth. Local PD training officer gave me a case of of matched brass from training and quals. Mixed stuff still works but you gotta search to find those empties. The PC sure does take care of a bunch of ills. The truncated cone nose takes care of any throating issues. The short body of the bullet takes care of case bulge and seating issues. Fully dressed it weighs 119 gr. 5 cavity mold produces a decent amount of bullets and Accurate molds are great to use. After coating I shove them through my bullet sizer. Easy, easy, easy.

[oley55]

reloading 9mm cast seems to be WAY harder than it should be. Especially for multi nines of different manufacture. After watching and following many threads over the years I admit I am on the verge of giving up on cast, but not quite yet.

As to the case gauge use, the recommendation to tuck it in the back of a drawer is probably a good suggestion. Pull the barrel/s and do the plunk test. If you are willing to sort your brass and determine which work in all weapons, plunk testing now and then should work. If using assorted mixed brass you will need to plunk test EVERY round.

For my old eyes the suggestion of sorting seemed like crazy talk but then plunk testing every round and finding MANY fails to plunk is worse. The only brass that I have found that always works with my larger than .356” pc’d bullets is Blazer brass(FC brass was close but not as consistent). Everglades Ammo was selling sorted 9mm all Blazer and I bought 4Ks worth. Currently their sorted 9mm is of the FC variety. It is frustrating that 10 of a head-stamp are fine but the 11th isn’t. AMD brass was/is a definite NO-GO no matter what. The walls are just too thick.

The brass may not be your problem but was for my fatter bullets.

[Shadowden]

I called and spoke with the folks at RCBS about the bullet collet for 9mm (358/38) and had a good discussion with the gentleman on the phone. He also suggested that maybe I should increase my COL. His thinking was that the larger 133 gn bullet may be pushing down into the taper of the brass and creating just enough bulge. These bullets are currently seated right at the shoulder on my NOE 133 mould (https://noebulletmolds.com/site/product-category/bullet-moulds/355-9mm/htc358-133-rn-bo5/) as was suggested by rockshooter. I may try bringing it out a bit. Currently, the COL is 1.104 to 1.112 (I reset all of my dies after replacing the friction plate mentioned earlier). If I recall correctly, the gentleman at RCBS suggested 1.145 (I got the call back when I was out doing some backcountry hunt conditioning). I did have a discussion with AL at NOE and I think that is how I got to such a short COL. It seems like I should have some room to bump the bullet out due to the profile. Certainly worth making a couple of dummy rounds to plunk test/chamber gauge check.

[243winxb]

Loading for more then 1 chamber, has to make loading harder.

But factory ammo works in all.

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?media/albums/taurus-g3c-9mm-luger.317/

[Shadowden]

I had a bit of trouble with a 135 RF HTC bullet in a g19x. Mixed headstamp 9mm was part of the problem. I had a powder funnel made that expanded the brass but was just shy of the start of the web. Got an Accurate 35-115Y mold that is for PC or HT. Even with the bullet seated so the junction of truncated cone and the body are flush with the case, the bullet base doesn't get into the case web. 100% function in a glock 17, 19x, sig 226,p320, awg320 and ruger PC9. Just a hint of the bullet shoulder is clear of the case mouth. Local PD training officer gave me a case of of matched brass from training and quals. Mixed stuff still works but you gotta search to find those empties. The PC sure does take care of a bunch of ills. The truncated cone nose takes care of any throating issues. The short body of the bullet takes care of case bulge and seating issues. Fully dressed it weighs 119 gr. 5 cavity mold produces a decent amount of bullets and Accurate molds are great to use. After coating I shove them through my bullet sizer. Easy, easy, easy.

Yeah, these are getting PC using the shake and bake method. Don't want to give up on this mold quite yet, but maybe in the future I'll need to try the Accurate Mold you identified. Pretty simple bullet design and may cast more efficiently without the shoulder. What mold material did you go with? The gentleman that got me started down this path swears by steel. My NOE is aluminum.

Once I get this figured out, maybe I'll ask you all about not getting wrinkles on my 225 gn 0.310 boolits for my 300 BO using the NOE TL-310-225PB (https://noebulletmolds.com/site/shop/bullet-moulds/308-311/tl310-225-rn-ce3/tl310-225-rn-ce3-2-cavity-pb/)

[Littlewolf]

I agree with bulge busting all range pickup brass straight after wet tumble and dry, then headstamp sorting, then uniform trim (I prefer a Forster Original with a short base for calibers shorter than 38spl).
I have SAAMI pages for all my calibers and trim to their minimum lengths within .0005". this seems to cure plunk, and cartridge gauge problems after going through my Dillon press.

My $0.02
Littlewolf

[Shadowden]

I started looking into bulge busting yesterday. Not sure that was the problem since cases pass the gauge prior to seating bullets (after replacing friction plate on press) but not sure if I covered that previously. I played more this morning and COL needs to be short and I needed to add an eighth of a turn in on my crimp die. 3 different headstamps, three successful plunk tests. Still going to pay attention to what is going into the press from a headstamp perspective and how they are coming out though. Was amazed by how sensitive it was to COL.

Also, the RCBS collet was a dream. Worked perfectly for pulling all of my dummy tests and non passing cartridges.

My hesitation in adding bulge busting is my understanding that it oversizes 9x19, at least if a 9mm makarov fcd with internals removed is used. May be a little off on the info as to whether it is an FCD or other die.

[Shadowden]

I thought I had this thing licked and could happily start producing some range fun. Just not to be yet.

I have started to sort a measure brass wall thickness thinking it could be a problem (in my measurements wall thickness varied from 0.009 to 0.012), but have plunk test passes with all of the different thickness cases. I did have some bullets seat extremely out odf square and am beginning to wonder if it relates to slight inconsistencies with how the bullets are seating. Will be following up on the potential for a better cowboy style expander.
I am also interested in trying some different bullet profiles, so may be sending some PMs. Similarly, I would be curious if there are some folks out there that would want to give these bullets a try in a progressive press to see what you find out. Willing to send 25-30 bullets and like amount of brass to a few folks willing to try. It is a popular mold, so I'm sure it is doable.

I also plan to try these in my turret to see if it is sometging in the progressive.

Thank you all for your thoughtful suggestions to date. We will get it figured out.

[GONRA]

GONRA only loads range pickup brass for semiautos, but, for wot it's worth, here goes:

For 9mm Luger, older RCBS dies hava small mouth entrance radius.
These do a nice "back to factory dimensions" fired case resizing job.
NO goofy looking "belt" remains.....
BUT - requires a little care centering cases whilst resizing! !!

Today's RCBS dies have larger mouth radii for trouble-free
operation in progressive presses.
Resized cases may not be as pretty......

[Willie T]

When your reloads won’t chamber something is far enough out of spec. your cartridge won’t fit. Figure out what is out of spec & where and you can address the cause. Take one of your loaded cartridges that won’t plunk. Color it up with a black magic marker. Stick it back in the barrel. The area that is hanging up will have a ring rubbed into the magic marker. Then measure the O.D. where it won’t chamber if it is the case. Then pull the bullet and measure the case length.
Knowing where on the case it is buckled will alllow you to diagnose the root cause of the buckle. Depending on the barrel and bullet profile, it may be something as simple as loading the cartridge too long. Could also be the seating stem engraving some of your projectiles creating a COAL situation that is too long. Could also be starting with too much flare at the case mouth, requiring excessive taper crimp to close the flare so the cases that are a bit long buckle a bit. Could also be cases bulged close to the web from an unsupported case head.
Identify the problem. Measure some stuff and the problem will become apparent. Then address the root cause. Right now you are just throwing stuff at it that others have butted their heads against and hoping to stumble onto the problem.
Good luck working it out. You will learn some stuff in the process.
Willie

[Green Frog]

This thread has dragged on for a while, so I’d like to just provide my summation of what works for me, YMMV. In the end, you have to be you.
First, I hate to disassemble the firearm just to use it for a gauge. Likewise, I’m uncomfortable being in my basement and dropping live rounds into an assembled gun. Therefore, unless I encounter an unusual caliber or out-of-spec chamber, I try to maintain an assortment of cartridge gauges to safely test each round I’ll be using. Again, this works for me every time. You do you.
Froggie

[kevin c]

I shoot gen 3 9mm Glocks with cast sized to 0.357”. The same rounds, loaded on a SDB, worked in all of them, with the single exception of the replacement “Marksman” barrels, that require a slightly shorter OAL (so the new round for all is now the shorter round).

What works for me:

Single head stamp once fired brass (minimal variation in case wall thickness and length) that’s on the thinner side: I’ve measured case mouth thickness between 0.010” to 0.011”, depending on head stamp, and that can mean a couple thousandths greater diameter after bullet seating. That and the chubby bullet might bulge enough to be problematic.

I roll size all my brass. Zero hangups from base bulges this way.

I haven’t ever used a Bulge Buster or Lee die for sizing a loaded round. Seems to me you’d have a swaged down bullet that way, whereas the reason I went with the greater diameter was for better bore fit and ballistics. I just accept the “Coke bottle” look.

The one modification I’ve done is to have a custom “M” style die made for the SDB; the Dillon expander is undersized, and I wanted something more appropriate for the bullet I cast.

My case gauges, bought when I first started reloading, sit in a box under my bench gathering dust. I use the disassembled barrel of my gun to chamber check. That happens once every thousand or so rounds loaded, since I’ve found this method and my reloading technique works well enough that “no goes” are exceedingly rare.

[Shadowden]

Thanks for the additional tips, especially the process used to help identify the root cause.

I was grateful to get some csst projectiles that were cast and PC'd from a different mould style and weight by another forum member. I haven't spent the time to run numerous dummies, but the size and profile suggests it should work well and the one I did run was successful without trying to optimize success. This bullet is sized to 357, so larger diameter versus mine sized to 356. I had shot a couple thousand round nose cast bullets from a manufacturer (or two), and don't recall having the hiccups.

I will take some time with a marker and some non-fitting dummies and see if I can find anytging consistent.

[IroquoisEd]

If you only have the one 9mm, use the barrel for a case gauge. I've had similar problems but I shoot several 9mm handguns. I use a case gauge, and I had a lot of trouble with cartridges coming out different sizes. I tried resizing and recrimping with a taper crimp. Now I have an ammo can full of rounds that headspace too deep for the Glock. ( They still work in the CZ) I finally bought an Undersized Sizing decapping die... That seems to have solved the problem. I also replaced my seating/ crimping die with separate dies for seating and a second die for a slight taper crimp.
Now every round is a near perfect fit in the test chamber.. all of them seem to function properly.