Chamber checking 9mm

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KYregular

KYregular

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Loading 9mm and I always check finished rounds with the Lyman tool. Always have some that won't pass the tool, I was wondering if I check the brass before gelling and priming, would sized brass fail even though it was not loaded? Might save time in pulling bullets and wasting primers. Also, opinions on good 9mm brass. I like RP and win, other opinions? 20180313_191212.jpg
 
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That Lyman tool looks very handy but I still believe your barrels chamber is the best gauge. I don't care for drop in gauges for pistol or rifle and prefer the old plunk test for pistol ammo. If your loaded rounds that won't fit the gauge drop into your chamber without the need to force them in then I'd just shoot them. You could separate them for a test session. Here's one good article on chamber checking, plunk test, and how to find what's causing them not to gauge or chamber: http://www.shootingtimes.com/reloading/reloading-tips-the-plunk-test/
 
KYregular said:
if I check the brass before gelling and priming, would sized brass fail even though it was not loaded? Might save time in pulling bullets and wasting primers.
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Sort of Yes and sort of No

Checking brass after sizing should be GTG...IF you don't over/under expand it and start the bullet straight

Also, opinions on good 9mm brass. I like TO and win, other opinions?
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I have no idea what TO stands for.

I only load Speer and *FC* marked Federal in 9 x 19mm. I save PMC and Blazer for friends. All my other 9mm cases go into a coffee can for new shooters
 
KYregular said:
I was wondering if I check the brass before gelling and priming, would sized brass fail even though it was not loaded?
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I use a Wilson gauge to check all of my sized 9MM brass. With range brass 10% to 15% (Or so) will fail the gauge, too thick near the web. I scrap those. With a batch of brass that I have done that first time check on I get only the occasional failure.

Assuming your reloading process is good, you should rarely have a failure to fit the gauge with loaded rounds that were checked after sizing and passed.

Still, for those who play the pistol games, they like to check after loading, and if I was, I would do it after sizing and after loading.

My new gauge, gave the old one to my younger son.
Wilson 9MM Case Gauge - New One.jpg
 
9mmepiphany said:
Sort of Yes and sort of No

Checking brass after sizing should be GTG...IF you don't over/under expand it and start the bullet straight


I have no idea what TO stands for.

I only load Speer and *FC* marked Federal in 9 x 19mm. I save PMC and Blazer for friends. All my other 9mm cases go into a coffee can for new shooters
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My fault, stupid spell check, meant RP
 
Walkalong said:
I use a Wilson gauge to check all of my sized 9MM brass. With range brass 10% to 15% (Or so) will fail the gauge, too thick near the web. I scrap those. With a batch of brass that I have done that first time check on I get only the occasional failure.

Assuming your reloading process is good, you should rarely have a failure to fit the gauge with loaded rounds that were checked after sizing and passed.

Still, for those who play the pistol games, they like to check after loading, and if I was, I would do it after sizing and after loading.

My new gauge, gave the old one to my younger son.
View attachment 781624
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Great point, can't miss checking them twice.
 
rg1 said:
That Lyman tool looks very handy but I still believe your barrels chamber is the best gauge. I don't care for drop in gauges for pistol or rifle and prefer the old plunk test for pistol ammo. If your loaded rounds that won't fit the gauge drop into your chamber without the need to force them in then I'd just shoot them. You could separate them for a test session. Here's one good article on chamber checking, plunk test, and how to find what's causing them not to gauge or chamber: http://www.shootingtimes.com/reloading/reloading-tips-the-plunk-test/
Click to expand...

Good old plunk test usually works, but I have seen them pass one and fail the other. Makes no sense, .40 cal is actually where I see that most.
 
9mmepiphany said:
I give all my RP 9mm brass to the most irritating guy I know. I'm sure I've given him several thousand cases in the last few years
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LOL, next time give him some of that YVX or whatever it is with the crimped pockets.
 
There are actually several parts to your answer...
• Like was said above, the barrel is the ultimate judge. A good cartridge should fall into and then back out of an auto pistol's chamber using ONLY it's own weight.

• Not all chambers are the same shape. Glock chambers are famously more generous than, say for instance, a high-end third party target barrel. So you have to use your cartridge gauge in conjunction with the barrel enough times to get a feel for how they compare to each other. Does the gauge reject cartridges that easily pass in the barrel ?

• In competition shooting there is a class called Open in which much, much higher chamber pressures are commonly used. If you happen to pick up auto pistol brass used in that class, then the head of the brass is often expanded to a slightly larger size. Because the area of enlargement is near the rim, a Sizing Die often does not reach down that far. In instances such as this, the brass has been properly sized, but it still may NOT fit your chamber.

ROeNoA58h-VNG1Th4NOUL20etLmkBUOv655GSNy_Rakhb_PqM314BbZBqMKAZCabqnQ0d_T3LqbzlDQzg6s=w681-h670-no.jpg

A barrel or gauge will typically catch this anomaly, but usually not until after the cartridge is fully loaded.


In short, one-size-fits-all answers usually don't work in reloading !!
 
Beyond that, gauges vary. Some reflect the start of the barrel, where others do not.

I believe the LE Wilson gauge is like the Dillon that I have, in that at 0.754" down the gauge it steps down from ~.0.395" to .360" in diameter, larger than the bullet. In reality this type gauges the diameter and length of the case, and the Dillon gauge the total length of the gauge is 1.169" to check the OAL of the entire round. But if you seat your bullet too long it can still hit the start of your lands at an OAL that passed the gauge, as the gauge is not checking this important factor and you are still dependent on a plunk test.

A more useful type is a true SAAMI-minimum gauge, like the Hornady one I also have. It is like the Wilson or Dillon gauges, but at ~0.754" down it steps down to ~.347", the land diameter. This simulates a barrel with no leade. If you load to this type of gauge your ammo will work in all 9mm luger arms with a SAAMI-compliant chamber. This is the sort of chamber most 'match' aftermarket barrels use. If you load your OAL .010" longer than what passes in this gauge, you will need enough leade in the barrel to make that other .010" or the bullet will hit it before the round fully chambers.

I like to load my ammo to what passes the SAAMI-minimum gauge, so that no leade is necessary. I have several nines, and they have differing amount of leade. I like to be able to shoot my 9mm ammo in any of them. Those that load longer depend on leade in the barrel, and when they run into something like a CZ that has little leade act like they've fallen off the earth into another realm of reloading ;)
 
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+1 to rfwobbly's post.

Unfortunately match shooters shooting 9mm Major won't mark the brass and simply leave them on the ground for other unsuspecting reloaders to pick up or range to sell them. :eek:

No, many shooters of 9mm Major loads will shoot them only once as brass gets overly expanded but using 9mm brass once is still cheaper (lots of free 9mm brass on range floor) than buying 38 Super brass, main reason why shooters choose 9mm Major over 38 Super.

FYI, we recently did a myth busting thread on different headstamp case wall thickness affect on neck tension and resulting bullet setback (Results may be eye opening) - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...nd-bullet-setback.830072/page-3#post-10715550
 
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bds said:
+1 to rfwobbly's post.

Unfortunately match shooters shooting 9mm Major won't mark the brass and simply leave them on the ground for other unsuspecting reloaders to pick up or range to sell them. :eek:

No, many shooters of 9mm Major loads will shoot them only once as brass gets overly expanded but using 9mm brass once is still cheaper (lots of free 9mm brass on range floor) than buying 38 Super brass, main reason why shooters choose 9mm Major over 38 Super.

FYI, we recently did a myth busting thread on different headstamp case wall thickness affect on neck tension and resulting bullet setback (Results may be eye opening) - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...nd-bullet-setback.830072/page-3#post-10715550
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Good point, I always Mark my brass.
 
You guys actually check each and every loaded round in a gauge or barrel??:scrutiny:
 
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Rule3 said:
You guys actually check each and every loaded round in a gauge or barrel??:scrutiny:
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For general purpose range blasting ammo that will be fired in factory barrels with generous chambers, no.

For match loads or rounds that will be fired in match/factory barrels with tighter chamber, yes.

My KKM and older Lone Wolf barrels with longer leade will chamber wider range of OAL variance rounds. For my newest Lone Wolf barrel with no leade, I have to chamber check every round to ensure they will fully chamber and not contact the start of rifling.

Same for my factory Sig 1911 barrel with no leade. It needs rounds loaded shorter to clear the start of rifling and I need to chamber check every round. Rounds that won't pass the Sig 1911 barrel will chamber fine in M&P45 barrel.
 
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Rule3 said:
You guys actually check each and every loaded round in a gauge or barrel??:scrutiny:
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Yes sir, even my range ammo. No big deal, I will take a large batch of ammo and turn on a movie and relax while doing it, though I would never turn that movie on while I am sizing, priming, charging powder, etc.
 
Rule3 said:
You guys actually check each and every loaded round in a gauge or barrel??:scrutiny:
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Yep, every one. I have a collection of different gauges, Wilson, Dillon & Lyman. Every round gets dropped in as the final check. If the round goes in and doesn't stick out the bottom I know it is good for any gun in that caliber that I have or might shoot. If the round doesn't go in it gets put in the "FAIL QA" bag. Those rounds almost always chamber and shoot just fine, but they get used at a range or someplace where I won't be keeping the brass. I shoot the majority of my rounds on my property.
 
9mmepiphany said:
With this gauge, it only takes 10 refills to do 1k
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That would come in handy if you did it often, like the gamers do. I have done 1K+ with my single gauge before, but that lasts me for a very long time. Actually over 2K, because I ended up with 1K for one load and 500 for two other loads the last time a made a fresh batch. That was fairly recently.

All I do is check the sized brass though.
 
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