9mm brass exceeding Max Case Length

[1SOW]

If you were gaining anything by sizing 9x19, I'd say amen.

With same headstamp cases and assuming only once fired with similar loads, you may be gaining some slightly better chrono numbers.

They DID fire before you picked them up. Mine shrink, not grow.

 

[Potatohead]

Now, I've only loaded and shot approximately 4,000 9mm, but (so far using my sort method) not one failure.

I doubt your sort method has much to do with your lack of failures.
Of course I could be wrong, but I don't think the case being to long or short is very high up on the "reason for failure" list with 9mm.

Outside of crimping more consistently , this is just not a subject that you have to worry much about (in 9mm), or at least I don't. But it's nearly a free country around here still, so I guess you can do whatever makes you happy though.

 

[Rule3]

Gamestalker, I can do the inside, but I can't get the outside, how do you manage to do the outside.

243winxb not sure what you mean by measure the chamber? Are you talking about dropping the longer pieces into the barrel?

Not gamestalker, but it will not do the outside.

You said chamfer, which is the inside

DeBurring, is the outside.

 

[Sunray]

Not so much that it's disliked. More about rarely being required. You don't need to chamfer pistol brass. The flaring of the case mouth does that. You do need to deburr inside if you trim though.

 

[gamestalker]

When you trim brass you do need to ream and chamfer afterward.

MY BAD,, I just checked and sure enough, the Lee ream and chamfer tool will not reach the 9mm case mouth. Now I remember why I bought the Wilson 30 something years ago. I am so sorry for my error, I did what no one should ever do, I assumed.

GS

 

[tightgroup tiger]

I used to measure mine for short ones only. If I had anything under .740 I put it in a separate container, but only because it shortened my taper crimp. Later, I quit crimping them and started relying on the neck tension to hold them.

I still use the taper crimp function of my die to straighten out what little flare I use so the longer ones still get taper crimped, some of the shortest one only get the flare straighten out. I've been loading them like this for years.

I can see that, like Walkalong, doing the powder dump, seating, and crimping in a separate step has it's advantage, like being able to feel how tight the bullet seats. I would think once a person would get used to that feel he could know if he had one seat to easily and would know to stop, look, and check for loose neck tension, and stop some of the flexing in the shell plate coming from the resizing process.(helps with OAL variations)

As far as trimming them goes, I've never found one yet that won't chamber, and 9mm tend more to stay the same or maybe get a little shorter. They don't grow like some cases do.

As far as throwing out the short ones? Probably 99% of all 9mm cases are to short to seat on the mouth once the extractor gets ahold of them anyways, so what's the difference.

Your chasing a ghost.

 

[jell-dog]

9mm max case length and working COA from OCD reloader

I find it surprising that a forum member is made to feel they have to defend their reloading practices on THR.

Other than pointing out safety issues to a members question/comments, everyone here reloads using differing techniques. Sharing your practices with others who are "newbies" either to reloading in general or a specific cartridge is extremely important, giving us insight into SAFE RELIABLE reloading techniques, some (which do not involve safety issues) we may decide to use, some not.

Now to my defence!

Per walkalong's EXCELLENT article on working cartridge over all length:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=506678

In post #1 has PIC "often used to help explain correct headspacing and how O.A.L. can affect chambering and headspace."
Notice first & last cartridges are marked incorrect head space due to to long/short case/seating/chamber variables.

I read/re-read article, followed instructions and found MY workable COL for each of my pistols when using the bullets I have on hand, understanding that a new COL needs to be found for each different bullet profile.
Not wanting to have 2 or 3 different length cartridges, I now use the longest COL which will reliably function in my 9mm pistols.
Based on this article, I decided to sort by cartridge over all length within +/- 0.001", using all brass falling into SAMMI max/min lengths.
When I reload, I taper crimp only enough to remove bell.
I found one pistol that doesn't like cartridges where the bell, even if insignificant, is not removed.
Most cartridges don't get crimped as I bell only enough to balance bullets on brass, which removes bell during seating.

I have found this gives me uniform finished ammo that works reliably in all my 9mm pistols, long brass or short, I now will use them all, sorted to length as I have done in the past.

Have a nice day
jell-dog

 

[Dudedog]

I never measure mine, maybe a mistake but I have had no issues. (yet)
I don't mean to imply that measuring and trimming is a bad idea.
Now I will have to go measure some just to see.
I have trimmed 9mm to make 9mm Mak Cases (9X18) then fire formed but IMO it is a PITA, easier to just buy brass 9mm Mak ammo to get cases,
having said that I have a Wilson tool that will do the inside and outside.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/789334/le-wilson-chamfer-and-deburring-tool-17-to-45-caliber
More money but much nicer than the Lee tool.