9mm brass hard to resize

[inline4]

so i'm new to reloading, started out with 45acp, did ok

now i'm starting on 9mm luger and the brass takes a lot more effort to resize than the 45s
i'm getting some cases stuck in the die and the shellholder is shearing the rim off when i try to lower the ram
i noticed most of the cases i'm having problems with are wcc or win headstamp, but i do get an occasional random headstamp too

i started lubing the cases and that made it go a lot more smoothly. all the cases come out looking good, lube or no lube.

so my question is, do 9mm require lube? i'm using hornady titanium nitride dies for both 9 and 45. 45 didn't require any lube at all
are wcc and win brass just softer and thicker or something? i do have a lot of range pickups mixed in with my once fireds. could i have just picked up some brass that were loaded really hot or something?

or could i have a faulty resizing die?

 

[rondog]

Are you sure it's the right kind of 9mm die? There's several kinds of "9mm" you know. And are the cases clean? They don't have to be tumbled and polished, but they need to be at least soap & water clean.

They really shouldn't be hard to resize, they're so small. I suppose it's also possible you found some fired in a gun with a large chamber and they "swelled up" some.

 

[rcmodel]

I use a light spritz of spray lube on everything I load.

As you discovered it makes sizing effortless.

The reason the 9mm is harder to size then the .45 is because the .45 is a straight case, and the 9mm is a tapered case.

rc

 

[Uniquedot]

It most likely isn't the die. 9mm is tapered as is the ring in your die and this requires more effort to size. It sounds like a brass problem to me and isn't all that uncommon especially with the current rate of production. BTW if you bought those dies used you might want to make sure the coating is still on the ring. I don't like those Hornady dies as they do wear out and quickly at that.

 

[jwrowland77]

I use the same dies, no issues, don't use any kind of lube or anything.

 

[inline4]

I use the same dies, no issues, don't use any kind of lube or anything.

i'm starting to think i got a defective die
i bought them brand new, they say 9mm luger
all cases have been decapped and wet tumbled with dish soap and lemishine

i can understand if its a little harder to resize due to taper case, but some of them are so tight i have to knock them out with a punch and hammer.

also, in my research, wcc is nato brass, supposed to have crimped primers, but the ones i had don't seem to be crimped. which leads me to believe they have already been reloaded before. could it be that someone just loaded it really hot and that expanded the case so much as to make it unresizable?

 

[Blue68f100]

Make sure your dies are clean. When they get dirty it requires more force. Mil brass are heavier and do require a little more force, particularly when the primers are crimped in and sealed.

I use the same dies. I just clean them every 2-3k. If the brass has not been cleaned it is abrasive to the dies and increase force due.

If your wet cleaning your removing all of the carbon used for lube. Most of use use a brass polish in our tumbler. The polish works as a lube when resizing. If you have some One-Shot, may want to lube the case and see if that helps.

 

[rcmodel]

all cases have been decapped and wet tumbled with dish soap and lemishine

There's your problem.

The cases are too clean!

Dirty brass will size easier because of the carbon stains acting as lube.

Tumble cleaned brass will size easier because of the polish film left from the media.

When you wash everything off before sizing, friction is increased greatly.

rc

 

[jwrowland77]

Yeah, tumble them, an then go from tumbler to resize. That's normally what I do and it works great.

On cleaning, normally after doing a batch, I'll take a pipe cleaner, fold it in half, and then circle it around inside to clean any brass shavings or dirt and grime that may be in the die.

 

[inline4]

There's your problem.

The cases are too clean!

Dirty brass will size easier because of the carbon stains acting as lube.

Tumble cleaned brass will size easier because of the polish film left from the media.

When you wash everything off before sizing, friction is increased greatly.

rc

so wet tumbled brass needs to be lubed?
i don't think the die was too dirty cuz i bought them new and the first case i tried to resize got stuck. then i made sure i got the right dies

the cases that resized came out good, so i think its the right die

do new dies need to be cleaned and lubed before use?

i was just surprised 9mm is so hard to resize cuz i loaded up 500rds of 45acp and that went pretty smooth

 

[1SOW]

Like rc said, slightly dirty brass won't "form"/"stick" to the die as tightly as as sparkling clean brass.
The tumbler with a little NU-Finish Car Polish added to the media lubes the cases nicely.
OR
A plant mister with denatured alcohol mixed with a little LEE case resizing lube will stop the problem with a light spray or three with all the brass laying out flat. Let 'em dry ( a minute or three), and then reload them.


re WCC brass: I like and use it for 9mm, BUT:
1. It's a thicker/harder brass than most and "can" stick hard if not lubed someway .
2. With the WCC brass (and others), lubing will cut press handle pull force in half.
3. Some years' headstamps seat primers nicely. SOME DO NOT and need reaming or swaging. I ream ALL of mine to not play guessing games with hard-to-find primers. Once reamed, they'll last longer than most any other headstamp.

 

[rondog]

That's probably why I've never had any problems - I tumble to a polished shine with fine corncob loaded with Nufinish car polish, they're nice and slick. Didn't think about that.

 

[RealGun]

9 mm cases are tapered, whereas your easy going .45 ACP have straight case walls. That may mean you will feel more resistance as the case approaches full insertion into the die.

I would try Hornady One Shot in your situation. That is a quick drying liquid wax that is also good for drenching new dies.

To clean the inside of my dies, I just use the size plastic brush that would fit that caliber for cleaning a gun. I don't use one that was ever used to clean a gun because of the gunk and oil. Another favorite is the cotton plug swap, which is easily washed.

 

[IMtheNRA]

Are you sure your 9mm dies are carbide dies? If not, then the brass will need to be lubed. What does the label on the die box say?

 

[Nathan Detroit]

I have a similar problem with the dies I use. A little lube on few cases every now and then goes a long way. I tried using Imperial Sizing Die Wax on every fourth or fifth case, but it got old in a hurry. What I finally settled on to keep the lube out of the case mouth is to take a gallon zip lock bag, put on short spritz of lube on the inside of the bag and then add the cases and roll them against the walls of the bag. The cases get very lightly lubed and can be sized as is or mixed with unlubed cases if you need the volume.

 

[Uniquedot]

Are you sure your 9mm dies are carbide dies?

His dies are titanium nitride coated. Lube isn't needed, but unlike carbide dies dirty brass will wreak havoc on them...I know from experience with them.

 

[gamestalker]

I've been using the same Lee carbide die for decades and have never once run into a situation where I even considered needing lube. Same for all my other carbide pistol dies, never had a single issue. I think something is wrong with your die, maybe you got one that isn't up to snuff in terms of the sizing ring hardness?

I have an old style 38/357 steel die that required lube, and it acted exactly as you described when ever I missed a case with lube.

GS

 

[Potatohead]

I use a light spritz of spray lube on everything I load

Whats the label and brand name of the spray lube you use RC?

 

[Arkansas Paul]

When loading straight walled handgun stuff, I also spritz the cases lightly. A ziploc bag half full with about 2 sprays of Frankford Arsenal case lube and shaken up does the trick nicely.
I HATE spray lubes for bottleneck stuff though.

 

[Potatohead]

After you guys lube them, thats it? You dont have to clean the lube or do anything after that? Theyre just ready to go?

 

[rondog]

After you guys lube them, thats it? You dont have to clean the lube or do anything after that? Theyre just ready to go?

A lot of guys, myself included, run our finished rounds in a tumbler for a little while to clean them up, get the lube off, put a final shine on them, whatever. It's safe to do and won't hurt the ammo. Makes 'em perty! And gets the lube right off. I use the same fine ground 20/40 grit corncob and NuFinish. Certainly isn't necessary or required, but my reloads may be stored for years before I shoot them.

 

[Potatohead]

Sweet! Aint nuthin' purdier than shiny brass cases..My wife doesnt quite see the beauty in them that I do though..

 

[JohnM]

Size a 30 Carbine case in a carbide die without lube, also a tapered case.
Then lube the cases; effortless!
I've been using the same bottle of Dillon spray on case lube for years, after untold thousands of cases the bottle is still nearly full.

 

[GJSchulze]

I have the same 9mm die and have only had one or two stuck cases and never one where the head was sheared off. I've probably reloaded close to 8000 cases. Halfway through that number someone suggested lubing them with One Shot and I haven't looked back since then. You may not need to lubricate, but it's so much easier! Saves the shoulder.

You didn't say what brand press you have, but you might try calling Hornady to ask them about it. They have good customer service.

 

[HOWARD J]

I have Lee, RCBS & Dillon resizing dies for 9MM Luger.
They all work great.
50 or so cases after tumbling I resize them--100/200 cases I take a 1/2" of Lee lube In the palm of my hand & rub them together ( 100/200 cases are in a small container)
I run my hands thru the cases--it makes resizing so very easy.
Then I tumble them to clean off the lube.