9mm brass questions.

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gonoles_1980

gonoles_1980

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The SAMMI specification shows 19.15mm as the max length of a case, with 18.90 being the min. I bin my brass from 18.94 to 19.04 and 19.05 to 19.15. I have a lot of brass over 19.15 in the 19.16 to 19.28 range. I have been told that it's a waste to trim 9mm brass. So what do I do with my longer brass, just fire it and it'll get shorter as I fire. Or trim, which with 9mm is a pain in the ass.

All my measurements are on at least once fired brass.

Does 9mm brass really get shorter when you fire it?
 
I have no idea about what the metric measurments you posted mean?

We use inch measurements here, in 1/1,000 inch.

Max is .754".
Trim Too is .751".

But I have never in 50 years trimmed an auto pistol case.

If the sized case will drop in your chamber and the case head stop even with, or even slightly below the back end of the barrel hood?

It is perfectly fine, no matter what it measures.

If it sticks out, it is too long.

Other then that, it doesn't matter!

rc
 
The reason 9mm brass gets shorter when you fire it is because it expands to seal the chamber and the resizing dies do not restore it to original dimensions.
 
Never trimmed a piece of auto pistol brass. In fact I don't trim revolver brass either. I get consistent enough crimps without it.

I should add the only revolver brass that does get trimmed is 38 brass that gets loaded for serious social use(no debate please, I've heard it all).
 
I don't trim 9mm either, I do run through my active brass once in a while and sort per length. .754 to .748 end up my carry ammo. .748 to .742 (the bulk of it) is my practice ammo. .741 and down is my trading stock or give aways. Or I will load and shoot them where I can't recover my brass.
 
Another here that does not trim auto pistol brass. I recover brass form the range floor (any and all) sort it, resize and deprime it, bell the case mouth, clean it, prime it load it, and shoot it again.

Never trimmed one and never had a failure to go bang nor a split case...never had a problem.

VooDoo
 
Never trimmed one and never had a failure to go bang nor a split case...never had a problem.
Click to expand...

If you've never split a case you aren't reloading them often enough :)

That's the end of life for me with handgun brass, if they don't get lost in the weeds first.

If they split when I seat the bullet I shoot 'em as long as the split stops before the base of the bullet so there is still enough brass to make a decent seal. I toss the ones that split when shot into the recycling bin during the pickup and inspection phases.


I have no idea about what the metric measurments you posted mean?
Click to expand...
Doh! Its aka 9x19 mm as well as 9mm Luger or 9mm Parabellum.
 
I trimmed a bunch when I started. Didnt make any difference, so I stopped.

RUssellc
 
Cheap, and Brave!

Shooting a round with a split case neck is just Asking for bullet set-back during feeding and over-pressure!

Even if only split half-way to the bullet base?
Your case neck tension has been reduced by 50%!

rc
 
Go ahead and trim it to slightly less than max, you'll feel better, and no one will know unless you tell us :uhoh:
:D
 
I one of the few odd balls, I trim all my brass to spec.. But I don't load thousands of rounds per weeks either. If I did larger batches I'm sure I might feel different about it.

GS
 
gamestalker said:
I one of the few odd balls, I trim all my brass to spec.. But I don't load thousands of rounds per weeks either. If I did larger batches I'm sure I might feel different about it.

GS
Click to expand...
How do you chamfer and deburr the 9mm brass? The I have just doesn't fit well, it does 38spl just fine, but not 9mm.
 
rcmodel said:
Cheap, and Brave!

Shooting a round with a split case neck is just Asking for bullet set-back during feeding and over-pressure!

Even if only split half-way to the bullet base?
Your case neck tension has been reduced by 50%!

rc
Click to expand...
I'm cheap and I readily admit that BUT even I would not shoot a case with a split neck. It's just not worth the chance of getting hurt.
 
wally said:
If you've never split a case you aren't reloading them often enough :)

That's the end of life for me with handgun brass, if they don't get lost in the weeds first.
Click to expand...

True...I have only reloaded about 4000-6000 rounds of 9mm. I started with about 400 rounds of brass harvested from Fiocchi and Winchester factory rounds and sweep up any 9mm I find at the range. So, the brass has all rotated and very few of the rounds I load now are of the original once fired brass.

I have inherited enough brass at this point I'll never have to buy any...jars of mixed brass that has been sized/decapped and belled/cleaned ready to priem and reload. Maybe 3000 rounds of brass? :D

So no, I haven't loaded 'em enough yet. But I'm working hard at it!!

VooDoo
 
Shooting a round with a split case neck is just Asking for bullet set-back during feeding and over-pressure!
Click to expand...

One I'm closer to minimum loads than maximum loads.

Two I used to worry about it, but after making a bunch of dummy rounds from split cases (yes: cheap, why waste a good case, already "wasting" a good bullet on a dummy) I've found my guns just don't bang 'em off the ramp. If yours do, I'd start worrying about why they do.

I don't go anywhere near max loads without verified once or twice fired brass. My goal is maximum economy for high volume steel plate shooting.
 
wally,
It doesn't matter if you're using the min charge. If the bullet sets back far enough the pressures will be extremely high even with the min charge.
 
I don't know which company has the headstamp "F.C." ...

but I had a run of 5 or so of them split in a couple hundred rounds I made one day. I am cheap also but would never spend the $.14 for a chance at ruiing a gun. They get tossed.
 
I measure each and group all of them and do a light trim on the ones that are really long. How long depends on the batch I'm checking. If I have a few hundred and they all are .748-.752 and I have a half dozen .755 I'll trim those a little. I have the little wooden ball handle lee trimmer, there are so few that need it I don't bother with bench space for anything fancier.
 
I reload for more handgun calibers than I care to admit.
Never trimmed a handgun case.

and yes, I do trim rifle cases.
 
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