9mm Help

[Grub Master]

I am fairly new to reloading. I have loaded some 45acp and they worked fine. Just set up my press to load 9mm and have a few questions.
I am loading 115fmj bullets with 4gr Bullseye on a Dillon 550 with Dillon Dies.
The first batch were 1.166-1.169 and I now realize are too long. I also put way too much crimp on them.
I bought a Lee Crimp and have just installed it. I took the barrel out of my XDM and am using it as a gauge.
I started pulling the bullets from the first batch and were going to re-use them again, however I was wondering if it would be ok to just re-seat them to a proper size (1.133) and crimp with the Lee. Will this cause any problems?
The new finished bullets will fit in my case gauge with ease, however while they fit in the barrel of my XD they will not drop out as easy as the factory rounds. They do not have to be pried out, just need a little help. How tight is too tight?
Is this a problem? They measure .377 at the crimp.
The bullet on the right is one I re-ran through and is the one in the barrel.
Thanks

 

[amlevin]

I would re-seat. Doesn't sound like you over crimped them and put a groove in the bullet at that dimension.

I use 1.125" as an OAL for all my 9mm's and it works great in all my 9mm's.

Just be careful of "too short" and use the minimum OAL's listed for a given bullet as absolute minimum's. Pressures can climb quickly if the bullet is too deep.

 

[Grub Master]

I thought I was on the right track, but it's not working. I just reassembled my gun and loaded it with the same bullet. It stuck and would not eject. Had to take the gun apart to get it out. What am I doing wrong?

 

[rcmodel]

They measure .377 at the crimp.

Several brands of 9mm factory loads I have measured run about .376".

I loaded about 800 rounds in December for my sons XD Compact.
115 Berry RN bullets, 5.5 Unique, seated 1.120", and crimped .376".

They run like a Swiss watch in his gun.

rc

 

[john16443]

You've discovered that the 1.169" dimension is the MAX dimension, and it doesn't work in your gun. Reducing to 1.133 should work for you no problem. Yes, just seating them deeper is OK and not a problem. If you have factory rounds sitting around, measure them for comparison of COL and crimp.

Concerning the crimp, I'd suggest you adjust the Lee die or your Dillon die to give you no more than .375. Your .377 isn't bad (0.380 is the max.), but maybe the XD prefers things on the smaller side.

 

[rcmodel]

Reducing to 1.133 should work for you no problem.

Didn't work in my sons XD Compact.

It likes 1.120" with the Berry RN I was using, no more, no less.
At 1.130" it had a definite hitch in it's get-along when feeding.
Didn't jam on them, but it didn't cycle as smooth as it should either.

rc

 

[Ranger Green]

You might have "bulging" below the case mouth, not quite visible to the naked eye. Get a case gauge ( @$9.00) to help set the crimp. Take the time to try the minimum crimp, pull the round and test in the gauge. Turn the crimp die down 1/8" to 1/4" a turn until the round slips easily and out of the case gauge. This sounds more time consuming than it really is. However it makes for great reliable ammo. A little extra work at setup really pays with good rounds!

 

[rfwobbly]

Mr Master -
Welcome to THR and Reloading !

• You understand that the 9mm is a tapered case, so that when you measure your crimp diameter you can only use the last 1/32 of the case, there at the mouth.

• The XDM runs a slightly tighter chamber with less freebore than most 9's. Therefore your BEST gauge for OAL and crimp is going to be the XDM barrel (removed from the gun). You can test your reloading die adjustments by dropping a cartridge into the chamber. It should drop ALL THE WAY into the chamber using only gravity. It should then drop back out just as easily.

• Whenever you are loading new-to-you bullets for this gun I highly suggest you load 1 or 2 "test cartridges" with no primer and no powder. That way you can experiment with chamber fit and feeding in complete safety.

• Be sure and keep lots of notes on OAL for each bullet you load.

Hope this helps!

 

[Grub Master]

I have re-sized several ro 1.125 with a .376 crimp and they seem to cycle. Do I have any volunteers to test them out? I think they will work now and will go to the range tomorrow. Thanks for the help.

 

[Grub Master]

I can not get it to drop out of the barrell as easily as the factory ammo does. Could it be that I have bellowed the cases?

 

[LiveLife]

You understand that the 9mm is a tapered case

Here's the 9mm case dimension drawing:

I can not get it to drop out of the barrell as easily as the factory ammo does. Could it be that I have bellowed the cases?

Grub Master, even for my very tight chambered Lone Wolf barrels, my 9mm rounds fall in and drop out freely. For FMJ/plated RN, I load them to 1.125"-1.135" OAL. Drop some resized cases to see if they fall in and out freely. It they do, I would recheck your loaded case dimensions and see if there is any bulging of the case.

 

[LiveLife]

My 1.125"-1.135" OAL comment was meant for the LW barrel in Glocks. For your XD barrel, as others posted, you need to function test by manually feeding/chambering round from magazine and releasing the slide to determine which OAL will reliable work.

 

[Grub Master]

I had to get it down to 1.106 so it would drop out easily. That should not cause a problem with too much pressures?

 

[Hondo 60]

The pictured rounds do not look they're over crimped.
So I'd just seat the bullet a little deeper.

Welcome to the High Road!

 

[murf]

with 4.0gn bullseye you should be ok on pressure.

murf

 

[MickKennedy29]

I had a problem with my early reload chambering in my Springer EMP. I eventually found that I was not crimping enough, not taking all of the bell out of the case. I have also seen some cases that were bulging near the base. I THINK that it was caused by an unsupported chamber, but I am not sure and just threw them out. I seat my 115's at 1.130-1.150. I have found that that OAL will cycle in any of my guns. I only adjust it depending on charge and accuracy.

Your crimp looks fine, but it is hard to tell in pictures. I do not think the chambering issue is from your crimp, I think it must be from the OAL. As it seems you already figured out.

 

[1SOW]

I probably missed it, but what 'brand' of 115fmjrn are you using?
The reason I ask is that 1.106" is pretty short for a 115 rn bullet--even in an XD.
It's not a problem, but it shouldn't "need" to be that short with "most" 115 rn bullets.

It's hard to see in the pics (my old eyes), but the loaded and sized cartridge should have a distinctive 'coke-bottle' shape if it's 'sized' correctly.

 

[rfwobbly]

Mr Master -
With the short chamber XDM you got 2 things going on at the same time: OAL and crimp. Either can keep the cartridge from dropping into the chamber with a "clink" indicating it's going all the way in.

I had to get it down to 1.106 so it would drop out easily.

While that sounds short enough, it is wholly determined by the bullet-to-barrel fit. You haven't told us about your bullet. And any lead bullet is going to be more difficult than a plated or jacketed bullet.

That should not cause a problem with too much pressures?

Chamber pressure is derived from tens of variables, but mostly seated depth and the amount of powder. When you go shorter on OAL you need to 1) find a published load that uses that OAL and 2) you need to begin loading at the "starting load" and work your way up.

Published loads are only a "guide" and are not infallible. This is why we advise you to work up your own load, then keep all your reloading info in a notebook.

Hope this helps!

 

[ojibweindian]

My XD9 likes things a wee bit on the short side, too. It really isn't a big deal. Start at the minimum charge weight for whatever powder being used, and work up.

 

[ojibweindian]

My XD9 likes things a wee bit on the short side, too. It really isn't a big deal. Start at the minimum charge weight for whatever powder being used, and work up.

 

[918v]

Since Factory FMJ RN ammo is usually loaded to 1.150" or thereabouts, your reload OAL is not the issue. The round is binding elsewhere, perhaps on the case body or the case mouth.

First, reset and zero your caliper. Then measure the OAL on the factory round you are comparing. Then measure your OAL. You should not have to use a 1.1" OAL with that bullet.

Once you have the OAL figured out, check the body diameter at the base. Does your empty resized case fit in the chamber?

Bell the case mouth minimally, just enough to accept the bullet without shaving the shank. Seat the bullet to 1.169" OAL and drop it into the chamber. All of my 9mm's will accept a round in this condition (uncrimped) without issue. If yours binds, then it's your chamber. Start applying crimp incrementally until your round drops in freely.

Don't overcrimp. Only remove the bell. Look at your round against a light source to see the curvature of the case mouth. You want the case mouth to curve slightly inward toward the bullet, but only by just a microscopic tad. You do not want an obviously visible taper crimp, like on factory WWB ammo. That's too much.

One thing you might consider is measuring the diameter of your case mouth after firing and comparing it to a factory new case. This will tell you if your chamber was cut with a worn out reamer. You may have to replace the barrel or rechamber it. This, however, is the least likely possibility.

 

[Grub Master]

Thanks for all the help. Someone asked what brand bullets I am using. I purchased the bullets a couple of weeks ago from Georgia Arms they were in bulk without a name on the bag. I saw them (Ga Arms) at the gun show today and asked him what brand bullets they were. He said they were South African. That does not really help as I don't think that any of my books show that brand of bullets. He said they set their 115gr at 1.08. I am just a little longer than that so that should work. I was having a hard time understanding how other 115fmj bullets could work ok when oal was 1.50+-. All 115ge FMJ bullets are not the same and I need to get a bullet that works and stick to it. I have ordered some Berry 115 and purchased some Hornady 147 today. Thanks again for the help.

 

[918v]

What is the bullet diameter?

 

[Grub Master]

What is the bullet diameter?

.356 bullet diameter

 

[Grub Master]

Since Factory FMJ RN ammo is usually loaded to 1.150" or thereabouts, your reload OAL is not the issue. The round is binding elsewhere, perhaps on the case body or the case mouth.

First, reset and zero your caliper. Then measure the OAL on the factory round you are comparing. Then measure your OAL. You should not have to use a 1.1" OAL with that bullet.

Once you have the OAL figured out, check the body diameter at the base. Does your empty resized case fit in the chamber?

Bell the case mouth minimally, just enough to accept the bullet without shaving the shank. Seat the bullet to 1.169" OAL and drop it into the chamber. All of my 9mm's will accept a round in this condition (uncrimped) without issue. If yours binds, then it's your chamber. Start applying crimp incrementally until your round drops in freely.

Don't overcrimp. Only remove the bell. Look at your round against a light source to see the curvature of the case mouth. You want the case mouth to curve slightly inward toward the bullet, but only by just a microscopic tad. You do not want an obviously visible taper crimp, like on factory WWB ammo. That's too much.

One thing you might consider is measuring the diameter of your case mouth after firing and comparing it to a factory new case. This will tell you if your chamber was cut with a worn out reamer. You may have to replace the barrel or rechamber it. This, however, is the least likely possibility.

If the bullet I am using is more of a round nose (probably not a correct term) then the factory, would I need to set it deeper to get a proper fit in my barrel?