9mm reload won't chamber

[Sorbik]

I have a Dillon 550 and am brand new to brass reloading. Fact is I don't have the 4th die in yet and am working on the 3rd station.

I have a CZ 75D PCR Compact 9 mm.

I am trying to load a 9mm Luger 115 gr JHP using power pistol powder (6.0 to 6.1 gr).

At first, my rounds weren't passing the 9mm gage checker (from Dillon). But after adjusting the powder die, my rounds now pass the case gage checker.

According to the Lyman 49th manual, the OAL is 1.09". Right now, my round is 1.085-1.088".

I've also only been loading my magazine with 1 round and the rack doesn't want to fully close.

Not sure what's going on.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

 

[918v]

The bullet could be hitting the rifling.

Are you using a TC profile bullet?

 

[GJSchulze]

What dies are you using?
What does the powder die have to do with this?
Are you crimping the case after seating the bullet?

6 gr of Power Pistol seems a little high to start with. If the manual only listed one load and not a range, then that is the maximum load and that is not a good place to start.

Your OAL is short and should not be the cause of failure to chamber.

 

[1SOW]

With the CZ, the chamber is 'shorter' than SAAMI "MAXIMUM" which is what the gage tests for. Especially HPs and FNs will likely need short oals. RNs are usually no problem.

Remove the bbl and hold it chamber UP. Drop the cartridges in. They should "fall" all the way in and seat on the case mouth with an audible "clink". Then turn the chamber DOWN and the cartridges should "fall" out. If they don't the oal is likely too long.

You didn't say "What Bullet" your loading. Conical nose bullets are also often hit the leade/rifling at published oals, while traditional ogive bullets usually can run longer.

 

[GJSchulze]

With the CZ, the chamber is 'shorter' than SAAMI "MAXIMUM" which is what the gage tests for

I have an XD and an XDm. I load 147gr FMJ-TC at 1.13 to 1.14 and can chamber them with room to spare. I would have to have an OAL of 1.2 to touch the rifling on the XDm.

I used Quickload to calculate what 6 gr of Power Pistol at OAL 1.09 would be like. You will be just over maximum pressure with that load. Shortening your OAL will put the pressure to well over the max. I suggest you lighten your load to 5 gr and work from there. At 6 gr Quickload says that you are compressing the powder. Even if your actual numbers vary, you are too close to the max to take a chance.

 

[au_prospector]

Crimp

Given your OAL is short, my thought is your crimp. After you bell the mouth so it will accept a round, you have to close the bell by taper crimp. I use RCBS dies and they crimp and seat the bullet in one motion.
Crimp instructions are included with the die set.

Im loading 124 grain Berrys RN and they are running 1.121 long and .375 at the crimp. They plunk just fine in a Beretta 92 and a Ruger SR9c.

 

[PhotoBiker]

What au said.

The OP said he doesn't have the 4th die in which I assume is the crimper. Without the crimp the rounds most likely won't chamber if your bell mouth is too pronounced.

Can you chamber a piece of sized brass (not flared)?

 

[jim243]

Not sure what's going on.

It sounds like you are loading lead bullets instead of jacketed hollow points.

Jim

 

[Walkalong]

Here is a link to the "Plunk" test folks mentioned.

Yes, with the limited info it sounds as if you were over belling, then reduced the belling some, but are still not removing the belling completely, either by using the built in "taper" crimp in the seater die or with a fourth die. Taper crimp just enough to remove the bell, or a hair more. .001 to .002 at the most.

Welcome to THR.

 

[floydster]

I shoot a CZ PCR, I have to seat the bullets, RN, to 1.055 to clear the leade and pass the "pluck " test. These are cast bullets. The FMJ round ball I seat to 1.058.

 

[GJSchulze]

You can also try this: 1) resize a case, 2) do not prime, load with powder or bell, 3) finish up seating the bullet; with jacketed bullets it is possible to seat without a bell, just hold the bullet until it's into the seating die. If this will chamber, then the problem is your bell. You aren't crimping it and it's too big.

A variation to the plunk test is to take a resized case, make four narrow vertical cuts at the mouth at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o'clock no longer than .2 inches. I used a Dremel cutting disk. This will provide tension to keep the bullet in place, but still let it slide a little. Now put the bullet in it by hand and make the OAL as long as it will go. Put this in your chamber and push until it stops. This is the maximum OAL in this chamber with this bullet. Your actual OAL will need to be shorter so that it will feed correctly. A longer OAL reduces pressure and a shorter OAL increases pressure, which is why with your 6 gr of PP you increase your pressure to dangerous levels if you go any shorter than 1.09.

 

[armoredman]

It all depends on the ogive. I load 9mm exclusively for CZ pistols, and I can tell you some bullets, (Berrys 124 grain Plated Hollow Point), have such wide sharp ogives that they have to be loaded obscenely short to work. Others, like the RMR plated 124 grain round nose I have right now, can be loaded all the way out to 1.16 with no issue - and SAAMI specs are 1.169 max COAL for 9mm. Plunk test and rotate are your friends, here. The Lee Factory Crimp Die COULD be of help here, but you should probably be able to get by without it.

 

[rbernie]

It all depends on the ogive. I load 9mm exclusively for CZ pistols, and I can tell you some bullets, (Berrys 124 grain Plated Hollow Point), have such wide sharp ogives that they have to be loaded obscenely short to work. Others, like the RMR plated 124 grain round nose I have right now, can be loaded all the way out to 1.16 with no issue

This - CZ chambers are known to have very short leades.

If during the plunk test the round gradually slows/stops, I'd probably suspect belling. If, on the other hand, it drops until it suddenly stops and is stopped hard, then I'd suspect a bullet/chamber/OAL mismatch. I commonl;y look for chambering interference by using a black Sharpie to blacken the nose of the bullet and see where it rubs off.

 

[chrt396]

It all depends on the ogive. I load 9mm exclusively for CZ pistols, and I can tell you some bullets, (Berrys 124 grain Plated Hollow Point), have such wide sharp ogives that they have to be loaded obscenely short to work. Others, like the RMR plated 124 grain round nose I have right now, can be loaded all the way out to 1.16 with no issue - and SAAMI specs are 1.169 max COAL for 9mm. Plunk test and rotate are your friends, here. The Lee Factory Crimp Die COULD be of help here, but you should probably be able to get by without it.

I agree!! I just traded in a CZ 75 SP-01 Tactical for my EAA Witness Limited!! When I reloaded for the CZ, the length of seat would have to be way below any published OCL...which made me a bit nervouse concerning pressures.
Switched to EAA...EVERYTHING feeds...except 147's for some odd reason!!

 

[brue182]

When I load on my Dillon 650 it took mea little while to set up the dies properly. Your powder station should barely bell your case to the point where you can feel the case flare but not really be able to see it. When I first started the bell was my biggest problem. Then again I learned to reload using my 650 and almost all my learning came from YouTube. 6 months later I can churn out 1000 rounds in about 2 hours with little to no defects that will not pass my case gage. My last run I did have a sideways seated primer and 1 without a primer. If I only have to break down 15 out of 1000 and run them through the press I'm happy.

 

[reddrumtoo]

I recently bought 2,000 rds. of bulk range brass . I started having gun problems , the slide wouldn't fully close without a push , or wouldn't close at all. My problem is that some of this brass has been fired in oversized chambers w/ possible excessive loads i.e. machine gun & the brass is swelled at the base where the resize die can't reach . I need to resize the entire case or run every case into a chamber checker / barrel chamber to see if it will fit after resizing & before seating a bullet . That really takes the fun out of a Dillon 1,000 reloading press . [full progressive]

 

[Ex]

I have a Dillon 550 and am brand new to brass reloading. Fact is I don't have the 4th die in yet and am working on the 3rd station.

I have a CZ 75D PCR Compact 9 mm.

I am trying to load a 9mm Luger 115 gr JHP using power pistol powder (6.0 to 6.1 gr).

At first, my rounds weren't passing the 9mm gage checker (from Dillon). But after adjusting the powder die, my rounds now pass the case gage checker.

According to the Lyman 49th manual, the OAL is 1.09". Right now, my round is 1.085-1.088".

I've also only been loading my magazine with 1 round and the rack doesn't want to fully close.

Not sure what's going on.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

Plunk test. If OAL is already on the short side... Pull your barrel. Drop a finsihed bullet in and it should just "plunk" (distinctive sound) right into place. No hesitation, no "I can push it in easily the last few hundredths or so", it should drop entirely into place. If not, it may be the bell (no 4th station to crimp or take the bell out).

Whenever I change calibers in what I am building, I always take the barrel from my most finicky pistol of that caliber out to the reloading shed with me. Setup, check each stage, do plunk test on first finished round.

 

[mljdeckard]

I have cut my bell way back, it's just a touch, barely noticeable, with no ill effects. I load mostly Berry's 115 gr.

I only load 9mms for one gun, an XD-9, and it is very tolerant and forgiving. I use Lee dies and don't use the 4th FCD die.

I have one finicky .45 that needs the FCD, I added it on top of the RCBS set, but I think it is mostly the post re-sizing that helps, not the factory crimp.

 

[hAkron]

I seat 124grn RN bullets to 1.14" in my CZ's. I had a world of trouble with Berry's HP 124gr plated bullets. They would work fine in my Glock (the only other 9mm I had at the time), but would hang up my CZ terribly. I had to shorten the OAL to something like 1.02", but any that crept up to 1.03" would need to be rammed out of the chamber with a rod.

 

[918v]

SAAMI spec chambering reamers are fairly cheap. You could lengthen your CZ throat which would open up your reloading possibilities.