Bulged or Just Expanded?

[MartinBrody]

I wish my digital camera was up and running so I could post a pic, but can someone tell me the difference between brass that is bulged (like from an unsupported chamber) and that which is just expanded from firing? Pics would help.

I am shooting a Sig 226 9mm with Federal factory ammo 115 grain FMJ. The fired brass has a line that is bulged out very slightly about 1/3 of the way around the case closer to the rim than the neck. I wouldn't think anything of it and consider it just to be expanded from firing but I accidentally picked up 9mm brass from some other guns at the range and they are not bulged at all.

I have so far only reloaded revolver rounds and am considering reloading 9mm for this gun. Is this brass ok?

 

[Car Knocker]

Have you measured the brass with calipers or a micrometer? It's possible that it is previously reloaded brass and you're seeing the line that the sizing die sized to.

Edit: Disregard previous comments. I missed the part about only 1/3 way around the case.

 

[RecoilRob]

Some chambers are a bit on the big side and the brass will expand ahead of the case head, but it will be all the way around.

Your partial expanded portion sounds like what is over the feed ramp and un-supported. Easy way to tell for sure is to pull the barrel and drop (or push) a couple fired ones in and see how the expanded portion matches.

Unless it is REALLY expanded (ala .40 Glock), and it sizes back down without making a 'belt', you should be just fine reloading them.

 

[Luggernut]

Yep, mine do it too. I guess Sigs have have loose chambers as well... maybe not like Glocks but they do. It seems that it is usually more apparent on one side of the case. Either way- all my 9mms seem to resize just fine with a normal resizer die. I have an EGW undersize die as a back up just in case.

 

[JDGray]

Feed ramps, that go into the chamber, will bulge brass. Nothing bulges brass as bad as a Glock .40

 

[Shoney]

I'm not sure I understand the intent of the statements about the 40S&W brass from a Glock. Yes, they are bulged, more than from any other manufacturers chambers that I have seen. However, I have loaded a thousand once fired Win WB cases from a Glock (don't know which model) more than 12 times without signs of case failure.

Bottom line, I have had no problems loading and reloading one fired brass from a Glock in 40S&W, a high pressure cartridge. Once fired brass from 9MM Glocks, IMHO, is completely safe to reload for supported chamber weapons.

 

[JDGray]

Shoney, Glock .40 brass "Looks bad", but as you stated works ok. I load 9mm brass, fired from Glocks, without any problems. Lee warns about reloading for Glock .40s, so their must be a reason. Seems like repeated bulging, cant be to good on it. Now, loading the bulged brass , for a gun with a "Better" supported chamber, might work just fine. I dont own a .40 cal, and I'll have to make that choice, when I get one