Just Got into reloading

[Zaadams095]

Hi there, I just got into reloading. I have a Lee Pro 1000 and I’m reloading 9mm. I’m using Berry’s round nose bullets. I am loading 124gr and I am using 3.7-3.9 grains of 231 powder. A couple of questions.

1. I got my bullet setting die dialed in close the 1.15 coal I am aiming for. However while I am loading I am getting anywhere between 1.145 and 1.155. Is this too much of a varieance? I don’t want to build up too much pressure and blow up my gun
2. Is it safe to use the decapping die to remove primers that haven been fired yet?
3. The Lee Pro 1000 works great when I run one piece of brass at a time, when I start H aging every station full, the flaring of the brass starts to not be as great, how can I fix this?

 

[gifbohane]

ZAA

I use the same components. I think that you are starting where you should. I find that 4.3 or 4.4 grains of 231 functions well in my 9. I THINK that a 1.145 and 1.155 variance will not make a significance. I would defer to the veterans here.

I would not decap live primers.. but that is me. As usual take my statements with a grain of salt.

Good luck.

 

[wrench459]

Can't tell you about Lee dies.
With RCBS's you can raise the rod(no decap)and just resize the case after dumping the powder out....

 

[nambu1]

I have been decapping unfired primers for many years and only had 1 go bang. It was in a piece military brass with a crimped primer. Just use your safety glasses when doing the decapping.

 

[Starter52]

No problem with your slight variation in OAL. Don't give it a second thought.

I've deprimed many live primers, probably hundreds. Never a single problem.

 

[Axis II]

I have decapped unfired primers and no issue just don't slam it home.

Lee dies are a little finicky for me with 38spl and 44mag. I just had to play with the die and NOT use the directions until I got what I wanted. Run a sized case up with the die unscrewed and screw until it touched the case mouth and then 1/8-1/4turn in until the bullet just sits in the case so you don't have to hold it. If using mixed headstamps I go a little more on the flare and use a Lee factory crimp die to iron out the extra flare some cases might get. I can feel the die sometimes work and sometimes not and this tells me the mixed cases is the issue. Some with flare issues and some without sounds to me your using mixed brass and some might be softer, harder, longer, shorter. If your not getting enough flare I would turn the flare die in just a slight amount maybe 1/8 turn. Also, make sure you have the nut on top the flare die tightened all the way this could cause some issues with flare cause its not tight. I think the turret plates might cause a slight issue in flare and seating cause it moves up but could be wrong.

As far as your OAL variances I cant speak for the large spread but the Ogive of the bullet or the taper of the bullet is where the seating stem touches and when you measure with calipers to the bullets tip the tips could have length variances but its the Ogive is what matters.

Did you "plunk" these with a dummy round (no primer/powder)? You MUST make sure that OAL fits your handgun barrel before you load any.

BTW I use a turret press similar to the one you are using and I remove all primers and powder when I have to decap a live primer.

 

[iShoot17]

Similar to nambu, I too decap live primers. Take it slow and go easy. No quick strokes. I don’t do this often, nor do I look forward to it, but I have yet to have one go off. Granted, I do this on a single stage, away from any powder or other primers. (Not sure if anything could happen, but that’s me.). As far as the seating depth, measure some bullets and see the slight variances in length that they have. Finding a .01” variance isn’t going to make a difference. I can’t speak to the flare issue, I don’t own a Lee!

 

[dgod]

I too have decapped many live primers with no issues. Just go slow...

dg

 

[Hondo 60]

Lots & LOTSA decapped live primers. Go slow & it' s not an issue.

Your OAL prob is cuz the press flexes differently when you'e doing one case at a time VS 4 at a time.

Make sure you'e not allowing play with the shellplate, etc.

Welcome to thr

 

[cfullgraf]

Hi there, I just got into reloading.

Enjoy your new hobby and welcome to THR.

Good info already posted, no sense adding stuff to just sound like a broken record.

 

[LiveLife]

I just got into reloading. I have a Lee Pro 1000

Welcome to THR and Pro 1000 club.

While I have several presses from C-H/RCBS single stage, C-H 3/4 station H-type presses, Lee Classic Turret and Dillon 650 with case feeder, I have several Pro 1000 presses dedicated to calibers that I often use to load my rounds. In fact, most test rounds I use for various THR threads have been loaded on Pro 1000 presses like this recent thread on neck tension and bullet setback - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...nd-bullet-setback.830072/page-3#post-10711682

Here's a Pro 1000 set up troubleshooting thread to ensure your Pro 1000 is set up properly and running smoothly - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/preventing-pro-1000-set-up-problems.761231/

Here's a reloading session step-by-step "check list" for Pro 1000 - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...lutions-no-bashing.507454/page-6#post-9614898

Here's the Pro 1000 support thread where most common problems/issues have been addressed - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...lutions-no-bashing.507454/page-3#post-7877744

9mm ... Berry’s round nose ... 124 gr ... 3.7-3.9 grains of 231 ... 1.15 coal

Berry's recommends using 1.160" OAL/COL in their pdf - https://www.berrysmfg.com/pub/files/BulletCOL.pdf

And Hodgdon used 1.150" for Berry's 124 gr HBRN-TP (Hollow Base Round Nose - Thick Plate) - http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/pistol

But many reloaders often use around 1.145" OAL or shorter depending on the length of leade/start of rifling of their barrels. I will often use 1.130"-1.145" with 124 gr RN bullet but will use longer 1.150"-1.160" if powder and charge I am using will compress the powder charge with shorter OAL. (Since you are using dense W231 powder, you won't need to worry about compressing powder charge. If I am using less dense/fluffy powders, I will calculate max case fill using max charge and increase OAL as necessary)

Pro 1000 works great when I run one piece of brass at a time. [When] I start [having] every station full, the flaring of the brass starts to not be as great, how can I fix this?

If you use mixed range brass, you are going to have variance in resized case length by several thousandths. Measure some of your resized brass by headstamp samples and use shorter resized case length to set the amount of flare. Ensuring sufficient flare of case mouth and care used during seating/taper crimping of bullet to prevent tilting will also reduce OAL variance (Yes, tilting of bullets can cause most of .010" swing in OAL variance). I flare the case mouth so bullet base just sits inside the case mouth with the shorter cases. Of course with longer cases, you will have more flare and bullet base will sit more inside the case mouth.

Here's picture of tilted bullet bulge on one side of case neck with Winchester 115 gr FMJ loaded to 1.130" - Yes, tilted bullets look like straight loaded bullets and rolling them on the bench top won't always show the wobble of the nose tip.

Here's same bullet seated straight showing even bulging around the case neck and even bulging of case neck is my check for straight seated bullets for more consistent OAL variance.

1.145 and 1.155. Is this too much of a varieance?

.010" swing in OAL variance is not that bad.

But if you want to decrease the OAL variance, you can:

• Be sure shell plate is not loose - I insert a Phillips screwdriver in station #1 to hold the shell plate while I tighten the shell plate with an Allen wrench.
• Be sure inside of seating/taper crimp die and seating stem are not dirty.
• Adjust the dies so there is no daylight between bottom of die and top of shellplate when resizing with all the stations full.
• Use shorter resized case length to set the amount of flare with the powder pour thru die to ensure sufficient flaring of case mouth to reduce tilting of bullet during seating/taper crimping (I flare the case mouth so bullet base just sits inside the case mouth)
  
• Be sure you are not tilting the bullet during seating/taper crimping. If you see bulge around bullet base on one side of case, you are tilting the bullet which will add to OAL variance.
• Separately resize the brass - Using resized brass eliminates the shell plate tilt, deflection or slight gap between bottom of die and top of shell plate caused by overly expanded brass that contribute to OAL variance (Using resized brass not only will make progressive reloading silky smooth, but also allows you to inspect the primer pockets and clean as necessary).
  
• Since bullet seating die stem pushes on the side of bullet nose (instead of the tip), using bullets with more consistent nose profile (ogive) will result in less OAL variance. For me, Jacketed bullets (FMJ) has produced less OAL variance than plated RN bullets. With RMR FMJ bullets, I get mostly less than .005" variance and even less with resized brass.

Is it safe to use the decapping die to remove primers that [haven't] been fired yet?

As others posted already, yes but do it slowly (do not slam down on the live primer) and definitely wear eye protection - surprised no one posted this basic reloading safety practice yet.

 

[LiveLife]

9mm ... Berry’s round nose ... 124 gr ... 3.7-3.9 grains of 231 powder ... 1.15 coal

While Berry's suggest 1.160" OAL/COL for their 124 gr RN bullets, Hodgdon lists 3.9 gr of W231 as start charge for Berry's (BERB) 124 gr HBRN-TP (Hollow Base Round Nose - Thick Plate) using shorter 1.150" OAL - http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/pistol

124 gr BERB HBRN-TP W231 COL 1.150" Start 3.9 gr (920 fps) 27,400 PSI - Max 4.4 gr (1,037 fps) 31,900 PSI

Many use 4.2-4.3 gr of W231 with 124 gr RN loaded to 1.130"-1.145". If you want to increase accuracy of your load without increasing powder charge, you can try shortening the OAL down to 1.130" - 1.145" to see if shorter OAL produce greater accuracy. (When you are using start charge or lighter powder charges, seating bullets deeper in the case will increase neck tension due to case wall getting thicker towards case base which results in higher chamber pressures for more efficient powder burn/more consistent chamber pressures/more consistent muzzle velocities)

If you want to use longer 1.150" OAL, accuracy will likely improve with higher powder charge. If you are using .37 Auto Disk hole to get 3.7-3.9 gr, you can try the .40 Auto Disk hole for 4.1-4.2 gr - https://leeprecision.com/cgi-data/instruct/AD2302.pdf

If you want to be able to drop powder charges in between Auto Disk holes, you can use this $1 mod to turn your Pro Auto Disk into "micro" adjustable Pro Auto Disk and meter W231 in .1 gr increments - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/working-diy-micro-auto-disk.741988/

 

[kcofohio]

Hi there, I just got into reloading. I have a Lee Pro 1000 and I’m reloading 9mm. I’m using Berry’s round nose bullets. I am loading 124gr and I am using 3.7-3.9 grains of 231 powder. A couple of questions.

1. I got my bullet setting die dialed in close the 1.15 coal I am aiming for. However while I am loading I am getting anywhere between 1.145 and 1.155. Is this too much of a varieance? I don’t want to build up too much pressure and blow up my gun
2. Is it safe to use the decapping die to remove primers that haven been fired yet?
3. The Lee Pro 1000 works great when I run one piece of brass at a time, when I start H aging every station full, the flaring of the brass starts to not be as great, how can I fix this?

Welcome to THR!
As cfullgraf said, lot of good info posted. Stick around, lots of helpful experienced help here, that are willing to answer questions.

 

[Dudedog]

Not much to add since it has been covered,
but
Welcome to THR, lots of great people here.

I don't use Berry bullets but if I remember correctly TJ Convera sells them and offers free shipping on orders of $75 or more.
I like Rocky Mountain Reloading for my 9mm bullets.

 

[splattergun]

HOdgdon's load data shows 3.9 gn to be the starting point for W231. I started at 4.0 gn, and my P89 would fail to eject once or twice per 10 rounds. Be very careful that every round leaves the barrel at the lower weights you loaded.
I found 4.3 to 4.4 gn performs very nicely in my pistol. YMMV

 

[Zendude]

Welcome to THR! Be patient with the Lee 1000. It can be finicky and it takes some time to go through all the problems and fixes.

 

[kwg020]

No problem with your slight variation in OAL. Don't give it a second thought.

I've deprimed many live primers, probably hundreds. Never a single problem.

I agree. I would load and shoot a few before you go about taking them apart. My guess is there is some "play" in you reloading setup that allows some variation.

 

[Zaadams095]

Thank you all for your replies. What is the biggest thing I should look out for? What is the easiest mistake that can be made that could cause serious problems like my gun blowing up?

 

[Zaadams095]

Just finished loading up a box of 50 124gr 9mm. I make them with Berry’s round nose bullets, Winchester small pistol primers and carried brass. Being this is my first box I am extremely nervous to shoot them. I went through and loaded three rounds and before setting and crimping the bullet I measured the powder then I took this rounds and weighed them and took the average and it came out to 189.8 gr. I then took the average weight of all 50 round in the box I just finished and got 187.09gr. The lowest was 185.2 gr and the highest was 194 gr. I figure that the difference can be caused by variance in the weight of each bullet and the weight of each case. I weighed a couple of the bullets and they all weren’t at 124gr, and the brass was the same. I know that I am probably being overly paranoid but I want to make sure that I am doing this right. The last thing that I want is to blow up my gun. Speaking of that, in modern hand guns how easy is it to blow one up. I am shooting a gen 4 glock19. How big of an error do I really have to make to get a modern gun to blow up. Will a double charge do it, or a butler being set too far in, or crimped at a slight angle? I guess I’m asking how easy is it to blow up a gun.

 

[Hokie_PhD]

Congrats on your first box of reloads. The first few you shoot will be scary. But take a minute to enjoy it’s its so cool.

I’ve weighed brass and found results all over the place so I gave up.

I’d suggest you take your time, shoot your first round. Savor the experience, then shoot the next.

As long as you took your time, did what you were suppose to do and were careful you should be fine. That said, don’t do mag dumps or double taps until you’re comfortable with the ammo you make.

 

[dgod]

The biggest thing thing to worry about (In my opinion) is attention to detail. check and recheck. The easiest mistake (Once again, In my Opinion), is overcharging the powder...

Good Luck, be safe

dg

 

[WrongHanded]

I can't answer your question as to what it takes to blow up a G19. But I can tell you that I was pretty nervous shooting my first 50 handloads, a few months back. Now I'm sending hot .357 and .44 mags down range without much concern at all.

If you're being this "paranoid", you're probably being safe enough.

 

[snakeye]

Total weight of a round is not something to concern yourself about. Lots of weight variances in different manufactures of brass. Only weights you need to consider are bullet weights and powder charge weights and you have the correct powder weight for the correct bullet weight.

 

[bbqreloader]

Congrats on your first rounds! Did you start on the beginning end of the charge weight for your powder? If so and they pass the plunk test, see sticky, you're going to be fine and probably find out you can up the charge a bit. I will let you know, if you post load questions, give us what powder you are using and charge you loaded, sorta helps those of us to give you a more informed response if we can.

 

[Iroquois]

The biggest thing thing to worry about (In my opinion) is attention to detail. check and recheck. The easiest mistake (Once again, In my Opinion), is overcharging the powder...

Good Luck, be safe

dg

Great advice from god. The only thing I would add is check the level of powder in each case at least 2 times, three is better. Check them in a well lighted area, If needed use a flashlight. The only way to blow up your gun is with a double charge of powder. Slow down, take your time and safety comes first. Well come to THR.