MSR 9mm Rifle Loading

[Texas10mm]

Tons of interest/sales of 9MM ARs and other 9MM PCCs?

That and there's a sucker born every minute. I'd put my Dillon 9mm dies against that Lyman MSR set any day.

 

[GW Staar]

For the Lyman die set, I'll agree the "MSR" moniker is an advertising gimmick. The small base sizing die is useful and the case gauge may be useful.

RCBS has been selling "AR" die sets for a several years which includes a small base sizing die and a taper crimp die.

I did not know I was ahead of the curve, I've been making my own "MSR" die sets since 2005 or so. I subscribe to the notion that all my cartridges used in semi-auto rifles should be small base sized. So, if one is available for the cartridge, I bought it.

Cheap insurance against chambering problems. While standard sizing dies work fine most of the time for cases reloaded for semi-auto rifles, I've had chambering issues with cases fired in other rifles and sized in a standard sizing die.

Me too! Not only that, I had trouble with an AR10 Remington clone, feeding even some factory (Federal blue box cheapies). Never a problem with Winchester or Remington factory in it. So I was leery of that chamber feeding reloads from a regular sizer....and bought my first small base. Zero problems with that....I'm a believer.

Lyman's including 9x19 in the MSR line is interesting. I guess the sizing die may be designed to deal some with cases fired in unsupported chambers or something similar.

Maybe so....but I'm too cheap for those or Dillons. Like my old Chevy Avalanches.....I wouldn't think of buying the Caddy version...$10 thousand for the name.

And BTW, I asked a Dillon rep why they didn't sell small-base dies. His answer was ALL Dillon's rifle sizers are small base. At least other companies give you a choice. I like my RCBS AR dies just fine.

 

[Dudedog]

Lee does have a U die for 9mm,
I have never needed it and I use a lot of 9mm range brass, some fired in PCCs, some probably in 9mm major.

Some of my 9mm range brass won't guage (-> recycle can), but I don't think a U dies would help because it's usually where the die can't get to.
( and I don't want to spend $$$ for a roll sizer)

 

[Texas10mm]

Me too! Not only that, I had trouble with an AR10 Remington clone, feeding even some factory (Federal blue box cheapies). Never a problem with Winchester or Remington factory in it. So I was leery of that chamber feeding reloads from a regular sizer....and bought my first small base. Zero problems with that....I'm a believer.



Maybe so....but I'm too cheap for those or Dillons. Like my old Chevy Avalanches.....I wouldn't think of buying the Caddy version...$10 thousand for the name.

And BTW, I asked a Dillon rep why they didn't sell small-base dies. His answer was ALL Dillon's rifle sizers are small base. At least other companies give you a choice. I like my RCBS AR dies just fine.

I used to think Dillon dies weren't worth the money. Now I have them on all my tool heads. They are made for progressive presses and work better than other dies on a progressive press. I love the spring loaded decapping pins on the pistol sets and they come with separate crimp and seating dies.

 

[cfullgraf]

I used to think Dillon dies weren't worth the money. Now I have them on all my tool heads. They are made for progressive presses and work better than other dies on a progressive press. I love the spring loaded decapping pins on the pistol sets and they come with separate crimp and seating dies.

Apologies for the thread drift...

I've look at Dillon sizing dies and like their features. But since I prefer to use a standard mouth expanding die on my progressive presses and Dillon die sets do not come with a mouth expanding die, I've continued to buy die sets from the other guys.

The light bulb finally came on.

Dillon probably sells the dies al-a-carte--they do. But hey, I could buy a Dillon set and get the mouth expander die from one of the other guys.

Thanks Texas10mm for flipping the light switch.

 

[GW Staar]

Thread drift? What's that?

I've look at Dillon sizing dies and like their features. But since I prefer to use a standard mouth expanding die on my progressive presses and Dillon die sets do not come with a mouth expanding die, I've continued to buy die sets from the other guys.

Mouth expanding dies: Pistol or Rifle? Pistol, they do that in the powder drop. You really ought to take a peek at RCBS's new tube RIFLE bullet feeders that come with separate mouth expanders "M" style. If pistol, they are still out to lunch on pistol bullet feeders......I'm working on them.... Hey ... they listened to me when I told them they needed badly to sell powder measure lowers separately!

OK, so it took a year.....and two more and they still haven't build a pistol bullet collator/feeder.

I'm still working really hard to find a way around MBF's rifle bullet flipping feeder/collator patent. A new better single-stage rifle bullet shaker is ready to post....maybe next week, I know, yawn. But RCBS is interested in a electric version to replace their Pro 2000 rifle bullet feeder that didn't work out. How's that for thread drift?

Walkalong may say were finished here, but a new rifle bullet feeder for MSR rifles is almost back. And I AM working on a pistol nose down orienter that doesn't use a MBR flipper, yet makes them all go nose down....for the APP crowd using the boolit sizing tool.....the .45 lead and plated bullets work.....guess I will have to downsize to 9mm too....but I have to find some lead boolits in 9mm first.

 

[cfullgraf]

Mouth expanding dies: Pistol or Rifle? Pistol, they do that in the powder drop. You really ought to take a peek at RCBS's new tube RIFLE bullet feeders that come with separate mouth expanders "M" style. If pistol, they are still out to lunch on pistol bullet feeders......I'm working on them.... Hey ... they listened to me when I told them they needed badly to sell powder measure lowers separately! OK, so it took a year.....and two more and they still haven't build a pistol bullet collator/feeder.

For mouth expanding dies, primarily handgun cases. I prefer to clean cases after sizing and expanding the mouth, just one of my idiosyncrasies. I prep cases shortly after shooting them, small batches process quickly, I then store them away for a future loading session.

Since I flare the case mouths in my case prep process, no need to have the powder drop expand the case mouth as well when I load the case.

I find I have fewer jams and process upsets if I separate resizing from loading hence my overall loading rate is only slightly slower than folks that use a progressive from fired case to loaded round. I still reload more ammunition in a short period of time than I can shoot.

204 Ruger is the only rifle cartridge that I regularly load on a progressive. I use an RCBS Gold Medal seating die with the window for inserting the bullet. I shoot 204 Ruger at prairie dogs and large quantities of ammunition is a must.

In general, I have not warmed up to bullet feeders. I have not seen the need to make them work for me, I still load more ammunition in a short period of time than I can shoot.

I still resize rifle cases on a single stage press. Since I need to clean and trim the cases after resizing, there is no advantage to resizing on the progressive press. Most loading of rifle cartridges is also done on the single stage press.

I enjoy reloading and it is a relaxing hobby for me. I adjust my processes to make it enjoyable even though it seems to be inefficient to some.

The way other folks use their progressive presses is fine by me.

 

[jmorris]

I've look at Dillon sizing dies and like their features. But since I prefer to use a standard mouth expanding die on my progressive presses and Dillon die sets do not come with a mouth expanding die, I've continued to buy die sets from the other guys.

Depends on the caliber and what you actually mean by “mouth expanding die”.

Pistol calibers and some rifle, do not have expanders on the decapping pin but some do.



Often, pistol expanders are on the powder charge die (that come with their caliber conversion kits for their presses) and one reason they won’t be found on a .223 powder charge die is because powder bridging is already a problem without having a super tiny path for powder to flow because of an incorporated expander, same with other small calibers using less than fine grain powders.


As far as a bell or flare goes for setting a cast bullet on a case or pistol rounds, Dillon doesn’t have them. As above the expander for most rifle rounds is part of the decapping stem. Or on the 1050 that and the swage backup rod. For pistol the powder funnel on most is the expander except the 1050 (and new off shoots of the RL/super machines) where it’s the backup/swage rod and the funnel is just the flare/bell.

 

[mstreddy]

GW Staar, if you are still in need of 9MM dies, I may an extra set. RCBS.

 

[Texas10mm]

Apologies for the thread drift...

I've look at Dillon sizing dies and like their features. But since I prefer to use a standard mouth expanding die on my progressive presses and Dillon die sets do not come with a mouth expanding die, I've continued to buy die sets from the other guys.

The light bulb finally came on.

Dillon probably sells the dies al-a-carte--they do. But hey, I could buy a Dillon set and get the mouth expander die from one of the other guys.

Thanks Texas10mm for flipping the light switch.

Yep. Dillon expands the case mouth with the powder drop. The powder funnel does the work for pistol cases. You can even get custom funnels that have a M die type step on them.

Or you could use a Lee Universal Flare die with the NOE expander inserts. https://noebulletmolds.com/site/product-category/expanders

That's what I use when I load cast bullets into bottleneck cases.

 

[GW Staar]

GW Staar, if you are still in need of 9MM dies, I may an extra set. RCBS.

Thanks a lot for the offer, but I have one on the way....

Yep. Dillon expands the case mouth with the powder drop. The powder funnel does the work for pistol cases. You can even get custom funnels that have a M die type step on them.

Or you could use a Lee Universal Flare die with the NOE expander inserts. https://noebulletmolds.com/site/product-category/expanders

That's what I use when I load cast bullets into bottleneck cases.

There was no Noe back when I discovered that Lee's expander wouldn't work for my needs on my Pro 2000.....they fill a need....rifle and pistol....and they have an "M" step which is even better. The expander die that comes with the RCBS Tube Rifle Bullet Feeder does the exact same thing.....but if you just need an expander........

 

[Dudedog]

Since I flare the case mouths in my case prep process, no need to have the powder drop expand the case mouth as well when I load the case.

I find I have fewer jams and process upsets if I separate resizing from loading hence my overall loading rate is only slightly slower than folks that use a progressive from fired case to loaded round. I still reload more ammunition in a short period of time than I can shoot.

I agree.
Two passes takes a bit longer but is still more than fast enough for me.

My range has nasty 80grit dirt, so I do a quick say 1/2 hour wet tumble when I bring it home.
Then I will resize/deprime, and flare, then do another wet tumble.
Hand prime the brass and inspect the cases, store for later. I tend to hand prime while watching TV.
( was going to say watching the tube , but they aren't tubes any more, some of us old farts remember tube TVs, TVs with tubes in the circuits, and round flat black plastic things called records, 8 tracks, 8mm movies, and all that other stuff from a bygone age, getting old, sigh....)
It probably makes no difference if the primer pockets sparkle but shiny brass make me smile, and if I am smiling I might shoot better. (probably won't, but I need all the help I can get)