Probably a Silly Question...but I gots to know

[Vacek]

I have been reloading 9mm on my Lee Breech Lock for several years and of course have a feel for the amount of energy/leverage it takes for resizing. I started resizing a bunch of 45 ACP and was surprised how much less leverage/energy it took. Is this because the 45 ACP is straight wall, whereas the 9mm has some taper?

Additional information. For the 9mm I have Lee Carbide Dies. The 45 ACP are older Lyman All American Dies I purchased. They are not carbide and yes I have been using lube. The other info is that I removed the decapping pin assembly and the button for neck expansion is very small but am assuming that it isn't necessary for 45 ACP. The resized brass fits perfectly in the Wilson case gauge.

 

[Glock20]

There is no such thing as a silly handloading question, just silly people who know it all and don't ask questions.

Sounds like sizing your 45 acp feels easier because of the lube. I've not noticed anything out of the ordinary sizing 9mm with Lee carbide dies.

 

[Vacek]

The 9mm are not hard to do, just require more than the 45 acp and that surprised me.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I use One Shot spray lube when resizing 9mm and .45 Auto cases even though I use Carbide dies. I know it's not necessary but it does make things a lot easier so I use it. I don't use a lot, when I turn over a 50 piece tray I spray the outside line which works out to every 5th case. I found that works well. Funny thing is, I don't fine I need any lube on .38 Special cases.

 

[GLOOB]

I've noticed the same, and I'm using carbide dies, no lube, for both. I think the overall diameter and taper both play a role. Resizing a bigger diameter cartridge by 0.02" should be easier than resizing a smaller diameter cartridge by 0.02", for the same thickness of brass. And because of the taper, the mouth of the 9mm may need more resizing than .45, though I haven't measured. But the force of resizing will also vary depending on make of brass and what gun/chamber it was shot in. I think 9mm also may have a thicker web, due to operating at higher pressures.

 

[JimKirk]

The chamber of your gun could come into play here.... If your 9mm has a slightly larger chamber and your .45 has a minimum chamber... the cases fired in the larger 9mm chamber would require more sizing than the .45. That may not be the case with your guns, but just saying it could. Most 9mm carbide dies will tell you to use lube in the instruction, mine does, so I spray them a little in a bag and let dry before sizing. Slick as owl snot. I even spray my 44 mag when using carbide dies now also!

Jimmy K

 

[Walkalong]

.45 brass is thinner, as well as being bigger in diameter. Both of those factors make sizing easier. Simple physics.

 

[Vacek]

Gentlemen,

Thank you for your responses. It makes sense. Much of this brass was also some purchased at my range and of different mix and therefore different chambers. Some were slightly more difficult but all easier than 9mm.

Relative to the expander button on the depriming pin .... not part of 45ACP resizing/reloading ???????

 

[Tilos]

Vacek:
Try lubing, and then sizing some 9mm, even though it's a carbide die.
You will see, just adding lube will make it much easier.

 

[LiveLife]

As many posted, it's physics. It is harder to bend a shorter piece of metal bar than a longer one because you have less leverage on the work piece. Try bending a short piece of paper clip (half inch) vs a long piece (two inch). You'll notice it takes more effort to bend the shorter piece. Same thing for resizing brass cases as you are simply forcing metal to be reshaped in a die with leveraged force from your arm.

I have easier time resizing the larger 40S&W/45ACP brass than smaller 9mm brass, especially if the 9mm case has been over expanded with hot loads in looser chambers.

I also found tumbling range brass before resizing helps reduce the effort as the cases glide easier and are less prone to sticking in the die (using brass polish/NuFinish in the media helps and acts like case lube during resizing).

FYI, since I shoot most of my 9mm loads through tight chambered Lone Wolf 40-9 conversion barrels, cases experience minimal expansion and resizing them takes much less effort, even when I load them near max to max load data.

 

[243winxb]

45acp

Relative to the expander button on the depriming pin .... not part of 45ACP resizing/reloading ???????

There should be an expander die in a 3 die set. You do need an expander. Dies -1. FLRS & optional decap primer. 2. Expand and bell mouth & seat new primer.(some may decap primer here.) 3. Seat bullet and taper crimp.

 

[Hondo 60]

I used to shake my head at people that lubed straight walled pistol cases when they said they had carbide dies.

But just for kicks I lubed some 357 cases. HOLY COW! What a difference in resizing.
It was almost as easy as pulling the handle on an empty slot.

I also reload 38spl, 9mm & 45Colt. None of those seem to be as difficult as the 357.

 

[Walkalong]

But just for kicks I lubed some 357 cases. HOLY COW!

How hard did you hit the bottom of the stroke on your handle?

Ask me how I know.

Lube a 9MM case using a carbide die and it's like stuff through a goose.

 

[rcmodel]

I use One Shot spray lube when resizing 9mm and .45 Auto cases even though I use Carbide dies.

Same here, including every handgun caliber I reload.

I dump a whole batch of empties in an old mixing bowl and spritz them with spray lube.
Stir them around with my hand, and spritz & stir again.

Every one doesn't have to have lube on it like bottle-neck rifle cases.

If you can get one lubed case in the die every 4-5 cases at least, it makes a world of difference in any caliber, even with carbide dies.

Another benefit is, just a light lube on pistol cases rules out any chance of a case galling in a die and leaving embedded brass behind.
If that happens, you have scratched cases from then on until you polish it out of the sizing die.
Better to just not allow it to happen in the first place by using a little lube.

rc

 

[Vacek]

great information.

What I was referring to on expanding was not the die for expanding the brass to take a bullet.... In my rifle reloading the deprimer has a button that opens up the neck on the updraw after resizing and depriming. I am assuming that isn't necessary with the straight wall case.

 

[243winxb]

In my rifle reloading, the deprimer has a button that opens up the neck on the updraw after resizing and depriming. I am assuming that isn't necessary with the straight wall case.

Both rifle and handguns need the inside of the neck opened to the correct diameter before bullet seating. Different methods/dies are use.

 

[Walkalong]

Bottle necked rifle calibers use the "button" drawn back up through the neck, and straight wall cases use an expander plug from the top.

Except for bushing type sizing dies.

 

[rfwobbly]

...or it could have been the Wheaties you ate for breakfast.