Problems with F C headstamp
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Shrinkmd
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So once they are sized down they will be easier to resize from now on? Why did Federal change the size of their cases?
Now that I have the BUBCA net working well, I'm considering buying some Starline brass for the 9mm for my target loads. Range pickup is free, but my wrist is gonna break working the press handle when it sticks.
Now that I have the BUBCA net working well, I'm considering buying some Starline brass for the 9mm for my target loads. Range pickup is free, but my wrist is gonna break working the press handle when it sticks.
Neck tension, not a standard, I use bullet hold, I have micrometers, I use them, I took a picture of my micrometers a few months ago, the picture weighed 400 lbs..
I use the FC head stamp when sorting cases, in the real world I use the term “FANTASTIC”, save me time.
F. Guffey
I use the FC head stamp when sorting cases, in the real world I use the term “FANTASTIC”, save me time.
F. Guffey
Shrinkmd
Member
I have dropped some of the finished rounds which were larger into my case gauge, and they went in and out no problem. Hopefully the ammo feeds well.
Maybe I should just load another headstamp. Pity, I have plenty of them, though...
Innovative
Member
Shrinkmd ......
The variation in different brands of brass can be considerable, and the 9mm is one of the worst examples. The major problem area is at the transition to the web (solid part of the case). Some brands of cases can be easily bugled if not fully supported by the gun's chamber. This can be difficult (sometimes impossible) to resize with an ordinary resizing die.
The variation in different brands of brass can be considerable, and the 9mm is one of the worst examples. The major problem area is at the transition to the web (solid part of the case). Some brands of cases can be easily bugled if not fully supported by the gun's chamber. This can be difficult (sometimes impossible) to resize with an ordinary resizing die.
1SOW
Member
As Mr. Guffey said, the "FC" brass is ok.
The ".FC." cases are not ok.
Thanks 918v, I don't normally load ATK brass, but I have a ton of it. A lot of the latest is .FC.
Anyone notice that "WIN" range brass is getting more scarce. "WCC" has come back big-time at my ranges. Example: WWB of 100 is now WCC.
Probably due to war-time surplus.
carbuncle
Member
My first batch of reloads had some FC 9mm: I over-expanded 3 of them while I was dialing in the powder-through expander and they couldn't be saved. I tossed one at the bench and thought two were GTG, only to have them fall apart in the ammo box and in the 5906 at feeding. Others loaded up fine, so I think the mistake was mine: thanks for the info in this thread, I'm going to keep an eye on the FC cases in my pickup brass just in case.
FROGO207
Member
If you separate the FC brass and use it to load lead bullets this will become a non issue for the reloader. I have older 9MM FC brass and a Lee Carbide sizer die and that combo has netted me zero problems so far. I can see that between different brands/and individual dies within brand, there is going to be a variation in the finished size brass diameter and this will affect the inside diameter some. You have to measure your sized brass ID with an accurate set of calipers and determine if it is a problem with your die set and decide what action to take to solve the problem-----or if you have a problem at all. This seems to be happening with new brass/dies/reloaders most often so there is a common problem in here that seems to have developed recently IMHO.YMMV
YMMVThis might help
Are you finishing up your loading with a taper crimp die? I load all sorts of 9mm and use it in a buzz gun and have no push back with any brass. You have to be careful when you set it as to much crimp is not good. One suggestion with Lee dies is to replace the die locking ring/ nut with one that will not move so adjustments stay put once set. RCBS locking rings are great as they have a brass setscrew and that doesn't mar the die body when you tighten it in place. This will help by knowing things are set up the same every time.
G'Day
Are you finishing up your loading with a taper crimp die? I load all sorts of 9mm and use it in a buzz gun and have no push back with any brass. You have to be careful when you set it as to much crimp is not good. One suggestion with Lee dies is to replace the die locking ring/ nut with one that will not move so adjustments stay put once set. RCBS locking rings are great as they have a brass setscrew and that doesn't mar the die body when you tighten it in place. This will help by knowing things are set up the same every time.
G'Day
Shrinkmd
Member
I've been sorting my brass by headstamp because I'm shooting it in a target pistol and want "the best" ammo for practice I can make. And I am shooting lead, 125 lrn over Bullseye 3.5gr. Like a big overgrown 22lr, great fun.
I guess I should sort through the F.C. cases and recycle them.
I usually separate into the major brands. I have WIN, R-P, Speer/CCI/Blazer (keep them all together), CBC, FC, some Starline, and then a big container of "Other." The other has the PMC, S&B, GECO, and anything which looks crimped. Once of these days I will readjust the Dillon swager from rifle to pistol, and then run this container through to ensure the pockets are ok. That project is on the "someday" pile...
Innovative
Member
Shrinkmd .....
If you want a target pistol to perform, you definitely need to sort your brass by headstamp. That alone will cut your groups by at least 20%.
If you want a target pistol to perform, you definitely need to sort your brass by headstamp. That alone will cut your groups by at least 20%.
tightgroup tiger
Member
After reading all the post here I decided to offer the way I sort my 9mm range brass.
You can take it for what it's worth and it is a pain in the ass to do this but you have to sort your range brass anyways.
I clean all my new range brass first to keep the dirt out of my resizing die. I take all the dies out of my LNL-AP and run only the re-sizing die to resize and punch primers.
I then put my neck sizing die in a single stage press and do the neck sizing there, I sort my brass by neck tension, you can feel this very easily with a single stage.
I pull out the one that no effort to neck size, and put them in a different container.
I only need to do this once when I first get the range brass and after that I don't have to worry about just loading them in a progressive, the way I should be able to do.
By the way, this problem isn't just with Federal 9mm. I have also found very loose neck tension on every brand of case I've seen so far including win, PMC, S&B, WWC, Blazer, and some brands I think of right now.
But Fed is definately the biggest offender. When I done with this sorting method I will sort out the loose tension cases to see who made them. Fed will be half the container, the rest are a various mix of brands.
I don't throw them away, I just load these seperately on my SS so I can keep a better eye on them.
I didn't know about the .fc. brass problem but this method I use gets them all no matter who made them.
Like I said, it is a pain in the ass to do, but I get a much better "sort" this way and a lot of piece of mind.
You can take it for what it's worth and it is a pain in the ass to do this but you have to sort your range brass anyways.
I clean all my new range brass first to keep the dirt out of my resizing die. I take all the dies out of my LNL-AP and run only the re-sizing die to resize and punch primers.
I then put my neck sizing die in a single stage press and do the neck sizing there, I sort my brass by neck tension, you can feel this very easily with a single stage.
I pull out the one that no effort to neck size, and put them in a different container.
I only need to do this once when I first get the range brass and after that I don't have to worry about just loading them in a progressive, the way I should be able to do.
By the way, this problem isn't just with Federal 9mm. I have also found very loose neck tension on every brand of case I've seen so far including win, PMC, S&B, WWC, Blazer, and some brands I think of right now.
But Fed is definately the biggest offender. When I done with this sorting method I will sort out the loose tension cases to see who made them. Fed will be half the container, the rest are a various mix of brands.
I don't throw them away, I just load these seperately on my SS so I can keep a better eye on them.
I didn't know about the .fc. brass problem but this method I use gets them all no matter who made them.
Like I said, it is a pain in the ass to do, but I get a much better "sort" this way and a lot of piece of mind.
Shrinkmd
Member
Why are the companies doing this? To make it harder to reload? Don't all cases have to fall within a certain spec?
I guess it's Starline time now that I have the BUBCA, won't lose 'em anymore...
I guess it's Starline time now that I have the BUBCA, won't lose 'em anymore...
Shrinkmd
Member
I just reloaded some FC and .FC. which I ran through my 952. The regular FC went through the sizer like butter, and the others stuck a little, but nothing like when they went through the first time. I guess the Redding 9mm carbide sizer reaches down a little to get it a little more into shape.
Innovative
Member
Cases can bulge when fired in a chamber that doesn't fully support the case. Those cases are often much harder to resize, but they will resize easily after that.
The problem with FC's new brass is not bulging. It is an out of spec case head.
Old FC measures .386".
Dot FC Dot measures .388"-.389"
FC Dot measures .387"-.388"
New FC without dots measures .387"-.388"
Redding dies are on the tight side. Dot FC Dot binds in mine.
Old FC measures .386".
Dot FC Dot measures .388"-.389"
FC Dot measures .387"-.388"
New FC without dots measures .387"-.388"
Redding dies are on the tight side. Dot FC Dot binds in mine.
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