Slide wont go fully into battery ?

[tom357mag]

I just started to reload for my 9MM and the first 30 are no good. I took measurements all around and they all fall within the "spec's" in my Speer manual #11.

Here goes :

Factory Round = 115gr FMJ Independence - length = .556 , width = .353
Case mouth width = .374
Bottom of case width by rim = .387
OAL = 1.149

Reload #1 = 115gr LRN Missouri Bullet - length = .538 , width = .355
Case mouth width = .377
Bottom of case width by rim = .385
OAL = 1.148

Reload #2 = 115gr JHP Hornady - length = .540 , width = .353
Case mouth width = .377
Bottom of case width by rim = .387
OAL = 1.144

When I drop the rounds into my barrel the factory round drops right in no problem and with "a little" play.
Reload #1 the round does not go fully into the barrel and is very tight , the same as reload #2 but not as bad as #1.
Is it the width of the bullets or is it not sizing properly?
When I was at the range reload #1 - the slide did not go fully into battery and when I ejected the round the bullet pulled out of the brass and stayed in the barrel. Reload #2 was a little better but no where near the feel of the factory round.
What did I do wrong? My reloads for my .380 are perfect so I don't know what the problem could be. I also reload for my .308 , .38 , & .357 mag. I know that the perameters are stricter for the 9mm compared to the other but like I said no problems with my .380 reloads.
PLEASE HELP ME !!!!!!!!!!

 

[rcmodel]

Get a Magic Marker and color the ammo in question.

Take the barrel out of the gun.
Then force the round into the barrels chamber as far as it will go with thumb pressure.

Now, knock it back out using whatever means necessary.

Where the Marker is rubbed off is the problem.

Once you determine that, come back and post the results so someone can help you decide what needs to be done to correct it.


That a bullet stuck in the barrel and pulled out indicates you do not have proper neck tension.

Perhaps you don't have the sizing die screwed in far enough?
The 9mm is a tapered case, and will not fully size the case if the die is adjusted too far away from the shell holder.

Too adjust it properly:
Run the ram up.
Place a sheet of paper on top of the shell holder.
Screw the sizing die down tight.
Lock the lock ring.

That adjustment will insure full sizing, but will not break the insert on your carbide sizing die.

rc

 

[7.62 Nato]

The main difference I see in your ammo is the case mouth diameter. Try adjusting your die to crimp or at least remove the bell of the case mouth then post results.

 

[Steve C]

Two possibilities; one is that the belling of the case mouth hasn't been removed completely, the other is that the bullet is engaging the rifling before the round in completely chambered.

Solution for the first is to increase your crimp. Solution for the second is to reduce your OAL until the round chambers properly.

 

[tom357mag]

Ok , I put magic marker on both reloads and the rub marks on both are approx 1/8" on the bullet from the case mouth. I also checked my sizing die with the paper trick and it was also fine. No movement on the paper at all after the ram was in the fully upward position. I didn't mention that the rounds were crimped in a Lee FCD to factory specs with my calipers. :banghead:

 

[stork]

Sounds like your loads are too large in diameter at the junction of the bullet and the case.

Pick up a taper crimp die and use it to reduce the diameter at that point to .375-.374. I had the same problem with my 45 until a more experience reloader told me about taper crimping.

Until that point I only reloaded revolvers and centerfire rifles. Never had an issue with those.

FWIW

 

[rcmodel]

OAL = 1.149
OAL = 1.148
OAL = 1.144
the rub marks on both are approx 1/8" on the bullet from the case mouth

Well, it appears you just are seating too long for the bullets you have and they are jamming into the rifling leade.

Correct OAL for the Hornady 115 XTP is 1.050"
I can't say what it is for the MB, but it seems it is shorter then you are loading them.

Lyman 120 LRN is shown as 1.065".

At any rate, OAL must be based on exact bullet shape and full diameter bearing surface.
And unless you are loading 115gr mil-spec shaped FMJ bullets, it won't be 1.149", 1.148", or 1.144".

rc

 

[kludge]

^ that ^

A buddy of mine also ordered some of the 115gr LRN from Missouri and he had the same issue. A seating depth adjustment fixed it. I think he went to 1.100" IIRC, and the ogive radius on those bullets appear to be ~1 or so, so attention to the OAL is necessary to chamber.

 

[tom357mag]

Ok so if I am thinking about this the right way , I need to adjust the seating depth of the bullet so it fits into the barrel like a factory load? I don't have that much experiance in loading for autos. The only other auto I load for is my .380 so I must have gotten lucky out the box? I know the OAL MUST NOT exceed but how do you know how far to seat the bullet without going in to far?

 

[rcmodel]

Yes, the OAL must allow free & easy chambering with no bullet contact with the rifling leade.

Take the barrel out of the gun to your loading bench.
Seat a bullet, try it in the chamber, seat deeper, try it again.
You want the OAL to just be deep enough to allow complete chambering without bullet contact.

The "correct" depth for your gun depends on your gun.

Some guns are designed with very deep leades that will accept almost any bullet at any OAL within reason.
Others are chambered with mil-spec throats with FMJ-RN in mind, and will not.

I think you are not going to fully understand until you understand how much differance bullet shape has.

Set one of the XTP's next to a pulled bullet from one of your FMJ factory loads side by side.
Note how much longer the full diameter shank of the XTP is then the FMJ-RN?

That right there is what you are dealing with.

The FMJ-RN ogive breaks over right at the case mouth.
Seated to the same OAL, the XTP will have full dia bullet shank sticking way out of the case.

rc

 

[tom357mag]

OK , I think I know what I need to do now. I have to get it out of my brain that OAL doesn't neccessarily mean "this is it" , it simply means OAL to my gun. I also thought that once the seating die was set that it was set for "good" , that is not the case and that it is set to each kind of bullet. To all that chimed in I thank you and to you rcmodel thank you for your time and understanding in helping me with my problem.
Tom

 

[Roadkill]

This is just a little more to what has been said, but I have some 1960s Finnish 9mm. It ran perfectly in all my 9mms and drops feely in and out of the chambers. So I took a round of it, put in in the shell holder, ran it all the way up, then adjusted my 9mm die down until it was sung in the seater, then did the same for the sizing die. Has worked well for about ten years now.

 

[rcmodel]

That will only work if you are using the same bullet shape and profile as the Finnish 9mm.

Or you have very forgiving guns with very forgiving chamber leades.

Most of todays guns are not that loose in the leade.

rc