Need Help with my Reloads

[TEX1966]

My friend and I just did a run of cast bullets that he made and had the same problem. We did it at his house and he did not have a manual that showed the COL. We ended up loading 10 rds to the COL of some factory rounds he had and they would not fire in his Hi Power. They would not chamber and it was a pain it the *** to retract the slide as the bullet was wedging in the barrel. I got the right COL when I got home and we loaded the second 10 rounds the next day and they worked perfectly. Loaded 500 more and all worked fine. These were from a Lee mold (I think) and were not sized.

[scrat]

were they even lubed. Regardless of how good you think your mold is i always size and lube the bullets. Cast bullets need to be lubed otherwise your going to lead the bullet. Sizing them or running them through a sizer will ensure round uniform and correct size. its very important to do this.

[Turbinator]

Just want to ask this, usually the chambering problems I have center around brass not getting fully resized, or overworked bulged brass that needs to get tossed out. Does anyone think it's a brass sizing issue more so than the bullet diameter?

Turby

[TEX1966]

They were lubed.

[gunboat]

My guess - good as any - is the the cast bullet is not seated deep enough --

[Air]

Update:

I purchased some Sierra FMJ 115 grainers, made a few dummy rounds, and they chamber and extract just fine. I tried again with the Cast 125 grainers from Missouri Bullet Company, and they still lock up the action. Tried to seat them deeper, and they came in under the Minimum OAL.

I found an old thread on THR and a guy with a CZ had the same trouble with the Missouri Bullets in his CZ, but they work fine in his other 9mm?

Anybody interested in looking at a few samples of these Missouri Cast Bullets? I'll mail them to you.

[Ninja45]

Hi, Air.

By any chance, are you using Amerc brass? They are known to jam and are a reloader's nightmare.

I have a CZ-PO1 9mm pistol, I do reload for it (Dillon 550), and I use Lee FCD also. Send me a few sample and I will give it a try and give you a range report.

PM on the way!

Ninja45

[gunboat]

Maybe I am missing something, but where did this minimum overall length number come from ? Maximum length yes, but that can be different for each bullet configuration. Magazine often determines max OA --For example a cone shaped nose bullet may be 1/8" longer than a round nose, will chamber ok, but not work thru the mag --

[bowfin]

Do you have a pair of calipers to measure the overall length (OAL) of the cartridge?

I'm betting that your OAL is too long for the bullet you are using. Try knocking it down by .020" and see if that makes a difference.

Remember, a chamber dimensions are not the same as the dimensions of the bore and lands. I doubt that the bullets being .356" are the problem.

[ar15barrels]

I doubt that the bullets being .356" are the problem.

Don't doubt that.
Doubt the bullets only being 0.356".