tools needed for 9mm cases?

[9mill]

what tools will I need for 9mm cases- I have calipers already. but thats it. I think I read you don't need to trim 9mm cases is that true? do i just need a chamfer- deburrering tool and can the chamfer be used for the primer pocket if needed? I will be reading reloading books as many of you suggested, but the library is closed this week. thanks for the tips

[xfer42]

For 9mm, nothing. Clean 'em then load 'em.
I drop mine in the tumbler first. From there, I put them in the hopper on the reloading press and start cranking. I set it up so everything is done in one crank (decapping/Resize,Prime,Expand/Powderdrop,bullet seat,crimp).

[Waldog]

You already have the PRIMARY tool; a good set of calipers. You won't need to trim 9mm cases and a chamfer/deburring tool is not necessary either. HOWEVER, if you try to reload military surplus brass, the primers are crimped in and the crimp needs to be removed before you can reload. A chamfer/deburring tool works for that as well.

With that said, don't bother with reloading MILSURP brass as there are literally BILLONS of free 9mm brass laying around most gun ranges. If you range scrounge your brass the best investment you can make is a good brass tumbler.

I have never trimmed a straight wall pistol case. And, I don't know of anyone who has. I'm speaking of 9mm, 40, 45acp, 38, 357mag, 44mag, etc . I don't know if the MONSTER mags need trimming or not; 480 S&W, 500 S&W.

[9mill]

I was just wondering if I don't start with a known length (of brass) wouldnt different lengths end up with different bullet seat depths and therefor different pressures? or is that fact to insignificant to worry about?

[Bill Steele]

The distance from the bottom of the case will be the same for a given OAL with a particular bullet type/weight, so the Min. OAL is the critical dimension for any given load.

I just did up a bunch of NATO brass I had shot earlier in December. The $2 Lee chamfer tool works fine. A couple of turns on the primer pocket and you have taken the crimp off and put a nice chamfer on the pocket. If you are going to do thousands of mil crimp brass, setting up a drill motor with a chamfer bit might ease the de-crimp job.

[9mill]

I understand now, what do you do to dings and gouges on the head and base of the cases? or a better question would be how do you know if they will present a problem? just experience?

[GeoffLinder]

If the cases are just a little dinged and have some extractor claw marks on the case head they are good to go. Dented case mouths will get fixed by the resizing die.

If the brass looks OK (no splits in case mouths or creases in side walls) then it's good to go. Inspect before tumbling to get rid of the total crap, then inspect again after tumbling to catch anything funky that was hidden by dirt and carbon.

No trimming or case mouth chamfering will be needed. Primer pockets will only need work done IF you have brass that had crimped in primers.

Bullet seating depth is not effected by anything but the bullet seating die. Different makes of brass may require different levels of force to seat the bullet due to case thickness variances but again, the seater die does the right job no matter what.

[Bill Steele]

If I have doubts about a particular case, I just chuck it.

On the mil crimp brass, if you are unsure which is or is not crimped. When you start setting primers, if you have a problem setting a primer, give it a chamfer and if it sets, those head stamps are likely the crimped ones. Pre-sorting those out before the primer setting operation will save you a lot of wasted/smashed primers. I do the de-crimp operation all in one set when I have enough to make sense time wise.

PS - Listen to Geoff above, he knows what he is talking about.

[Oceanbob]

it doesn't matter

I was just wondering if I don't start with a known length (of brass) wouldnt different lengths end up with different bullet seat depths and therefor different pressures? or is that fact to insignificant to worry about?

What matters is the Overall Length. You can use a case gauge to set up your press; once the seating die is set you're good to go.

I generally collect my dirty brass; dump them in the Dillon 500 vibrator bin for two hours; roll them in a basket to remove the media; dump them into the Case Hopper (case feeder)..deprime, resize and prime first pull, powder dump and bell case second pull, place bullet on case and seat bullet on third pull, the fourth pull crimps as needed. Into the bin it falls; into a range bag, to the range for firing...back to the vibrator....

No calipers needed except for setting up the initial depth. After that I use a case gauge from dillon every so often to double check.

[9mill]

thank you gentlemen

[sargenv]

I have had to trim 357 magnum brass and have loaded 10 mm brass so much that it too needed trimming.. I've since switched to using 40 S&W in the 10 mm (revolver) and 38's in the 357, so they will have to stretch a looooonnnng way for me to have to trim anything..

[zfields]

I like to keep a pocket cleaner handy for when there is some carbon in the pocket, thats all I use though.

[J-cat]

Others pretty much nailed it. You don't need any other tools for the 9 besides the calipers.

I wanna add, though, you should really pay attention to OAL when loading this cartrige. 9mm pistols vary from brand to brand and 9mm chambers also vary from brand to brand. What works in a Beretta may not work in a CZ.

Prioritize your oal in this order:

1. Your barrel- what OAL will your chamber accept? You don't want an OAL that jams the bullet into the rifling.

2. Your mag- what OAL will fit in your mag?

In some cases, especially when using TC profile bullets, long OAL's (1.125"+) will not chamber correctly. You will have to reduce the OAL and the powder charge.

The 1.169" maximum is intended for round nose profiles. JHP and TC should be loaded shorter. Generally, JHP RN profiles are loaded under 1.150", while JHP and FMJ TC profiles are loaded under 1.100".

What gun do you have?

[sequoia_nomad]

Your library has reloading books?!

[bohoki]

there is a small zone on all cases that do not get touched with the resizing die

if your gun causes a bulge in that area it will not be corrected

ive not run into that situation but its just something of which to be aware