What am I doing wrong

[Shooterjim]

I'm reloading 9mm ammo in my Hornady Lock-N-Load press. After loading about 30 or so rounds I go back and check them and I'm finding about a third of them have a bulge or something (see pictures).

All of the cases are prepped the same and run through the press without any setting changes between each round. Both pictures below are from the same run. Am I doing something wrong in the prep stage? Any ideas?

ThanksIMG_9942.jpg

[justMike]

The usual response to this question is to try to chamber the rounds in question. If they will chamber, then they will work in your firearm.
If they will not chamber then do a deeper look at what is going on. Hope that helps.

[4DSJW]

I will assume that you are using a taper crimp, not a roll crimp. If you are mistakenly using a roll crimp then that may be the problem. Have you measured your cases? If the case length varies too much that might be a problem. Also, are you setting the crimp die to just take out the bell on the case mouth? If you have set the crimp die too far down it is possible that you are deforming the brass and causing the bulge. This problem will be magnified by cases that are longer than the others. GL!

[Fastattack]

Just a WAG, but, I remember the famous "Glock Bulge" a long time ago which the sizing die couldn't fix. Are you using really old used brass from a Glock?

[ar15barrels]

I'm reloading 9mm ammo in my Hornady Lock-N-Load press. After loading about 30 or so rounds I go back and check them and I'm finding about a third of them have a bulge or something (see pictures).

All of the cases are prepped the same and run through the press without any setting changes between each round. Both pictures below are from the same run. Am I doing something wrong in the prep stage? Any ideas?

Take a sharpie marker and mark up the outsides of one of the rounds that won't fit your gauge.
Drop the marked-up round back in the gauge and press it in with finger pressure.
Then push it back out and look at where the sharpie has been rubbed off the case.
That will show you where the round is tight in the gauge.

Chamber gauges are usually made to Saami MINIMUM spec, but chambers in firearms are usually made bigger.
This means that its possible for ammo to fail gauging but still work just fine in your gun.
If the tight spot is just forward of the extractor groove on your case, then your cases were fired in a looser chamber and your sizing die is not sizing down far enough.
If you want to ensure that your rounds all fit the gauge (even though they may fit your gun just fine without fitting the gauge), consider purchasing a rollsizer.
A rollsizer will size the portions of the case that standard sizing dies do not reach.
Rollsizers fix bulged cases that were fired in unsupported chambers like glocks and 1911's.
Otherwise, start gauging your ammo with your gun's barrel instead of the bench gauge.

[G-forceJunkie]

Who cares if it doesnt fit a gauge. Pull your barrel out, see if the round drops and you can just tip it out. If it does, it will shoot fine. I have never in reloading and shooting 100k+ of 9mm found one that would not shoot out of any standard off the rack 9mm combat handgun when sized correctly, Even when there is a slight buldge from being shot out of a glock...6-8 times. If you have a fine target gun with a minimum spec target grade chamber, you will probably need to invest in a rollsizer.
Are you sure you are resizing them properly, it is not uncommon for beginners to not get the sizing die set right. Size a case and before you lift the handle, hole a flashlight behind the the press and look for the gap between the end of the die and the shell holder. There should be no gap. Even if you set your die up so that there is pressure on the shell holder when its empty, due to the press body stretching, you can see a gap once you size a case. Turn the die down more untill you don't get a gap.

[OLD-skool454#3]

SHERIDAN GAUGE. Once I used mine for the first time I was able to see where my brass was bad before sizing, if I was not sizing properly, if I was belling too much, if crimped to little, if I hadn't sized my bulled accordingly. I also purchased the LEE die, but the SHERIDAN gauge was my fix.

[newbie1234]

....
gauging your ammo with your gun's barrel instead of the bench gauge.

THIS . ^^^^^^
If it fit the barrel (chamber) then it shoot.
If you around Long Beach area, have two difference brands of 9mm gauge so you can compare to your gauge.

[bruce381]

I will assume that you are using a taper crimp, not a roll crimp. If you are mistakenly using a roll crimp then that may be the problem. Have you measured your cases? If the case length varies too much that might be a problem. Also, are you setting the crimp die to just take out the bell on the case mouth? If you have set the crimp die too far down it is possible that you are deforming the brass and causing the bulge. This problem will be magnified by cases that are longer than the others. GL!

yep check that out

[broadside]

If you can force it into the gauge with your thumb it will chamber fine and shoot fine. If it drops into your barrel it will be fine.

The issue could be with your pulling of the lever and not making it to the point it cams over on the down stroke (ram up) for some reason and you are not getting the brass fully sized, or the sizing dies is not low enough.

[BigBronco]

Dies for progressive presses have a tapered entry. That is they do not resize all the way to the shell plate. Combine that with the fact the shell plate restricts the die for about 1/16" from fully resizing. Combine these two and you do not resize about 1/8" of the case. If there is glock bulge your issue is there. As stated by others if it drops in to the chamber you have no issue to be concerned with.

I refuse to buy another gun with unsupported chambers. Had a Kimber go Kaboom with loads that were fine in a fully supported chamber. The case blew out in the unsupported area.

[BigBronco]

Dies for progressive presses have a tapered entry. That is they do not resize all the way to the shell plate. Combine that with the fact the shell plate restricts the die for about 1/16" from fully resizing. Combine these two and you do not resize about 1/8" of the case. If there is glock bulge your issue is there. As stated by others if it drops in to the chamber you have no issue to be concerned with.

I refuse to buy another gun with unsupported chambers. Had a Kimber go Kaboom with loads that were fine in a fully supported chamber. The case blew out in the unsupported area.

[Sandspider500]

Using cast bullet's?

RP brass sucks. Most foreign brass sucks.

Use blazer, fc, pmc, Winchester is borderline.

[MSMRO0722]

All you have to do is buy a Lee Factory crimp die. Just screw in the die til it just hits your shell holder. It resizes your loaded round and you'll be good to go.

[Corbin Dallas]

Show us an image of the whole cartridge that doesn’t fit please.