9 MM issues

[Sparkola24]

The facts:
Loading Missouri Bullet Co 147 Lead flat nose on my RCBS progressive..for use in my Walther PPQ.

Issues:
1. was told 1.05 OAL..seems very short..1.10 -1.15 puts crimp on "natural" flat spot
2. crimp digs into lead(is it supposed to?), when I back out die..bullet spins
3. When I get a good size that does not spin, the gun wont cycle the round

Any ideas on this? need to get the right size, right crimp that cycles..PPQ has never had an issue with retail ammo.

Thanks.

[halifax]

What brand of sizing die are you using? Has it worked OK (no spin) with other bullets?

[Sparkola24]

RCBS dies..work fine with all revolver rounds..just started with 9mm.

[halifax]

Your RCBS dies are for 9mm with a taper crimp, right? Which revolver rounds are you talking about?

[Bill Steele]

I just re-read your OP and I am now confused. Does the bullet spin in the case when you don't crimp?

If so, you need to screw your sizing die down farther.

If putting the crimp on causes the bullet to loosen up enough to spin around, then you are crimping too much.

[Sparkola24]

When I unscrew the die some as you suggest and crimp..the bullet spins...if I screw the die down and crimp...it digs into the the lead.

[Bill Steele]

When I unscrew the die some as you suggest and crimp..the bullet spins...if I screw the die down and crimp...it digs into the the lead.

Will the bullet spin when you just seat it and have the die body unscrewed enough that it doesn't touch the belling on the case? (This is a test to determine if your sizing die is shrinking the case ID enough, that is, do you have enough neck tension just from the sizing die, taking the crimp step out of the picture.

In no case should you be crimping enough to be denting the lead, you only want to be slightly kissing the case mouth and nudging it back to straight, not really a crimp at all.

[Sparkola24]

I use the powder through expander at the second stage..it expands the mouth and gives the powder..then I have an open slot, then a powder check..I place the bullet in the mouth myself and in 1 stroke..the seat and crimp die pushes the bullet to the corect depth and then crimps it. It is a one step process. When I get the completed round..when the crimp is too light..the slug will spin. When the crimp is too heavy..the case mouth will dig into the lead.

[halifax]

The bullet should not be spinning even with out a crimp. Neck tension alone should not allow spinning. As Bill Steele said:

Will the bullet spin when you just seat it and have the die body unscrewed enough that it doesn't touch the belling on the case? (This is a test to determine if your sizing die is shrinking the case ID enough, that is, do you have enough neck tension just from the sizing die, taking the crimp step out of the picture.

Your sizing step or die might be the problem.

[Cheep]

Are you over expanding?

[Bill Steele]

OK, so it sounds like, as others have pointed out, either your sizer die is not sizing the case down enough or your expander is belling the case too much (basically undoing what your sizing die is supposed to do).

The first thing to do is make sure your sizing die is sizing the case sufficiently. Screw your sizer down so it is just a piece of paper's width from the shellholder when the ram is all the way up (or the shellplate if a progressive). This should assure you are sizing the case enough.

Next after belling, but before bullet seating, pull a case out and eyeball it. Make sure the bell in the case is just wide enough so the lead bullet sits inside the bell, the case should not bell out anymore than that, you just want to prevent shaving of the lead, no more.

As stated before, after all of this has been accomplished, the seater die needs to be adjusted so the crimp portion is just taking the bell back out of the case (i.e. returning the case to straight), no more than that. For sure, if a pulled bullet has any indention at all from the case mouth, you have crimped too far.

[Sparkola24]

Will give all that a try..thanks Bill and others!!

[J-cat]

Also, your first post implies you are not adjusting the seater plug correctly. You stated that when you screw the die in, the crimp increases but OAL decreases. This is true, but what you also need to do is back out the seater plug. Whenever you screw the die out (to reduce crimp) screw the seater plug in.

But first you need to figure out the max OAL for your gun. Make a dummy round. Adjust the seater die to only remove most of the the bell. Seat the bullet to mag length. See if it chambers. If not, reduce the OAL incrementally until it does. This is max OAL.

Now you have a round with the correct OAL, but an incorrect crimp. To adjust the crimp, back out the seater plug and screw the die in until you get an ever so slight crimp. Then, while the ram is up with the round in the die, screw the seater plug in until you feel it make contact with the bullet nose. Lock those settings.

With lead bullets it is easier to separate those steps, meaning it is easier to seat without crimping and crimp after seating. This way no lead is shaved.

[Sparkola24]

Followed all instructions and low and behold...I have cycling rounds that do NOT gauge the lead. Amazing what experiance can provide. Hence..while being from Missouri, you Cali's have more gun knowledge than anyone I have come across. Now if you guys can get your ***** together on your laws..who knows what could happen? Now for me..off tot he range with open holster carry and a side arm concealed..had to brag.

Thanks 1,000,000..