Reloading 9mm with Hornady Dies

[TNMTBik3r]

I am new to reloading pistol calibers, and have a bit of an issue with loading 9mm using the Hornady New Dimension die set. Part number is 546515, I did not realize before purchase that the seater/crimp die is a roll crimp - not a taper crimp.

My issue is that I loaded a handful of rounds, and dropped them in my 9mm barrel to check fit - they would only chamber about halfway. I grabbed some factory loads and used my calipers to verify I was within .002 inches on all measurements. The factory load seat all the way and drop out when the barrel is inverted.
This was before I realized I had a roll crimp die and that a taper should be used, but I began adjusting the crimp and was able to get the rounds to fully chamber to the same depth as a factory round. However my reloads do not drop out when the barrel is inverted.

I read some articles late last night and plan on picking up a Lee factory crimp die next pay period, but in the meantime want to see if it would be safe to shoot my reloads since they do chamber to the correct depth? I am using 4.0 grains of Titegroup if it matters.

One article I read did appear (my understanding of the article) to say that a light roll crimp would work for 9mm reloads and the issue I am experiencing may be caused by over expanding the case? I plan on trying a couple of cases with less of a bell to see if it will make a difference, but would appreciate any advice or thoughts. Thanks!


My .40s&w RCBS dies are the taper crimp and no issues there.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Setback prevention is AFAIK the only reason 9mm needs any crimp at all. I am not an expert, but will take a new-loaded round and push it against the side of the workbench pretty hard to make sure the bullet won't push into the case. I adjust the crimp so I only can see the barest shiny line around the case mouth, and only if there seems a setback possibility will I gradually add slight crimp until the bullet is tight enough to resist setback.

In addition, I bell such a small amount that if a case is a tiny bit short the bullet won't always sit straight up on the case, and i have to hold onto the bullet and guide it up into the seating die to keep it from falling off before it gets seated. Just enough bell to avoid shaving lead off the bullet. That usually gets the bullet tight enough that the crimp merely has to remove the tiny amount of bell.

My loads always slide real loose in and out of the chamber, but maybe my dillon size die sizes a little smaller than average, and some size dies don't squeeze the cases quite as small, dunno. Edited April 23, 2013 by Lester Weevils

[TNMTBik3r]

I am using Rainier bullets and they dropped into the mouth of the case fairly easy but not deeply. I think I may be onto something with trying a few cases that are belled less....
I agree on why the crimp is required, and know a taper is recommended for semi autos but wasn't sure if it really made a difference as it should be a light crimp anyways.

[MarkInNashville]

If nothing else, you could contact Hornady, or whoever you bough them from and see if you can swap them for the correct die.

[Guest sL1k]

I had the same problem as you. I use the hornady to seat and a lee factory crimp to crimp now.

[TNMTBik3r]

Thank you everyone for the replies, I just spent 4 hours with a friend who has been reloading for over 30 years and we finally narrowed down the issue....It is my barrel. He was as stumped as I was for a while, we loaded some dummy rounds matching the crimp/seater die to the factory round and were unable to produce a round that would fully chamber and then fall free when the barrel was inverted.

 

We tested for a while, different brass and different die sets and finally he went inside and grabbed a couple of his 9mm barrels - all of our rounds fully chambered and would then drop free of the barrel. We measured the inside of the barrels and my 9mm barrel was a full 0.010 tighter than his barrels. Mine was as tight as .357 and his was .367 to .371.

The barrel does not appear to have any imperfections (it has been extremely accurate with about 800 factory rounds thorugh it), it is just extremely tight which I find to be very suprising for a $300 Smith & Wesson SD series that I purchased expecting to be a mid quality target pistol.

 

Since the rounds are now fully chambering, I am going to finish loading a batch and shoot them this weekend. Since these are fully seated and have the correct overall length there should not be any pressure issues, and I will just need to watch for extraction problems. I may go ahead and pick up a factory crimp or taper crimp die but at least I can load and shoot until then.

[chances R]

I have been using the Redding 9mm dies and am very satisfied with the results.  I usually seat and crimp separately, but the Redding die I have has worked very well.  What I have found with the jacketed bullets is that the resize is so small that the bullet simply cannot be pushed any deeper by accident.  In fact, when pulling the bullets there will be a definite mark at the seated depth and the surface of the bullet is somewhat scuffed.  The taper crimp is just enough to iron out the minimal bell at the mouth.

[Guest TN.Frank]

I've use the Hornady dies and I really like them. Especially the little projection that helps to guide the bullet into place with the seater/crimp die. For the life of me I could swear that they were using a taper crimp for their semi-auto die sets. Before you say it's the chamber of the gun check to see if you're getting marks on the bullet from the rifling. Could be you're having the same "issue" as MikeP was with his Lone Wolf barrel, i.e. not enough free bore ahead of the chamber so that the rifling is grabbing the bullets.
Also, Ditto on the amount of crimp you need, I find that just a little bit will do with a semi-auto case. Don't overdo it or you might stop the round from seating properly into the chamber since most semi-auto rounds head space on the case mouth.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I have been using the Redding 9mm dies and am very satisfied with the results.  I usually seat and crimp separately, but the Redding die I have has worked very well.  What I have found with the jacketed bullets is that the resize is so small that the bullet simply cannot be pushed any deeper by accident.  In fact, when pulling the bullets there will be a definite mark at the seated depth and the surface of the bullet is somewhat scuffed.  The taper crimp is just enough to iron out the minimal bell at the mouth.

 

Yep I don't load many calibers and dunno other equipment, but my 9mm reloads ALWAYS have a definite line in the case at the bottom of the bullet, with the case diameter smaller below the bullet. That's why I wondered if MAYBE some size dies don't size-down quite as aggressively as my dillon size die. But I'm not complaining, because the ammo works fine. Just that the case tends to hang onto a bullet pretty good if the bullet actually "expands" the brass when pressed in. With a noticeable expansion line below the bullet, that would seem to naturally resist setback to an extent, unless the brass is thin or weak? My only loose bullet issues have been with .380 that has a real thin-walled case.

 

I've never loaded anything for many years in 9mm except 124 gn Rainier plated soft lead (both HP and RN), 124 gn XTP HP, and 124 GN Rem JHP. They are all real close to .355, and all make similar "expansion lines" on the cases, even the soft lead Rainier. Well maybe I'm mis-remembering the Rainier, maybe some of those are .356.

 

I like the dillon loaded round size gages, and they are not very expensive. The gages are supposedly "minimum standard diameter" so unless a pistol chamber is smaller than minimum spec, if a loaded round fits in the gage, and the bullet doesn't poke out the far end, and the back of the case head-spaces flush at the back of the gage, it ought to fit in about any pistol. Though of course maybe OAL or shape of the bullet could affect feeding in some guns. And of course a bad-loaded round could fit the case gage great but still blow up a gun. :)

[bikertrash2001]

I used that same die set for my 9mm for a while. I ended up getting a Lee turret press and needing the powder through expander. I backed the crimp off the Hornady die so it wouldn't crimp. I ended up getting the Lee Taper crimp as well. 

[TNMTBik3r]

Thanks again for the replies and info.

I was able to get the dies set to where rounds will correctly chamber but do not fall out when the barrel is inverted. The bullet is not touching the rifling, in fact I seated a bullet so the overall length was under an inch and experience the same sticking in the chamber.

I am fully convinced my issue is just the tight chamber after measuring and comparing with a couple of other 9mm pistols. A 0.010 inch difference definitely can cause rounds to stick and not fall out freely. As long as these extract properly I am just going to continue to load and shoot.

Edit, forgot to mention I measured the bullets and verified they were .354 to .355 diameter - none hit .356. One of the first thoughts I had was the bullet size as the issue but that was quickly ruled out. The barrel wasn't even on my radar until I spent those hours working with my friend and compared his Glock and Ruger barrels to my Smith. Edited April 24, 2013 by jonathon1289

[chances R]

I would mark where my taper crimp is set and gradually increase the crimp to see if the round will fall out of the chamber.  I had this issue in my .45 and that was the solution.  That is how I set up my 9mm with good results.