9mm brass very sticky in Lee resizing die

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Six Star

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I have always reloaded most of my pistol ammo except for 9mm, as not only was it relatively inexpensive ammo to buy, I never really owned a 9mm pistol for very long.
Anyway, now that I DO own a 9mm pistol again, I've started to reload 9mm. I'm finding that the brass is unusually "sticky" in my Lee carbide resizing die (the first stage of reloading on my progressive. It's very stiff when going into the die, and sticky coming out. I've cleaned the die in solvent and it looks very smooth and shiny inside. I may try some brass lube, but have never had to do this before with .40cal, .44, .38, .357, 45 Colt or .45ACP.
Is there a problem or is 9mm brass a little toughie to resize? :?
 
I don't what the issue might be. I have Lee Carbide 9mm dies and I haven't noticed anything with mine. I run 'em through the Pro 1000 dry too.

How is your brass length? (Just a wild stab at an answer.)
 
Was this brass fired in the pistol you have now? Could it be that it was fired in a pistol with a slightly sloppy chamber?
I do not load for pistol, but have found this in once fired rifle brass.
 
schick said:
I don't what the issue might be. I have Lee Carbide 9mm dies and I haven't noticed anything with mine. I run 'em through the Pro 1000 dry too.

How is your brass length? (Just a wild stab at an answer.)
Click to expand...

I just checked about a dozen pieces of brass at random, and they are all between .740" and .745", which is well under the max case length of .754"
I know that 9mmP brass is slightly tapered...I wonder if there might be either a problem with the chamber the brass was fired in, or even my new Lee carbide sizer die?
 
maynard said:
Was this brass fired in the pistol you have now? Could it be that it was fired in a pistol with a slightly sloppy chamber?
I do not load for pistol, but have found this in once fired rifle brass.
Click to expand...

I must confess I've had this "stash" of once-fired 9mm brass for so long I can't remember where I got it from. :oops: It wasn't fired from anything I own as I never kept my 9mm brass.
I think I'll go nuts and buy some new brass just to see if it is easier to resize...If I've still got the problem (and quite an effort is required to size it), then I'll get another die set.
Thanks for the thoughts, guys! :)
 
9mm brass

Is the brass dirty?

I run all my brass through my polisher before reloading and it really cuts down on friction, even with carbide dies.
 
Re: 9mm brass

willwagspal said:
Is the brass dirty?

I run all my brass through my polisher before reloading and it really cuts down on friction, even with carbide dies.
Click to expand...

I'm a tumbler fanatic. :lol: Yes, all of my brass is tumbled clean and polished.
I think that I'll probably have to use a tiny touch of my RCBS Case Lube on the 9mm brass. (thanks acrashb) It's not so much that the brass is very hard to resize, it's that my bullets are seating about .010" too long when I start loading quickly on my progressive, due to the resistance of the sizing die/brass.
I've had to run all the finished cartridges back through the bullet seating die/FCD die a second time to get them to 1.130"
 
maybe you've got some stuff that was run through an open bolt smg - that's stuff just doesn't resize well- i used to use it for my 9mm pistols ( came out of an uzi- my uzi) and always had problems with it- after a while it looked like it had a head like a 300 win mag- maybe just get some new brass and start over
 
Ya know...you've just jogged my memory. I got this stuff from a source that could well have been SMG-fired ammo... :oops:
Can't trust cops at all.. :lol:
Ok...I'm picking up some new brass.
 
Just lube every 3rd or 4th case and you won't have that problem. The tapered case and solid base make it more difficult to size than a straightwalled case like .45.
 
Just a thought here , it might not be the sizing that is hard but the primer that is hard to remove. Some 9mm ammo have primers that are crimped in a little tighter than others. To test this theory, remove the primers manually with a punch or something and then run them through the press.
 
I had a Lee 9mm sizing die with the same issue. Once I determined that the brass had not been 'GLOCKED' I took it to Higginsons (Lee Dealer) He replaced it on the spot with a brand new one.
 
Yah...I'm pretty sure this Lee resizing die has a problem. I had forgotten that I had about 50 or 60 once-fired 9mm brass from a previous range session with my Baby Eagle and a friend's 9mm, so I deprimed them separately and then ran them through the die...they were as stiff as hell to size. That's not normal.
I'm going to try sending the die to Lee for a replacement.
 
Don’t mean to hi jack the thread, but since this discussion is about 9mm and LEE dies I thought I'll squeeze a quick question in :p ; for 9mm are you guys using LEE Factory Crimp Die or just seat the bullet in?

Ps: I’ve got 9mm 3-die set.
 
I would try a bit of spay lube on the brass first to see if that helps. also load a couple of ones you have reized and go shot them from your gun and see how they resize. the brass could be SMG as you suggest or Glock Brass. also maybe see who else is loading 9 and see if you can try the brass in their die.
 
Six Star said:
schick said:
I don't what the issue might be. I have Lee Carbide 9mm dies and I haven't noticed anything with mine. I run 'em through the Pro 1000 dry too.

How is your brass length? (Just a wild stab at an answer.)
Click to expand...

I just checked about a dozen pieces of brass at random, and they are all between .740" and .745", which is well under the max case length of .754"
I know that 9mmP brass is slightly tapered...I wonder if there might be either a problem with the chamber the brass was fired in, or even my new Lee carbide sizer die?
Click to expand...

I think you will find that all 9mm brass is tapered, not just 9mm+p. Send the die back and Richard "will make it right". I hope you haven't had it for more than two years though. :oops:

Steve.
 
IM_Lugger said:
Don’t mean to hi jack the thread, but since this discussion is about 9mm and LEE dies I thought I'll squeeze a quick question in :p ; for 9mm are you guys using LEE Factory Crimp Die or just seat the bullet in?

Ps: I’ve got 9mm 3-die set.
Click to expand...

Lee's seating die has the crimp fonction, read the instruction come with the dies.



bylogic
 
IM_Luger

I had the same question...I also have the 3 die set.. the seating crimping die works fine for me. I always use the same bullet...but if you are using different types of bullets..then the FC die may a good time saver. Some guys seat thier bullets with the seating die then run them thru the carbide sizing die with the decapper removed.
 
IM_Lugger wrote:
Don’t mean to hi jack the thread, but since this discussion is about 9mm and LEE dies I thought I'll squeeze a quick question in ; for 9mm are you guys using LEE Factory Crimp Die or just seat the bullet in?

Ps: I’ve got 9mm 3-die set.


Lee's seating die has the crimp fonction, read the instruction come with the dies.



bylogic
Click to expand...
if the seating die worked that well why would they have the Factory crimp die? :wink:
 
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