9mm crimp

My point about the bell is that if you see a pronounced "bell", the resizing die is opening the case too much - there shouldn't be a visible bell on a 9mm - just look straight-sided. A lot of people don't realize the case is tapered normally - its not straight sided (and one of the reasons why you see powder burns frequently around the case mouth of 9mm - flashback on the mouth as it begins to move back in the chamber). I find 9mm a pain to reload because of the taper. In my turret press its a nuisance to resize - takes too much pressure. I decap 9mm (well, all my calibres, actually) in a Lee hand press with the resizer, because it applies more force and is faster. The rest I decap with the universal decapper, into the tumbler, and then turret loading goes quite quickly.

To help Skhunter understand roll vs taper crimping - have a look down into the chamber of the 9mm - you'll see a tiny "rim" down in the chamber. Its this "rim" that the case mouth must properly butt up against for proper headspacing of a rimless cartridge. If the case mouth is "rolled" like is done for a revolver cartridge, the case mouth could actually ride past the "rim", resulted in the cartridge more deeply seated in the chamber than designed, resulting in a potentially dangerous overpressure condition. Taper crimping is intended to hold the bullet and restore the case mouth to proper geometry for the chamber. This why the case mouth on rimless cartridges must be treated with respect. If they're overworked in the press they eventually become brittle and may fail when the cartridge is slammed home by the slide. Not good.
Roll crimping is done to hold the bullets from creeping forward under the inertial shock of the gun firing, since revolver chambers and magazines are one and the same. The roll actually bites the bullet and many revolver bullets have a cannelure (indented ring) for the purpose. Think inertial hammer - that what happens to your bullets in a revolver cylinder if there's nothing to hold them back.
 
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Ah, I see your situation. I have the Dillon 550 and of course with the leaverage the tapered case is a none issue. New loaders and I think we have got our point across, reallly have to know what we have both been saying to taper crimp the round and leave it at that. I have reloaded thousands of 9MM with nary a problem or thought. The round, in a prgressive press is quite easy to reload and virtually impossible to double charge given the case volume. I have used 231 to reload the 9MM with good results but do prefer Unique under my lead cast boolits. 4.7 gr works well in all my guns and makes IDPA PF. My 9MM in the 1911 design are much stronger than the HiPower/CZ85 and for the two 1911's I own in this caliber I have used a Stephen Camp load of 6 gr of Unique under FMJ and Jacketed SP boolits with good sucess. This is a compressed poweder charge and not recommended for lighter 9MM guns. Mr. Camp told me he has used it in his HiPowers but only with a much heavier recoil spring and not often.

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The Lee turret handles 9 ok, it just more work than it has to be, as its a relatively short lever moment on the press. Straight sided cases like 40 are no problem. If I shot more, a progressive would eventually make sense. I've actually been surprised at how versatile the Lee hand press has turned out to be. Picked one up in new condition off Ebay for cheap and use it for all sorts of times when I don't want to be bothered working in the basement on the turret. If I'm off somewhere with my trailer I can throw the handpress and my die box and cases and powder in the truck and throw something together out in the middle of nowhere. Creates a bit of buzz in campgrounds when people want to know what I'm doing - "makin' bullets, problem with that?" ;) :) :)

I thought it was important that Skhunter understood the concept of headspacing off the mouth, and the relationship that has to crimping.
 
When using your hand press does lubing the cases help or is it mor trouble than what it is worth? Another suggestion for our reloading friend would be to read up on the cartridge via the net. There are some great sources of info out there for the reloader and when loading a new cartridge it is worht while to read about the round sometimes. I have an unlimited source of 9MM brass so I reload them once than toss them in the recycle bin. Kind of a waste really except what I get for the brass funds some of my shooting...and I mean only some.

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I never lube pistol brass, and yes you have to lube rifle brass, particularly necked cartridges. I do use WD40 to keep the dies from rusting, but wipe it off before loading. Some of the silicone in the WD40 stays behind to lubricate a bit, I suppose. The advantage to the handpress is both arms work the action, so you can lean into it more. I do use clean brass - I don't decap any in the turret - the brass is clean before it gets there. In the case of 9mm - I may tumble it before decapping because I'm resizing as well as decapping, and then tumble again after to clean out the pockets, before the press. The rest just get decapped, then tumbled. Resizing is done in the turret during reloading for 40S&W and 38spl, the other two I'm currently loading. I prime in a separate operation as well, so that I build up a supply of primed, clean brass ready to load as I need. While not as efficient as sitting down and babysitting a progressive, it makes better use of my time - I can decap, prime while sitting in front of the tube, then when I need to - go to the press and make complete cartridges.
 
Some of the boys on the 1911 forum report using a Lee lube product before sizing to make the cases run easier through their presses. I don't bother as it just adds to the process. To each his own on the reloading thing. When it comes to rekoading pistol I just wind the old progressive up and turn out my rounds, for me it works and is so much faster. If I am developing a new load then I weigh each rounds load. Rilfe rounds, because I am not in any great hurray and volume is not so important get treated the same way. Extruded powders run through my Dillon measure just ok and I am more particular about rifle over pistol unless I am loading hotter rounds then I prefer to weight wach one. The latter does not happen often.

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