Headspace problems

cgizen

New member
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Location
Lake Country, BC
Newbie reloader here, started reloading some 9 mm last night and I'm having an issue with excessive headspace on only certain brass that I run through the resizing and decapping die. I have a whole bunch of once fired sellier and bellot that will not resize properly, when I drop it in my lyman headspace gauge they are just slightly above the top of the gauge. I ran some winchester brass and it reloaded beautifully, checked headspace after resizing and also after making a complete round and fits in the gauge awesome. I am stumped why the sellier and bellot brass would be giving me so much grief. I am reloading on a lee load master with hornady dies. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
 
Was all the problem 9mm brass fired in your pistol, or is some of it range pickup brass.

And I do not think you have a headspace problem, you have a case diameter problem, meaning the case body is springing back after sizing and is too fat to fit in the chamber.

Below is a 9mm that was resized with a Lee undersize die, this die reduces the case body diameter .002 to .003 and increases bullet grip.

Your existing 9mm die might be at the maximum manufacturing tolerance. and again I think it is a case diameter problem.

MfcwIQB.jpg


2fV4Ihi.jpg
 
Last edited:
use a set of good calipers to measure all dimensions of brass that fits and doesn't fit , including brass thickness, any variation , including bulge will show up.
 
S&B brass is thicker and the primer pockets are tighter. You can (and I have) load them successfully but I don't bother with anything other than the popular domestic brands (Remington, Winchester, Federal etc.). Does your sizing die make contact with the shellplate? How did you determine your OAL? Hopefully you didn't use the listed OAL's provided in data/manuals, always determine your own OAL. I doubt your firearm wouldn't go into battery because of the S&B brass alone. Load a few dummy rounds and plunk/spin them in your barrels.

P.S. It's usually best if you give us all your load details so we don't have to guess. e.g. 147gr CamPro over 3.6gr of Titegroup with an OAL of 1.09 and a .378 crimp.

P.P.S. You're not "headspacing" anything by checking a resized case in a gauge.

CZ-OAL.jpg


Determine-OAL.gif


[youtube]AyS9U90IcUc[/youtube]
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom