Issues with first reloading session

Djsamphard

Djsamphard

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Hello All,

Today i had my first reloading session with a Lee Turret Classic Kit reloading 9mm. Wow so much frustrations.

1) I noticed after i tumbled the brass there was 1 small piece of media stuck in at least 50% of the cases. Every time i tried to deprime it, the lee deprimer die would not be able to take out the priimer and the pin would travel up. This happend pretty much with 85% the brass that had the media stuck in the primer pocket. PLEASE HELP ME FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.


2)The bullet seating die is also driving me crazy. I am using 124 grain copper plated round nose campro bullits and trying to achieve 1.20 OAL. The first 2-3 rounds i seat i am getting between 1.19-1.20. Then when i tighten the screw it starts giving me crazy numbers like 1.15. It jumps like crazy without me even moving the die.

3) I am also confused as to how to measure the crimp.
 
1. I use a universal depriving die to deprime before tumbling and the proper one after. Any media that survives the separator and a quick tap upside down goes into the primer catch. Maybe try some corset media.

2. Screwing down the die adjusts the crimp. The screw sets the depth,as you screw it in your seating deeper.

3. I just eyeball it and go by feel. Do you have any factory rounds to compare to?
 
Hey Bud,
If the decapper pin is moving up, you most likely don't have it tight enough. Use two wrenches, and tighten the nut holding the rod as tight as you can, I mean seriously tight. That will cure your first problem.
As for your seating depth issue, take one shell that is seated the correct depth. Set the die as per the instructions, but make sure the actual bullet seating knob is screwed well out.
Then run your shell (the one seated correctly) into the seating die. Now turn the die down until you feel it hit the shell. Lift the handle an inch or so, and screw the die down until it touches again. Now press the handle down, this should crimp your shell.
If you want more crimp, turn the die in slightly more.
Once you are happy with the crimp, lock the die in place.
Then run the shell back into the seating die, and turn down the seating knob until it hits the shell. Now both your crimp and seating should be good.
Hope that helps.
 
I don't reload 9 mm yet (been loading 375 Magnum, .45ACP, 308, and 30-06). My question to you is whether you've tightened the decapping pin when you received the die from the factory. Chances are some primers are seated tight that in order for the pin not to break, it is pushing the pin up through the collet.

Try to re-tighten the collet using two adjustable open wrenches.

As for seating the bullet, are you using a four die set? The factory crimp would be a better die to provide crimp to your 9mm reloads.

You can start with a light crimp by following the instructions provided on the die set. You can try chambering the finished round by removing the barrel from your pistol, dropping the round into the barrel. If you can hear a ker-plunk sound, the round has a good enough crimp to chamber properly. This is what I do with .45 ACP reloads.

More info on the plunk test - http://www.shootingtimes.com/reloading/reloading-tips-the-plunk-test/

Hope this helps.
 
As said above, tighten decapping pin firmly, it should not pop up when encountering anything except berdan primed brass.

For seat and crimp:

Take a resized piece of brass with no bullet and place it in the shell holder. Turn the seat stem way way out. Raise the ram completely. Adjust die until you feel the die body touch the case mouth. Lower ram a little and turn the die 1/8-1/2 of a turn more. Tighten lock ring. This sets the crimp, it should only be enough to remove the bell caused by the powder through expander die. More crimp is not better.

Adjust seating depth by placing a bullet on a case, raise ram, turn seat stem until you feel contact. Lower ram, turn stem, raise ram to seat bullet, measure. Repeat until you get the desired depth.

Good luck
 
As stated above, is it possible you are using military brass that is Berdan primed? Berdan brass has 2 holes off centre so our depriming dies won't work. Sounds like you are using a dry media which is ok but dirty and more time consuming than its worth. Try loading without it or go wet with pins to clean brass.
 
I just bought the lyman 1200 pro tumbler and it came with corn media.The issue is that the media is gets stuck in the primer pocket. This has happend to atleast 50% of the cases.When I try to deprime the case, the decapping pin is not able to push out the primer because of the stuck media. This causes the decapping pin to go up so it doesn't break. I have tightened the pin in their very tight but it still moves up if it hit's the media. It's as if the media becuse like a small pice of rock.
 
Just regular winchester brass.most of it is nickel plated. But I know for a fact they are not berden or steel.I let the brass tumble for 2 hours then remove all the media in the tumber. I try to shake out as much media from inside the brass. But a lot of them getting a small piece.of media stuck in the primer pocket.
 
You don't have a media separator? This may help you a lot in removing any stubborn stuck media.

Djsamphard said:
Just regular winchester brass.most of it is nickel plated. But I know for a fact they are not berden or steel.I let the brass tumble for 2 hours then remove all the media in the tumber. I try to shake out as much media from inside the brass. But a lot of them getting a small piece.of media stuck in the primer pocket.
Click to expand...
 
Hmmm could it be that you are not pushing the brass all the way into the shell holder that the decapping pin is hitting the bottom of the brass?

When you pick up the brass from the tumbled media, do you see any bits of corn media in the flash hole that you know this will cause the decap pin to get pushed out? How much corn media is stuck in the there?
 
Your experience is unusual I think. I use the same basic setup as you and have reloaded at least 10,000 9 mm without issue. Are you decapping before tumbling? I don't do this and don't see the benefit unless you are having primer seating issues. If your media is giving you problems, try something different (although I've used lots of Lyman corn cob media without a problem)...perhaps some crushed walnut.
 
I was using the red Lyman media, that stuff would stick to the cases like crazy and was a PITA.
I'm now using the green Lyman and it's like night and day .
I take all my cases out by hand, two at a time and tap them together, this removes all the media.
Still if a piece of media were stuck there, I think the decamping pin would push it through.

But when I put my rifle cases , back in the tumbler, to remove the lube, about half of them will have a piece of media ,stuck in the flash hole. I use a pick to remove it, and some of them is b I tch to poke out.
 
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