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Need 9mm case length advice.

7K views 26 replies 14 participants last post by  MPistone 
#1 ·
Hello to the Firearms Forum -

My name is Lloyd Sullivan and I am very new to reloading. I am going to order a Hornady LnL AP press thanks to the FANTASTIC videos that 76Highboy produced. Thank you for your efforts, they are much appreciated. I have read everything I can get my hands on and watched every video I can find. I do not even want to set up a press until I am confident that I am at least in reloading survival mode. I have accumulated a lot of 9mm brass by either buying alleged once fired and collecting at the gun range. I am finding that I have case lengths that range from .737 to .759. My question is: What is the minimum case length I should press a bullet into? My gut instinct is saying at least .745. I have read opinions that say case length doesn't matter, and COL is the only thing to consider. I have 1000 rds. of 125 g. JHP from Precision Delta. Please advise me on these bullets too. I would like to start off with good habits and advice from knowledgeable re-loaders.

Thank you in advance
Lloyd Sullivan
 
#2 ·
The manuals from the bullet manufacturers all list a trim-to length and a maximum case length. You will get a Hornady manual with the press. You can also get case length gauges that will give you a go-no-go maximum length.
 
#8 ·
Case "trim to length" makes sense. My Hornady Manual says that is .749 and most of my brass is between .743 and .751. After it is de-capped and resized I will measure them again and have a better handle on my inventory. I have been shooting American Eagle and Blazer Brass from Bulk Ammo.com and best I can measure the unfired cartridges, NONE of them come up to .749 on the brass length. Is it ok to use these?

Lloyd
 
#11 · (Edited)
I think you are doing right by clarifying that which you are unsure. Certainly one of the most interesting threads for me in this forum is when new reloaders surface with questions. Lloyd what matters most is that your brass does not surpass the maximum length. To be honest I gave up measuring and worrying about the topic after trying thousands of cases to find one in 9mm or .45acp that has ever gone beyond spec.

Welcome to the forum!
 
#12 ·
Welcome aboard Lloyd! And welcome to the world of reloading. I started out well over 30 years ago reloading pistol ammo. To this day I have never checked a pistol case for length. If it fits, shoot it. I can't think of a single straight wall case that needs this kind of attention. Rifles, yes, but that's a whole nother deal! I have pistol cases that I've reloaded an uncounted number of times. I just keep recycling them till they split, crack, or come apart in a manner that I can't use them any more.
 
#13 ·
My rule of thumb is only reload brass from known reputable companies, like Winchester, Remington, Federal, Starline. I avoid range brass unless I personally observe it to be once fired or obviously in excellent shape. You cannot reload any aluminum or steel cases. You can only reload Boxer primed ammo. When looking down inside the cases you should only see a central single primer hole NOT twin holes which is Berdan primed and should be sent to a brass salvager or discarded. It can not be reload with an American tooling readily available in the USA.

The problem with foreign brass is it is not uncommon to find it in non-standard lengths, Berdan primed, or with some other attribute that makes reloading it not practical. Of course there are exceptions.

In general, the case length is somewhat critical because the case stops seating in the chamber on the front edge of the case. Too long of a case and the breech may be left standing open where gases can escape onto you from a split case that was not adequately supported in the chamber. Too short and the primer may not be able to be reached by the firing pin in firing. That being said, I have never had to trim any semi-auto center fire handgun brass. But again I only use the brass as stated above.

LDBennett
 
#14 ·
Everyone else has pretty much answered your question. There is not really anything I can add but I will just make the comment that like a couple of the other folks have stated, I have never ever trimmed a straight walled pistol case.

I do reload aluminium and steel cases if they are boxer primed.

I will also add welcome to The Firearm Forum!!
 
#15 ·
Thank you to all that replied to my question. I hope that someday I will be knowledgeable enough to repay the kindness I have seen so far. I think my question has been answered and do not want to take up valuable time and forum resources beating this to death. I am sure I will have more Noobie questions that will do that. Again, Thank You.

Lloyd
 
#20 ·
Ain't no body here concerned about how many questions you ask. And we ain't concerned about forum resources either. You're a member here now, so hold up your end, join in the conversations!:D
 
#16 ·
Welcome Lloyd.
Not much that I can. I'm another one that has never trimmed 9mm brass. I do trim my rimmed cartridge brass, but that's a different subject.
I like that you're asking first. It's good to get as much info as possible first. When in doubt, ask.
 
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#17 ·
Don't worry about is Lloyd we have all been there buddy.
It's better to ask if you are not sure. The general consensus is that pistol brass does not stretch out like bottle necked rifle brass does and that max COL is the thing to watch out for.
If your loaded ammo fits in the magazine, you should be fine.
 
#19 ·
Welcome Lloyd to the TFF! I'm a relatively new member myself, just over 1 year. I've been loading on my LNL press just over a year and have loaded several thousand rounds from it (I loaded on a single stage press prior). I could not be happier with my LNL AP and I'm sure you will too.

The experts have given great advice but I'll add one thing that I think you could benefit from and that is case gauge such as a Wilson (link below). Once you have a completed round, drop it in the gauge to ensure it fully seats without any assistance from you. This will ensure you have adequate crimp and that the bullet is seated squarely. You can also do the plunk test in your barrel to check the C.O.L. (O.A.L.), but the Wilson gauge has tighter tolerances and will detect issues before your barrel will--at least that has been my experience.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/568957/le-wilson-case-length-gage-9mm-luger?cm_vc=ProductFinding

Don't pay any attention to skewed 3 star rating from the 4 reviewers on the 9mm tool. If you search all case gauges, they have a 4.5 or 5 star rating:

http://www.midwayusa.com/find?userSearchQuery=wilson+case+gauge
 
#21 ·
my humble suggestion is to go with a 7 hole chamber checker like this

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/588060/egw-7-hole-chamber-checker-max-cartridge-gage-9mm-luger


When I load a batch of 9mm, after a visual inspection, I drop them all into this 7 hole chamber tool. If they fit flush they pass and go in the box.

I have caught a few that have a bulge that didn't get completly taken out or a rim that was damaged by an agressive ejector that kept the round from dropping in.
 
#23 ·
my humble suggestion is to go with a 7 hole chamber checker like this

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/588060/egw-7-hole-chamber-checker-max-cartridge-gage-9mm-luger


When I load a batch of 9mm, after a visual inspection, I drop them all into this 7 hole chamber tool. If they fit flush they pass and go in the box.

I have caught a few that have a bulge that didn't get completly taken out or a rim that was damaged by an agressive ejector that kept the round from dropping in.
Hmmm, I wasn't aware of a 7 hole case gauge.
 
#25 ·
While a case gauge/chamber checker is a wonderful tool it does not check for oal/col, you will need to check that in our own barrel. Every bullet and barrel will require a different oal, unless you load very short. (Which I won't recommend with 9mm)
Once you have found the correct oal the case gauge is all you need, however most are tighter than your gun's chamber. If they fail the case gauge they may still chamber and fire in your pistol.

Plunk test: Drop a (re)loaded round in the barrel, you should hear a "plunk" and you should be able to spin the case freely. If you can't do both the bullet is jammed against the lands and grooves of the barrel which can cause pressure spikes and failure to fire.
For 9mm I would use the longest OAL you can achieve, regardless of what the manual tells you.
(It is pretty rare to find an exact copy of the components you use in the manuals anyway)
 
#26 ·
I have been told that you need case length to all be the same length to get the same crimp with a tampered crimp die which makes sense to me , A long case will give a tighter crimp than a short case which gives a variation in pressure. Is this right ,especially when you have your crimp dye set to a certain crimp!
 
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