[laserdoc]

Ok,This is all new to me. I trimmed my cases to makarov size approx 17.86 mm.
I adjusted my seating die and did a dummy load. The lead bullet from Missouri bullets went in great. I do not see the lub ring. It measures 25.25mm length. I measured one of the mak 9x18 bullets from one of my store bought cases (Silver Bear) and it measures 24.87 mm.

Question. Do I need to seat my bullet deeper to match the silver bear at 24.87mm,,,or am I good.
This is the first time I have done any reloading so I'm geared up and ready to go

Also where do I find a chart on questions like this that would involve other loads like a 9mm and a .40SW,,,,or is there one ?

 

[Texxut]

All good reloading manuals will have the information you need. If you don't have one already, buy several and read them from cover to cover.
As for seating depth, that varies depending on the bullet and the loading data you are using. If you're loading a lead bullet, it may have a different seating depth than the Silver Bear, which I think is jacketed. Not the same.
Your best bet is a good manual. Lyman for lead and one of the others, Speer, Hornady etc for jacketed. You can't have too many.

 

[jim brady]

Doc - Tex is right about those overall loaded lengths. You can usually load a little less deep or deeper depending on the bullet shape and wieght, and a good manual should give you the best loaded length for the bullet you are useing.

Just a further bit of information. I started loading for the Makarov before data hit the manuals. A tip for you that you may or may not want to use is that 9X18 brass is still not all that easy to find, and I use nickel plated FC 9mm Luger brass trimmed to length and sized for my Makarov loads. I've loaded many, many hundreds of rounds doing this, and they work just fine. I use only Federal nickel plated brass because 1.) they are cheap and plentiful, and 2.) doing this makes it easy for me to keep the cases segregated from my regular 9mm Luger and .380 cases. Before the first firing your converted brass will have a slight 'ring' on the brass because it is a little smaller in diameter than standard 9X18 brass, but after firing it will fire-form to proper diameter.

 

[gdmoody]

Hold on a second - when you said you trimmed your cases to Makarov size, what exactly do you mean? Are you taking standard 9x19 (9mm) and cutting them down to 9X18 (Makarov) length? What are you shooting your cut down/home made Makarov rounds in?

Please look at the two pictures I have attached. The first picture is a 115 grain 9mm bullet and the second picture is a 90 grain HP Makarov bullet. If you look at the number showing up on the caliper, you can see that there is a distinctive difference in the bullet diameter. Keep in mind that the 9mm bullet is lead which is about .001 larger than a jacketed bullet of the same weight.

If you are loading standard 9mm bullets in a cut down 9mm case you can cause problems. The chamber of the Makarov is slightly bigger than the 9mm chamber. The bore of the Makarov pistol is bigger than the bore of a 9mm pistol so if they even fired, the accuracy would probably be terrible.

Remember always, safety first, reloading IS rocket science on a small scale.

 

[laserdoc]

Taking regular federal 9mm target loads and using a Lee 9x18 trimmer in my drill with the ball trimmer and cut down about 200 cases. After I trimmed them they measured around the 17.86. I shoot CZ 82's,have 4 of them and a .40sw CZ and a 9mm cz. Guess I like CZ's
I'm loading Makarov
.365 Diameter
9mm Makarov
93 Grain RN
Brinell 18 lead bullets from Missouri bullets. I have been told good things about them and looked them up.
I have a hornady manual that came with my press and then I also have the ABC's of reloading. None had any info on lead bullets let alone the makarov.

 

[jim brady]

GD - perhaps I wasn't as clear as maybe I should have been. What I am saying is that I convert standard 9X19, 9mm Luger cases to 9X18 Makarov. Works like a charm, and I've fired these thru 2 different East German Makarovs. Many hundreds of these and never a hiccup. I trim them to length, chamfer the case mouths and then run thru a 9X18 expander die.

I am NOT saying to just trim a 9X19 case and load with .355 diameter bullets. I would imagine accuracy would be horrible.

Again, for the first loading, there will be a slight but definate swell of the case when I have expanded the case to hold that .364 - .365 Makarov bullet, but the case fire forms on the first firing and that swell is eliminated.

John Donnelly's 'The Handloader's Manual Of Cartridge Conversions', Page 904, also states that this may be done. He does say that some cases need to have the bases swaged to .386, but I've never found this necessary, not at least with the nickle plated FC brass that I use.

 

[gdmoody]

GD - perhaps I wasn't as clear as maybe I should have been. What I am saying is that I convert standard 9X19, 9mm Luger cases to 9X18 Makarov. Works like a charm, and I've fired these thru 2 different East German Makarovs. Many hundreds of these and never a hiccup. I trim them to length, chamfer the case mouths and then run thru a 9X18 expander die.

I am NOT saying to just trim a 9X19 case and load with .355 diameter bullets. I would imagine accuracy would be horrible.

Again, for the first loading, there will be a slight but definate swell of the case when I have expanded the case to hold that .364 - .365 Makarov bullet, but the case fire forms on the first firing and that swell is eliminated.

John Donnelly's 'The Handloader's Manual Of Cartridge Conversions', Page 904, also states that this may be done. He does say that some cases need to have the bases swaged to .386, but I've never found this necessary, not at least with the nickle plated FC brass that I use.

OK, thanks for the clarification. I was always afraid to try that, never thought it would work. I bought a bunch of boxer primed 9x18 brass a while back that I would not have done, if this thread had been posted a few months ago.