2 Pass 9mm Resizing Method - Maybe not Worth it, But it Works

[markr6754]

9mm Brass bulge problem suddenly appeared on my bench. I know others have experiencing a similar problem.

This thread has pictures.

Between my son and I we have 8 different 9mm pistols. Most recently, he added a Glock to our lineup, and while I don’t want to point any fingers, suddenly, I have 9mm sizing issues. I’m using a Lyman MSR 9mm die set, which replaced my 2 y/o Lee 9mm set which has eaten its last 9mm case. I’ve noticed that the Lyman die doesn’t get down far enough on the case to remove the slight bulge that I’m detecting in about 25% of my fired cases. G.F.L. is affected nearly 100% of the time, along with some Federal and most NATO cases.

The photos show: 1 - Fired case, deprimed, doesn’t pass case gauge. 2 - Setting case to resize in Lyman die. 3 - Sized case still doesn’t pass case gauge. 4 - Passing case through Lee Factory Crimp Die - guts removed. 5 - Case now passes case gauge.

I discovered this purely by accident this past weekend after I mistakenly mixed sized and unsized cases. I’ll leave the entire saga out, but suffice it to say I was able to save 300 Fiocchi cases using this process.

 

[sparkyv]

Problem resolved, markr6754. Nice solution; IMO, saving brass is "worth it". As for the cause, looks like you already know.

 

[DanK3Pos]

I've resized thousands of rounds with my Dillon dies and never had this problem. Range brass. If your resizing die doesn't resize, why not get one that does?

 

[egd]

If I've got this right you're saying the Lee fcd took the bulge out when you ran the case through it after your resizing die. Why not just use the fcd as intended to crimp and take care of the bulge all at the same time thereby eliminating that extra step?

 

[LUCKYDAWG13]

I've resized thousands of rounds with my Dillon dies and never had this problem. Range brass. If your resizing die doesn't resize, why not get one that does?

I use Lee dies and have also resized many Thousands too and never had this problem is it the dies or just how set up in the press ?

 

[LiveLife]

9mm Brass bulge problem ... 8 different 9mm pistols ... added a Glock ... suddenly, I have 9mm sizing issues.

Lyman MSR 9mm die set ... replaced ... Lee 9mm set ... Lyman die doesn’t get down far enough on the case to remove the slight bulge that I’m detecting in about 25% of my fired cases. G.F.L. is affected nearly 100% of the time, along with some Federal and most NATO cases.

So your 9mm brass bulge problem started when you changed from Lee resizing die?

Passing case through Lee Factory Crimp Die - guts removed

I thought this was not possible due to 9x19 Lee carbide sizer ring being tapered (Like 9mm tapered case). If you are "push through" resizing 9mm brass, you are really undersizing the case base area of brass.

Some have used 9x18 Makarov FCD successfully to "push through" resize the entire case as 9x18 Makarov is straight walled case.

I've resized thousands of rounds with my Dillon dies and never had this problem. Range brass. If your resizing die doesn't resize, why not get one that does?

I use Lee dies and have also resized many Thousands too and never had this problem is it the dies or just how set up in the press ?

I have found Lee carbide tapered sizer ring to reduce OD to smaller diameter further down the case base than other brand dies.

When I come across an overly expanded 9mm brass (Perhaps from 9mm Major loading) that is harder to resize, I will check it with the tightest chamber barrel I have and if it won't pass, I will resize it again but toss for recycle if brass fails after second resizing deeming the brass overly stretched (think "thinned" case wall).

 

[markr6754]

I've resized thousands of rounds with my Dillon dies and never had this problem. Range brass. If your resizing die doesn't resize, why not get one that does?

I may have edited too much, as it was already a long post. I resized over 3,000 cases in the past 3 weeks. This wasn’t range brass! It’s my brass. I shoot at an indoor range and between cases staying in the booth, and my Caldwell brass catcher, I recover 90% of my spent cases....unless it was my Kimber Micro 9, which throws the cases over the firing line.

I detected this problem while resizing in mass. With little else to do (these days) I’ve turned nearly all of my dirty, fired brass into clean, sized brass. I generally don’t check my cases after resizing, but I didn’t want to resize ALL of the brass I’d just cleaned after inadvertently mixing about 500 sized cases with about an equal amount of unsized cases.

Overall, this Lyman die set is head and shoulders above my original Lee set, especially the sizing die. It had no issue sizing 2,700 other cases. While I don’ t believe anything to be wrong with the Lyman die set, my Hornady dies have been my best overall, and I actually ordered a Hornady 9mm die set as a result of all of this.

I don’t want to run cases through 2 different sizing rings for them to move into my “Ready to Load” bins. But I’m pretty excited to have found a potential solution for SOME bulged 9mm cases.

 

[jmorris]

I don’t have problems with brass fired in glocks but some of our SMG’s require sizing below where a normal die/shell holder operation can get to.

I have an automated roll sizer for the job.

 

[PO2Hammer]

I have found Lee carbide tapered sizer ring to reduce OD to smaller diameter further down the case base than other brand dies.

That's my experience as well.

I've owned many Glock 9mms, and shot many range brass reloads, and never had a problem not gauging when using the Lee 9mm sizing die.

I don't like Lee's 9mm seater or crimp dies, swapped those out for Redding tools, but the sizing die is a good one.

 

[markr6754]

I use Lee dies and have also resized many Thousands too and never had this problem is it the dies or just how set up in the press ?

I noticed over a year ago that I was having a lot of issues sizing 9mm with my Lee die. I could always tell when I’d just ruined a case, just by the feel of the press arm. Most cases resize without Issue, but some headstamps seemed to flow brass right near the ejection groove...as if rather than smooth out a bulge, the die folded the brass down, leaving a solid ridge...visible and tactile, but doesn’t photograph well. Initially, I thought it was just crappy brass, almost always Blazer. But I have fully processed Blazer brass with my Lyman dieset.

I can detect nothing wrong with the Lee die. I’ve cleaned it every way I can think of...it still eats cases.

 

[LiveLife]

I noticed over a year ago that I was having a lot of issues sizing 9mm with my Lee die. I could always tell when I’d just ruined a case, just by the feel of the press arm. Most cases resize without Issue, but some headstamps seemed to flow brass right near the ejection groove...as if rather than smooth out a bulge, the die folded the brass down, leaving a solid ridge...visible and tactile

We had this discussion before on THR H&R and often offered Lee carbide sizer as the solution to sharp resizing mark/scratch caused by other dies/misalignment of die and shellplate as radiused Lee carbide sizer ring would better align the brass to guide the case mouth for smoother resizing of brass.

I can detect nothing wrong with the Lee die. I’ve cleaned it every way I can think of...it still eats cases.

Here's your past thread where you had issues with Lee carbide sizer and Walkalong suggested you check the bottom of carbide sizer ring but you did not reply back - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...lapsing-in-resizing-die.842078/#post-10936483

If the cause was the carbide sizer ring, I would think call to Lee customer service would have resolved the issue.

BTW, here's 9mm brass resized by Lee resizing die (I have several sets) that do not "flow" brass or leave resizing mark/scratch

And Walkalong's 9mm brass resized by Lee resizing die

 

[markr6754]

So your 9mm brass bulge problem started when you changed from Lee resizing die?

No...the brass bulge problem is brand new. I changed from my Lee resizing die when I grew tired of ruining too many cases.

I thought this was not possible due to 9x19 Lee carbide sizer ring being tapered (Like 9mm tapered case). If you are "push through" resizing 9mm brass, you are really undersizing the case base area of brass.

I’m not pushing the cases through...just running the brass through the bare FCD to get the sizing ring to the bottom of the bulged cases. It worked on 100% of my G.F.L., Blazer, Win, and RP cases, and a small percentage of NATO cases. I only “double sized” the cases that failed the case check after initial resizing...which was only a percentage of total cases, but seemed like all of the G.F.L. cases needed the FCD treatment.

Some have used 9x18 Makarov FCD successfully to "push through" resize the entire case as 9x18 Makarov is straight walled case.

I actually ordered the Lee Bulge Buster kit and the Lee Makarov FCD this weekend, along with a new Hornady 9mm die set. I’m using stimulus money, so it doesn’t feel like a waste. I’ve found quite a few posts on other boards of folks that have this same bulged 9mm issue, so everyone’s looking for creative ways to solve it....short of spending bucks on a roll sizer. Tempting, it well out of my budget.

I have found Lee carbide tapered sizer ring to reduce OD to smaller diameter further down the case base than other brand dies.

This may be the reason I’ve ruined so much 9mm brass in my Lee Sizing Die. I have ruined a few in a similar way on the Lyman die, but at less than a 10th the rate of the Lee die. I’ll have to dig out some cases from this weekend and try to post pics.

When I come across an overly expanded 9mm brass (Perhaps from 9mm Major loading) that is harder to resize, I will check it with the tightest chamber barrel I have and if it won't pass, I will resize it again but toss for recycle if brass fails after second resizing deeming the brass overly stretched (think "thinned" case wall).

This is what I’m doing,...in essence.

 

[LiveLife]

I’m not pushing the cases through...just running the brass through the bare FCD to get the sizing ring to the bottom of the bulged cases.

Got it.

I actually ordered the Lee Bulge Buster kit and the Lee Makarov FCD this weekend

Nice.

 

[ddc]

Just to make sure I understand what is going on here...
Both the Lee sizer and the FCD have a carbide sizing ring.
Apparently when your Lee sizer sizes a piece of glocked Blazer brass it can ruin the case but when you use an FCD (with guts removed) to size the brass it is successful?

 

[Texas10mm]

9mm brass is so inexpensive that I just trash what doesn't work.

I rarely come back from the club with over 400-500 extra pieces of 9mm brass.

 

[Jim Watson]

I just use the 9mm CFC die to touch up the sizing and taper crimp everything. That's easy to do in a progressive.
The only time I double handle 9mm is when I am loading 115 gr JHP to simulate my defense ammo. Then I pretreat it in a "U" die for better bullet pull on those short light slippery bullets. I don't put the "U" die in the Dillon because it increases the effort on the handle and I am not doing all that many hollow points.

 

[markr6754]

We had this discussion before on THR H&R and often offered Lee carbide sizer as the solution to sharp resizing mark/scratch caused by other dies/misalignment of die and shellplate as radiused Lee carbide sizer ring would better align the brass to guide the case mouth for smoother resizing of brass.

Here's your past thread where you had issues with Lee carbide sizer and Walkalong suggested you check the bottom of carbide sizer ring but you did not reply back - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...lapsing-in-resizing-die.842078/#post-10936483

If the cause was the carbide sizer ring, I would think call to Lee customer service would have resolved the issue.

BTW, here's 9mm brass resized by Lee resizing die (I have several sets) that do not "flow" brass or leave resizing mark/scratch

And Walkalong's 9mm brass resized by Lee resizing die

I have no excuse for not updating my original post. I checked the Lee die, I’ve pulled it, cleaned it, I’ve ran patches through it, hit it with a bronze brush. It is beautiful and shiny. When it sized MOST brass it did a fine job. Unlike my discovery of the G.F.L. cases, where the sizing problem was near 100% of the cases, the Lee issue is totally random, although it affects Blazer fairly often. I never called Lee because I’d built up nearly 2000 cleaned and sized cases that it became low priority...and I picked up the Lyman set after seeing how sweet and complete the .458 SOCOM set was. Once I saw how much less effort and zero issues (till now) I had with the Lyman dies, I installed them in my new Lyman turret and never looked back. I also saw that Lee was 1 year warranty on dies, and I was well past that, and half the cost to refurbish just wasn’t worth it to me at the time. I’m planning to give them to a friend that wants to learn to load 9mm, so I’ll refresh the dies and pass them to him.

Meanwhile, here is the latest death toll from Mr. Lee from this weekend. The problem is worse than ever, and affects numerous brands. None of these were bulged or suspected bad brass. Half of them were new fired S&B that sized with zero issue in the Lyman...not these, of course, their brothers.

 

[Rod47]

S&B maybe thicker or softer than other brands. I would try to measure the inside diameter of the carbide ring with a vernier. Wondering if the size ring was installed upside down.

 

[Rod47]

From your picture, I'm having a hard time seeing sny radius on the carbide. Looks like a bevel too me

 

[Dudedog]

I've resized thousands of rounds with my Dillon dies and never had this problem. Range brass. If your resizing die doesn't resize, why not get one that does?

Any "normal" sizing die even the"Blue" ones can only go down so far.

I don't know about GFL 9mm brass but their .223 brass is junk, flash holes of center, just low quality....
GFL stands for Good F%^&*ing Luck IMO

I have 1 Lee 9mm sizers (one for my LNL and another for my turret)
I do mixed range brass all the time and as long as it does not have damage before hand and I get it in the die straight I haven't had any issues.

Did Lee say 1/2 price to take care of it or are you going by what their site says?

Even if they did say 1/2 price I would be tempted to call again and see if they would take care of it for you. They have been good to me in the past.

Replaced some decap pins that I told them was my fault they got mangled.