Issues with S&B 9mm cases

[mugsie]

I picked up a bunch of 9mm range brass the other day. There were a lot of S&B cases included. Tonight I loaded up some 9mm, I was using Winchester small primers. All other head stamps primed fine except the S&B. They were very difficult to seat.

Has anyone else experienced this with this head stamp?

 

[joem1945]

Yes I have, and they go in the scrap bucket.

 

[lpsharp88]

I have experienced it as well. It's harder to seat than other types in my experience, but I still use them.

 

[mugsie]

Joem1945 - I'm with you. Anything I cull out now with S&B will go in the recycle bucket. In fact, that's where these had gone. 9mm is too plentiful to be wasting time trying to seat primers into S&B's.

thanks for the quick replies....

 

[Walkalong]

I don't have any problem priming S&B brass in various calibers. Perhaps because I am hand priming. Dunno.

 

[ljnowell]

I don't have any problem priming S&B brass in various calibers. Perhaps because I am hand priming. Dunno.

I prime on press with lee progressives and the don't bother me either. The pockets do seem to be more square cut, but they are ok.

Now mil brass hits the scrapper for me.

 

[mugsie]

forgot to mention - I'm using a Dillon 550b for the 9mm.

 

[Rule3]

SB are known for there tight primer pockets. Tight is good. Winchester primers should be some of the easiest. Try some Wolff and feel the difference! SB is very good brass.

I load them like any other. If you want to spend the time you can ream or bevel them a little with a case chamfer tool.

 

[mongoose33]

I've had problems w/ them both on my progressive and hand priming. I dump 'em. Not worth the aggravation.

 

[Duvel]

They do take more effort to seat, but I haven't had any issues (3 hole turret & Pro 1000).

 

[egd]

I don't have any cases, but I wonder how the S&B primers would work in the cases?

 

[Average Joe]

Yes, they are hard to seat. But can be done.

 

[Average Joe]

EDG, S & B primers are equally hard to seat in S&B cases, go figure !

 

[Dudedog]

The S+B 9m and 9mm MAK cases I use have tight pockets but I have not had any issues when priming with a Lee hand primer. CCI, REM and S+B primers.

This brass seems to be pretty good quality.

 

[jmorris]

You might get out a magnet. I have found a lot of S&B 9mm "brass" that is just brass coated steel cases.

Actually found this out with my steel case catcher, ok it is just a magnet stuck on the feed tube clamp to the collator. A steel case will not drop down the tube.

And don't ask what the nickel plated steel case is, I don't remember.

 

[Walkalong]

Yep. I check all scrounged 9MM with a magnet now.

 

[Duvel]

What the!

Check a handful of mine, no steel.

 

[mugsie]

WOW! I never realized some cases could only be brass plated. I'll do the magnet test, but why plate them? It's another step in the process and just adds more manufacturing cost. I can't understand why they would do it.
Any ideas?

 

[Rule3]

Most shotgun shell bases "look" like brass, but are not.

 

[Shootshellz]

They take a little more effort to seat the primer (I use a Hornady 'old style' hand priming tool) but I keep S&B 9mm brass.

 

[jmorris]

I can't understand why they would do it.

Some people avoid steel cases and will not buy steel cased ammunition. If you are a manufacturer and want to sell steel cased ammunition, plating it will allow for more sales to folks that don't know any better.

Think of it like a Hotdog, there is not really dog meat in there but if they listed what was in there you likely wouldn't buy it either.

 

[Mauser69]

I have found the same "tight" pockets with their .357 brass. In my experience it is not actually tight primer pockets, but a sharp distinct corner on the edge of the pocket, almost like crimped primer brass. I found that all I need is one quick turn in the primer pocket with a deburring tool to chamfer the edge and make it easy to seat the primers. This solves the problem on the first reload and is never needed again.

 

[Walkalong]

I can't understand why they would do it.

An alternative to lacquer or polymer coatings?

 

[d'Artagnan]

Some years ago I did a test to prove or debunk whether S&B cases had variations in primer pocket diameter -- some tighter than others. My results were their primer pockets were quite regular. The easiest primers to seat in S&B 2010 and 2011 9mm Luger cases were Winchester, the most difficult were Federal. Both seated uniformly. The second easiest and second hardest to seat were S&B's own small pistol primers -- half seated easily like Winchester, half with difficulty like Federal. Remington, CCI, Fiocchi, and MagTech primers fell in between and they, too, seated uniformly. Certainly S&B primers had a uniformity issue but the only brands I had trouble seating were Federal and S&B.

 

[Average Joe]

I have noticed that also, Winchester primers do seat in S&B cases easier than their own S&B primers.