.......just tell me NO and let's move on.....

[entropy]

They are more than likely fine as is then.

 

[thump_rrr]

I’m not an expert but when buying Zero Brand bullets
9mm bullets on their site says 0.355” diameter.
38 Special bullets on their site say 0.357” diameter.

For the Star Lube sizer I purchased there are 4 dies from 0.355 - 0.358”

 

[Palladan44]

They are more than likely fine as is then.

This is where my small degree of perfectionism can stand in the way....

 

[CoalTrain49]

A taper crimp will not give more hold than a roll crimp.

But the reverse is true. A roll crimp will hold a bullet better than a taper crimp.

I now roll crimp my 45 ACP ammo for my 625. Taper crimps weren't working as the bullets were being pulled from recoil.

 

[Varminterror]

My understanding neck tension is for cartridges that head space on their mouth. e.g., 9mm, .45ACP. But ones that head space on their rim, such as .38/.357, simply use roll crimping hold the bullet in place.

You’re confusing taper crimp with neck tension. There remains independent neck tension below the area affected by a taper crimp, and the two are not the same thing - hence having two independent and exclusive names.

What if i move over to 9mm crimp die, rather than the 38?

No. What you saw in your test there was that one brand of nickel brass was thick enough to create proper neck tension along and below the bullet when resized in your die, and another brand is not. Again, crimp is not neck tension, even when applied with an FCD.

Just use a Lee FCD. That will fix the neck tension without having to roll crimp.

FCD’s do not affect neck tension, other than for the virtue of their undersized sizing ring which does more to damage neck tension and distort bullets in conventional application than it ever has helped. Taper crimp, roll crimp, and even collet crimps are not neck tension.

 

[Engineer1911]

In my younger poorer days, I loaded 9 MM bullets in 38 Spl and 357 Mag cases. 300 rounds of this don't work. Maybe hits on a 5-gallon bucket at 25 feet, waste of time, primers, and powder.

 

[Jim Watson]

I'll see what I can try without breaking down my Dillon setup.

 

[Palladan44]

I'd research the FTF issues. Please explain. That sounds like something other than a bullet issue. Maybe a primer strike issue. .355 is standard for 9mm bullets.

Sorry, Failure to Feed is what I meant.
Not failure to fire

 

[illinoisburt]

I now roll crimp my 45 ACP ammo for my 625. Taper crimps weren't working as the bullets were being pulled from recoil.

For a revolver using moon clips or such, that's likely fine. Need to keep that ammo segregated around autos.

 

[CoalTrain49]

Lots of questions here, sorry. I'm not going back through the thread to look for the answers.

What failure to feed issues are you having? Are they not going into battery? Will they easily slide into your barrel or gauge?

Are you using range brass? That stuff is fire formed in a million different chambers. Totally inconsistent. Lots of people who use range brass use undersized sizing dies or LFC.

If you don't want to mess with these bullets anymore maybe buy an undersized 38 die to compensate for the smaller dia. bullets or a LFC die as was suggested. .

I use Lee factory crimp dies and they work well on range brass. Undersized dies would probably work better but I've never used those.

Not meant to discuss the pros and cons of LFC dies. I know how they work.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I didn't read.the whole.thread so if this was already suggested I apologize.

Why not try a Lee Factory Crimp Die. Many loaders don't care for this die but in this case I think it may help you.

 

[WestKentucky]

I got so many mouse pissed 9mm bullets I was swimming in them. I loaded a few in 38 cases and tried them. Then I loaded them in 357 cases and tried them. Now I exclusively use the cheap and plentiful 9mm bullets for all things 38/358/9mm (and even some in .380). I will try the 9mm bullets in 357 Herrett if I can ever get around to playing with that one.

 

[lordpaxman]

I do believe it’s time to start the love/hate FCD entries.
The short answer is the FCD will not fix neck tension issues. Let ‘er rip!

 

[alfsauve]

[QUOTE="WestKentucky, post: 12556630, member: 215823"Now I exclusively use the cheap and plentiful 9mm bullets for all things 38/358/9mm.[/QUOTE]

Another convert.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I do believe it’s time to start the love/hate FCD entries.
The short answer is the FCD will not fix neck tension issues. Let ‘er rip!

That’s assuming this is a neck tension issue. I don’t think it is. It sounds from all the different efforts made so far to be a size and seating-expansion issue. The FCD is nothing more or less than a tapered cone die. It can be adjusted to crimp or not. It may correct the seating flare without roll crimping the neck, which is what the problem seems like if all the description are accurate.

 

[Palladan44]

I'm getting fair results so far. As I switch between batches of brass that I have sorted, I have to check the first round to make sure neck tension is adequate by using my highly scientific method of pressing the nose on the reloading bench with about 15 lbs (+or- 7) of thumb pressure. If they don't move, I call it good.
The Winchester brass held the best, but those are loaded, and most of them already shot. I had issues when switching over to the RP brass, which i have at least 200 pcs of, but I lowered the 9mm sizing die down another 1/4" or so, and that helped the issue. I'll be then moving over to some old W-W once fired nickel brass I have about 200 pcs of. These are totally different than the modern WIN brass of today, the walls seem much thinner, I'll start the first round with a careful watch on what's going on.

This is a case where using a mixed batch of headstamps would have been....nothin' but trouble.

 

[Jim Watson]

I ran a couple of tests.
1. Size .38 Special case in Lyman carbide .38 die, flare with 9mm plug. 147 gr 9mm bullet could be seated with heavy hand pressure.

2. Size .38 case in .38 die, then neck size in .380 die, flare with 9mm plug. 147 gr 9mm bullet seated in press, could not be moved with heavy hand pressure, required 3 blows of inertia puller to remove jacketed bullet, six blows for coated.

 

[AJC1]

I'm getting fair results so far. As I switch between batches of brass that I have sorted, I have to check the first round to make sure neck tension is adequate by using my highly scientific method of pressing the nose on the reloading bench with about 15 lbs (+or- 7) of thumb pressure. If they don't move, I call it good.
The Winchester brass held the best, but those are loaded, and most of them already shot. I had issues when switching over to the RP brass, which i have at least 200 pcs of, but I lowered the 9mm sizing die down another 1/4" or so, and that helped the issue. I'll be then moving over to some old W-W once fired nickel brass I have about 200 pcs of. These are totally different than the modern WIN brass of today, the walls seem much thinner, I'll start the first round with a careful watch on what's going on.

This is a case where using a mixed batch of headstamps would have been....nothin' but trouble.

If you have any s and b or cbc brass it's good and thick may help.

 

[Palladan44]

If you have any s and b or cbc brass it's good and thick may help.

I sure do

 

[Palladan44]

I ran a couple of tests.
1. Size .38 Special case in Lyman carbide .38 die, flare with 9mm plug. 147 gr 9mm bullet could be seated with heavy hand pressure.

2. Size .38 case in .38 die, then neck size in .380 die, flare with 9mm plug. 147 gr 9mm bullet seated in press, could not be moved with heavy hand pressure, required 3 blows of inertia puller to remove jacketed bullet, six blows for coated.

Thanks for testing that.

 

[Walkalong]

A taper crimp will not give more hold than a roll crimp.

Well, maybe..........assuming the bullet can take it.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I do believe it’s time to start the love/hate FCD entries.
The short answer is the FCD will not fix neck tension issues. Let ‘er rip!

I didn't say it would fix a poor tension issue, I meant it would supply a good solid roll crimp into the crimp groove. It also can add a roll crimp into bullets where there is no crimp groove.

 

[lordpaxman]

That’s assuming this is a neck tension issue. I don’t think it is. It sounds from all the different efforts made so far to be a size and seating-expansion issue. The FCD is nothing more or less than a tapered cone die. It can be adjusted to crimp or not. It may correct the seating flare without roll crimping the neck, which is what the problem seems like if all the description are accurate.

I’m not assuming anything. There were previous posts that are leading one to believe the FCD will fix a neck tension issue.

I didn't say it would fix a poor tension issue, I meant it would supply a good solid roll crimp into the crimp groove. It also can add a roll crimp into bullets where there is no crimp groove.

And I didn’t say you did. All I said was the FCD won’t fix a neck tension issue.

Seems like everyone is a bit hostile out there…. jeeeez

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I do believe it’s time to start the love/hate FCD entries.

———

Seems like everyone is a bit hostile out there…. jeeeez

Umm…maybe because you called for hostility?
Anywho, it’s looking like the OP is on the path to a working solution so, never mind.

 

[someguy2800]

I have been sizing 38 special and 357 in a 9mm die for years. Done deal. All the way to the shell holder