Separating 9's from 380's. Tricks?

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CANNONMAN

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I got the colored slotted shell separators and really like them. But when I get to the 9mm and .380's its not so much fun. Anybody got some time saving tricks?
 
Mark I eyeballs for me. If you shake whatever receptacle you have them in, a large percentage will stand up with the base down. With practice, the .380's will stand out as being shorter and thinner. I use a pair of 6" forceps for picking them out.

Hope this helps.

Fred
 
Over in Reloading can't find the thread/post, was a video also. (Lothar Allen maybe?) Somebody was using .40S&W bullet trays (the plastic ones that come with factory ammo) to check the 9mm cases. It works like a champ. Pour the 9mm brass over the trays, shake a little and practically all the 9mm fall head down into the trays slots. Then it's simple to see which ones aren't 9x19.

Also easy to check for .22lr or other trash inside the 9mm cases and for Berden primed cases of which I found one just last week.
 
I don't get many but for range pickup I put a carpenter's square on my bench, put a 9mm on it's side in the corner of the square and push the others up against the square. put the short ones (.380) in a bag for later.

Dave
 
I am using a Lee Classic Turret Press. When I am reloading, if I don't notice them beforehand, the 9mm cases won't go in the shell holder for 380. At that point, I set them aside for when I am doing 9mm.

Not a great system; but I mostly load 380. 9mm is a special run.
 
I use the slotted trays and everything left in the 9mm tray is treated as 9mm until loading. Its all washed, polished and put away as 9mm. Eventually, at loading time it's lubed and dumped in a plastic tray to allow the lube to dry. All the cases are then stood on end in the tray for inspection. I'm looking for out of round mouths, bad flash holes, steps in the case wall, and uneven height. Most of the 380, mak, and definitely the .38 super are found at this point. Any that make it past get noticed as the case is fed into the 650. It just so happens that the case insert slide on the 650 is the same height as a 9mm case and makes spotting everything else easy.
 
I use the .380 insert for the Shell Sorter. It works pretty well, and has saved enough time to be worthwhile.

Same here, but even better would be to just get rid of the 380 and throw the 380 brass in the trash.
That is what I'd do if not for a family member hanging on to one of those under powered things.
 
I am using a Lee Classic Turret Press. When I am reloading, if I don't notice them beforehand, the 9mm cases won't go in the shell holder for 380. At that point, I set them aside for when I am doing 9mm.

Not a great system; but I mostly load 380. 9mm is a special run.

On the LCT I've also found that the shorter .380 won't activate the Lee Auto Drum powder measure that's set up for 9mm.

Dave
 
Same here, but even better would be to just get rid of the 380 and throw the 380 brass in the trash.
Me too, but the gurly-men keep showing up at the range contaminating my 9mm supply!

That said, I don't mind them nearly as much as the 9 MAK shooters, or that one clown with a 9mm Largo. . . and all those $&#/+#& that keep throwing 45 ACP in the trash instead of the brass bucket (or leaving it on the ground)!
 
The metal plate in the shell sorter trays works for me.

Put some short standoffs on the plate and use it in the blue or yellow tray.
 
Deprime on a single stage.
The shell holders are different.
That's my default separator and last resort. I just pick out the short smaller ones coming out of the tumbler. I'm low volume production so not a big deal for me to separate them.
 
Anybody got some time saving tricks?
Tom Sawyer. Convince your wife that only a person with real good eyes can tell the difference in length, and have her put all the 9mms in one Christmas tin, and all the 380s in another. Meanwhile you can have a beer.:D
 
I tumble them together and can usually tell them apart, when separating them on the way to the press for deprime. Doing .380 first, if unsure, the 9mm won't fit the shellholder.
 
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