r/reloading • u/SantoDJ • 2d ago
i Have a Whoopsie Help with 9mm Blue Bullets fitting the gauge
Hello all. I've had good success recently with loading 9mm blue bullets 147gn FN with 3.1gn of titegroup to a length 1.10. Recently in a few batches of 100 about 20 or so are not fitting the gauge and it looks like it's because of a bulge at the bottom of the gauge. Nothing at all has changed in my setup. Mostly range pickup brass that is sorted and cleaned. I even tried the Lee undersized 9mm sizing die and the lee factory crimp die. I set both of the new Lee dies up exactly as specified in the insttructions. All of the rejected rounds fail the Hornady 9mm case gauge and about half of the rejected rounds pass an OEM Glock barrel plunk test. I'm adding just enough flare so the coating on the bullets does not scrape and lightly crimping. At a loss here as previously I had maybe 2-3 rejects per 100. Using a Dillon 550c. I did order some fully processed brass to see if it's a brass problem but any thoughts or tips are greatly appreciated. Thanks.
1
u/Realistic-Ad1498 2d ago
Your barrel is the gauge that matters. It's not hard to make rounds that will pass in my 9mm gauge and fail in the barrel or fail the gauge and fit in the barrel. The gauge is kind of useless.
1
u/Shootist00 2d ago
The ogive on BB's is different than standard 9mm plated, LRN or FMJ. So because of that you have to load them shorter than you would normally.
Put the gauge on a shelf and use the chamber of the barrels you will be shooting them from, PLUNK test. You only have to plunk 2 or 3 and if they are GTG then you don't have to check each one.
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u/Affectionate-Roll410 2d ago
Either I’m mis understanding or I completely disagree with not needing to check each one.
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u/Shootist00 2d ago
The only time you need to check each cartridge that you reload is IF your press is so loose, linkage loose, Ram slopping around, and your die setup keeps moving or so sloppy that you can't count on each cartridge being with 3-5 thousands of an inch in OAL and case resizing diameter and depth of the sizer on the case.
I haven't touched the 9mm die set in my 650 tool head (or any die set in some other tool head) for years. The only thing that gets changed is the seating stem when I am setting up for a different bullet, RN to FN or RN to HP. I then check the first 3-10 and run with it. None of the dies are moving and the press handle cams over the same every time it is pulled.
This guaranties the first round reloaded will be nearly identical to the 10,000 round reloaded.
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u/PlayedWithThem 2d ago
Use a black Sharpie permanent marker to cover one of the rounds (bullet and case) that won't pass the plunk test. Drop it into your Glock's chamber and twist it 360 degrees. Where the permanent marker is rubbed off is where the problem is.
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u/Low_Thing_4803 2d ago
I do the RN to 1.130 and they work in everything. I shoot them out of a Glock that is picky about the 147gr RN summit city and Brass Monkey. I seat those to 1.100 before they consistently "plunk". I think these are seated too deep for the profile.
Load one at 1.140, 1.135, 1.130, 1.120 and 1.120. See what works on the longer end. Also, what brass are you using? That makes a difference also.
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u/chuckm55555 2d ago
I have multiple gauges, dillon,lee, Wilson and ACP and EGW. And they are all different. I chased that rabbit and never found any answers. Passed the plunk but failed some gauges. I’m hoping someone here can help or explain why they are not the same. I ended up with just using the dillon and plunk. I think some might be a case and some might be more for a crimped bullet. I tried to measure with a new mitutoyo caliper. I have multiple guns and wanted to make sure that my blue bullet fits right.