reloading 9mm on a single stage

[K Train]

anyone reload 9mm on a single stage? i don't reload pistol but the lack of 9mm ammo has got me thinking. i can find brass, powder, primers, dies, and 9mm bullets so whats left except to throw it all together.

just looking for input w/ the single stage or should i invest in a turret style? i'd be reloading for semi auto pistols......

 

[Threeband]

Go ahead and get started with what you've got now. You can get a turret press or a progressive later.

For now, just load in batches. Resize/decap all your cases. Then prime them all. (Try a seperate priming tool, like the Lee with the built in primer tray. You can reprime while you're watching t.v.) Then expand/bell the entire batch. Likewise powder charges and bullet seating.

Then check again on the cost of a progressive.

 

[Scottysan]

good advise all the way around Threeband.
Bet it won't be long for that progressive press.

I'm saving up for a Dillon

 

[guthook]

Go for it. It's not so bad. I've turned out many on a single stage. Just watch your seating depth with 9mm, it can cause pressures to mount VERY quickly.

 

[j8064]

Reloading 9mm on a single stage press is about as simple as reloading gets. I've loaded thousands of rounds that way using new brass, range pickup brass, once fired WWB brass etc. The bullets I've used cross all lines - hard cast, home cast, gun show plated, Sierra, Speer...you name it. Cheap to do and I've never ever had an issue with any gun or any round. Granted, it isn't match ammo, but every one goes bang and it's not difficult to learn to do.

 

[Trapper]

Bucking the trend again, I'll ask how mechanical are you? If you've got a fairly good grasp of simple mechanics then check out the progressives. I started with the Lee Pro 1000 and I think its great for a person like me. I'm only loading about 1000 rounds every two months, between .38 and .45, and it cranks it out quickly and consistently, no die changes, no charge changes, once set up thats it. (I use one press for .38 and one for .45, they're cheap enought to do that).

If, after an honest apraisal, you know you don't have a grasp on mechanics, then the single-stage will work well. One repetitive task at a time until you've loaded everything.

 

[Topher]

You can do it...
But when you do get to a progressive press you will think, "my god... Why did I not do this sooner???"

I have a Dillon Square Deal B and I can crank out 100 rounds in under 15 mins once I verify my powder throw and load primers.

If you take the plunge into pistol reloading and you shot a lot... You will not be sorry if you get the "best equipment for the job".

Just my 2 cents.

Chris

 

[rfdallas]

i reloaded 50 9mm last night watching tv with a single stage. i took my time and relaxed and did it in a slow 90 minutes. it was my down time. yesterday was a busy day and when i got home i relaxed reloading. i do cast and copper. i have 175 rounds to shoot today at monocacy pistol range today with the wife.

 

[Huckleberry]

Keep an eye out for used Dillons at gunshows, flea markets, penny saver ads, etc and don't worry if they're beat up and missing parts because you just send it back to Dillon and they'll refurbish it for you for just the cost of parts and shipping. They'll even modify a old 450 to a 550.

Best way to save $$$$ over the cost of a new press.

BTW, the Square Deal is great for just handgun cartridges but if you ever consider reloading for rifle then definitely consider a 550 as your first choice. Kind of like buying a safe, better to buy bigger now even you you won't be using it to later.

Good resources to use is the NRA Guide to Reloading

You can also take the NRA Metallic Cartridge and Shotgun Reloading courses too if they're being offered in the area.

 

[K Train]

right now the 9mm is the only pistol rd i'm shooting besides the occasional 357/38. i won't be reloading a lot, maybe 1000 rds every couple of months ya know. I'll build a few 147gr for self/home defense, but i'll be target shooting 115 grain ball rds.

anyone have any special recipes or powder recommendations?

 

[tdt91]

Go for it. It's not so bad. I've turned out many on a single stage. Just watch your seating depth with 9mm, it can cause pressures to mount VERY quickly.

I've been reloading 9 on a single stage for a short time now. No bullet seems to get set at the same depth. The book shows the max cartridge lenth but not the min cartridge lenth. using 115 grn rnd nose. Any advise. Or do I just need to look for signs of high pressure

 

[Trapper]

Thats odd, my load data from Hodgdon's website and my Lee book both show min OAL, but not max. I measure factory loads with the same bullet type and weight and get as close as I can. For example, my load data says min OAL for .38 special with 158gr XTP jacketed bullets is 1.455, and I've measure 3 factory loads at 1.449 - 1.459, so I've set up my rig for 1.458 as a target OAL, generally I am 0 - 2 thousandths off high or low, so I'm always over the min.

 

[DZ]

My reloading "career" began with reloading .38 Special cartridges with Unique and lead hollow base wadcutters on my dad's old RCBS Junior single stage. It certainly can be done, but after about 600 rounds I had bought a Lee Classic turret press.

Enjoy!

 

[j8064]

I've been reloading 9 on a single stage for a short time now. No bullet seems to get set at the same depth. The book shows the max cartridge lenth but not the min cartridge lenth. using 115 grn rnd nose. Any advise. Or do I just need to look for signs of high pressure

Don't know what specific press or dies you're using. But once you adjust and set the bullet seating depth to achieve an acceptable OAL with your seating die, it should stay generally constant. 9mm rounds have no rim. They headspace on the case mouth which is why case OAL is very important.

If your cases are the same OAL (which they should be made to be in reloading), bullet seating depth becomes important in relation of the accuracy for the gun in which you intend to shoot the round. Observing minimum OAL's for a particular bullet being loaded is very important since deep seating bullets will generally increse pressures. If you're loading "home-cast boolits" lubed with Alox (or something similar) the lube can build up in your die causing deeper than desired.
Many recipes for relaoding 9mm rounds do in fact state "MIN OAL". Better to have the bullet be long enough to meet the chamber and lands than have the slug seated too deep so as to possibly cause pressure issues.

Thats odd, my load data from Hodgdon's website and my Lee book both show min OAL, but not max. I measure factory loads with the same bullet type and weight and get as close as I can. For example, my load data says min OAL for .38 special with 158gr XTP jacketed bullets is 1.455, and I've measure 3 factory loads at 1.449 - 1.459, so I've set up my rig for 1.458 as a target OAL, generally I am 0 - 2 thousandths off high or low, so I'm always over the min.

Correct...I agree. Comparing reloads to a 'known' factory load OAL is a good thing to do. I do it often. Keep in mind a .38 SP round is a rimmed cartridge and is generally fired in a revolver. Firing a 9mm reload, that headspaces differently, through a semi-auto gun brings different dynamics into the mix.

 

[guthook]

I've been reloading 9 on a single stage for a short time now. No bullet seems to get set at the same depth. The book shows the max cartridge lenth but not the min cartridge lenth. using 115 grn rnd nose. Any advise. Or do I just need to look for signs of high pressure

I tried a moderately stiff charge and deep seat with 147gr once. It felt like a .40 -.45 cal!

It was snappy as hell and really thrust the slide back to the point that it was hard for me to control. I stopped using it.

The same charge is fine with a longer COAL. When I got home, I found this in the interwebs. It's a short piece by Jim Taylor titled "Secrets of Loading the 9mm"

Here is a excerpt:

...While the Speer Manual has the standard reloading information, it also has a special section dealing specifically with the 9mm and it's special needs. Begining on page 432, this handy section contains information that can only be found otherwise through trial and error. While most of the information is stuff we handloaders SHOULD be aware of, I found it helpful and a good point from which to work. Reading through all the manuals by the way, was interesting and did give me some insights. For instance, in Speer Reloading Manual #11 I found that with 9mm handloads of 28,000 CUP (Coppper Units of Pressure), should you seat the bullet only .030" deeper into the cartridge case, the pressures jump to 62,000 CUP!! Enough to wreck a good gun. I got the idea from this that the 9mm can be touchy to reload and that careful attention to detail (such as over-all loaded length) is very important....

Whether his math is accurate or not, I don't know, this is from the internet. Shooting that load with a deep seated 147gr sure felt a little scary to me. I now err on the side of caution.

 

[nate]

I reload some of my magnum stuff on single stage, but LOVE my Dillon 550 for quantity. I can do about 300-400/hr for volume. I know some can do twice that (or more) on a 650...

 

[K Train]

well, using a heavier bullet will generally create more kick and resistance than the lighter counterpart

 

[lx1x]

i've reloaded couple thousands of 9mm on my single press... its slow but it works... im still debating on getting a progressive one in the future..

 

[guthook]

Having a hard time opening this bear trap of a wallet for the Dillon. I've been drooling over getting a 550 for over a year now. I just stare at the literature and dream. I do like single stage for the fact that it DOES take so long. It gives me something to do while the Boss watches TV.

 

[R81]

Hornady LNL is quite a good progressive press for a lot less than a Dillon 550 or 650. Plus you get 1000 free bullets.