When reloading PPU 9mm brass iam having a strange problem.
After resizing it needs trimming but the mouths so tight the case trimmer wont fit and turn properly. Not just one batch either older ppu and new once fired ppu do it.
I have no problem with FC,blazer,win. or speer doing this. These are range p/u brass and the die is not changed. Its just something i was wondering if anyone else has run into? Just to add this , most cases dont need trimming (fc,blazer,win.etc) but the ppu almost always does.
No, because the only time I have checked length in pistol cases in MANY decades of loading was when I was shooting IHMSA silhouette with a .44 Mag. Other than that, it’s into the Dillon and into the mag or cylinder. Why are you checking case length?
Yeah… screw that. There’s no damned way I’d measure or trim pistol brass for 9, .45, .40, .38, .357, etc. (I don’t want to broad stroke over some exotic cartridge)
When you bell the mouths, they should all seat a bullet.
Becouse the ppu brass is only .001 or so below max case length if not above it… The speer brand also gets close to max.
The fc,win, and blazer brass is 99% ok. As i said these are range p/u if the appearance shows its been reloaded before i dont use them,since i go to the range at last once a week,so new brass is easy to find.
This is the second time ive p/u PPU brass that i know is once fired, i watched them unbox it. But also its 97% not trimmable. Such a waste to not be able to use,but iam not going to use over sized cases for reloading and even at .001 under thats close enough for me.
It sounds like the Prvi cases are thicker and when sized they are too tight to fit on the pilot.
Try expanding the necks and then trimming this should increase the inside diameter of the case allowing the pilot to fit inside the case mouth.
I’m retired and have nothing to do and all day to do it, and I trim all my handgun ammunition to make sure I get uniform crimps. I do not trim every time the case has been fired. I trim new cases to a set length and monitor growth and uniformity especially on semiauto ammunition.
As a side note get a good case gauge and inspect each case after loading. “MANY” handgun shooters do not get excited about trimming their cases for the simple reason of time and any accuracy benefits at normal handgun ranges, and they are not using their pistols for 100 yard benchrest competition. The case length variations listed below by Starline Brass is good advice and not overkill.
Below is from the Starline Brass FAQ
Trim-to-lengths given in most manuals often confuse people if they are unsure of their actual purpose. Most manuals generate their own trim-to-lengths from SAAMI maximum cartridge drawings. They usually pick a number just below the SAAMI maximum and state this as the recommended trim-to-length. Depending on specific caliber, some cases will shrink and others will grow when fired and reloaded. The trim-to-length is trying to say: “If case is longer than trim-to-length, then trim back to this.” The confusion comes in when people purchase new brass and want to trim it back to trim-to-length stated in the manual. One must understand that a manufacturer will not produce cases at maximum length and that we as manufacturers must have a reasonable tolerance to work with. Most people do not wish to trim brass, so at Starline, Inc., we operate a tolerance of .005 below SAAMI maximum and that window ranges from .003 to .010 below, depending on the caliber. All auto-feeding cartridges are held within .004, and revolver normally is within .005.
The trim-to-length we recommend for peak performance is a variation of no more than .005 and length within .010 of published trim-to-lengths, but never exceeding trim-to-lengths.
Remember, consistency in length relating to consistent crimp is more important than all cases being the same length as the trim-to-length in manuals, assuming it is not too long.
Me to iam bored i guess, i just dont want to use overlength brass,once trimmed its GTG for a long while, ill try belling them a little next time so the pilot fits better.
Ive only experienced this with PPU and tul brass. The PPU always needs trimming but its very rare that win.,FC, or blazer need anything other than resizing. Its amazing how much brass has the neck not true,when you put it in the calipers you can twist the case its so high on one side (American Eagle)…
Cant be great for accuracy even in plinker ammo. I use the wilson pistol gauges,check after resizing and reloaded.
Many of us shoot so much that trimming pistol brass would be impossible. I’ve loaded well over 200K 9mm and have never had an issue, even with PPU brass.
Unless the headspace on your firearm is on the tight side of, or less than, SAAMI spec I don’t think it should be an issue. I never measure or trim semi-auto handgun brass. Revolver and rifle, yes.
I’ve only been reloading for just over 5 years but I have loaded 3,500-4,000 9mm cartridges in PPU brass, specifically. They were shot through 3-4 factory Glock barrels, 3 Lone Wolf barrels and 1 Storm Lake barrel. I had no problem with 124gr bullets (Montana Gold CMJ and X-Treme HP) but I did have a problem with the 147gr bullets (Montana Gold CMJ) due to the thick brass cases and long(er) bullets. When seated, the bullets would bulge the case out of spec and they would not fully chamber in the tighter chambers of the Lone Wolf or Storm Lake barrels but ran fine in the factory Glock barrels. I switched to CCI brass (Blazer and FC) and haven’t had a problem with the 147gr bullets since.
Agreed. I reload 9mm by the thousand for USPSA and only gauge what I am about to shoot in a match. I have never needed to trim a case. They almost always split (especially FC brass) before stretching too much to chamber. I have actually never had one not chamber (9mm glock) before it wore out for another reason.