Pistol Reloading Issue I cant figure out

champ198 · Tuesday at 2:30 PM

So I had a bunch of 9mm loaded not too long ago. Just range ammo using some 115gr XTP that I got free from Hornaday on their free bullet promo.
Loaded up a bunch and never did anything any different than I ever have.
Had bought a new carry gun in 9mm so wanted to get to the range and shoot it.
Get there and the first mag I made about 7 rounds and the gun locks up, and I mean locks up solid.
Finally got it free and notice the round in the chamber the bullet had pushed back in the case...Kind of weird, never had it happen before.
So loaded up and shot again. Made it about 5 or so rounds and it did the same thing.
Got my other 9mm out and it happened again.
So stopped shooting and went home.
Got to looking and there were a bunch of rounds in the 100 count box that would just push back in the case.
So checked all I had done and out of about 500 rounds, about half would push back.
So checked my dies and reset them and loaded a few dummy rounds and did a push test and again the bullet would push back into the case.
Had the taper set just like the instructions said. Nothing worked right.
Probably reset the dies 5-6 different times, took them apart and cleaned them. Nothing worked.
I cant figure it out at all. I don't know if its a die issue or what.
I had some loaded from a few years ago still that were done with a RCBS die and they are all fine.

The only difference in the two is the ones I had issues with were the Hornady bullet and loaded with Hornady dies. And the others were just round nose bullets loaded with RCBS dies.

Contacted Hornady and they said I could send the dies, bullets, brass in and they would check them. But I don't understand what might be the issue.

Not new to reloading pistols as I load for 45acp, 40S&W and 357 also and have zero problems with them.

Anyone by chance have any ideas?

918v · Tuesday at 2:43 PM

Did you check the diameter of the expander?

Threadcutter308 · Tuesday at 3:09 PM

champ198 said:
So I had a bunch of 9mm loaded not too long ago. Just range ammo using some 115gr XTP that I got free from Hornaday on their free bullet promo.
Loaded up a bunch and never did anything any different than I ever have.
Had bought a new carry gun in 9mm so wanted to get to the range and shoot it.
Get there and the first mag I made about 7 rounds and the gun locks up, and I mean locks up solid.
Finally got it free and notice the round in the chamber the bullet had pushed back in the case...Kind of weird, never had it happen before.
So loaded up and shot again. Made it about 5 or so rounds and it did the same thing.
Got my other 9mm out and it happened again.
So stopped shooting and went home.
Got to looking and there were a bunch of rounds in the 100 count box that would just push back in the case.
So checked all I had done and out of about 500 rounds, about half would push back.
So checked my dies and reset them and loaded a few dummy rounds and did a push test and again the bullet would push back into the case.
Had the taper set just like the instructions said. Nothing worked right.
Probably reset the dies 5-6 different times, took them apart and cleaned them. Nothing worked.
I cant figure it out at all. I don't know if its a die issue or what.
I had some loaded from a few years ago still that were done with a RCBS die and they are all fine.

The only difference in the two is the ones I had issues with were the Hornady bullet and loaded with Hornady dies. And the others were just round nose bullets loaded with RCBS dies.

Contacted Hornady and they said I could send the dies, bullets, brass in and they would check them. But I don't understand what might be the issue.

Not new to reloading pistols as I load for 45acp, 40S&W and 357 also and have zero problems with them.

Anyone by chance have any ideas?

I’ve had exactly that same problem. It was because of mixed headstamp/different manufacturers of the brass I was loading. They were all different lengths. Min to max varied by .022” or .023”.

You unwittingly set your die to crimp the longest brass and it works fine. Unfortunately, that setting won’t crimp the shortest brass.

It was a lot of work, but I made a 9mm trim die for my Dillon XL650 and have a router motor and carbide end mill on it. I run all my once fired brass through it and it works great.

edit; the 650 is equipped with a case feeder and an Autodrive. No, I wouldn’t hand crank all those.

That’s more than most people want to do, I get that. Other than that, your only real option is to hand sort your brass by headstamp or by length and set your die(s) accordingly.

918v · Tuesday at 3:20 PM

I don’t crimp at all and don’t have any bullet setback. Case wall tension is enough.

DownhillFromHere · Tuesday at 4:24 PM

New carry gun? Is its feed ramp steeper than other 9mm pistols you have? See below - I never had any trouble with uncrimped .223 bulk reloads in ARs until my son bought his infernal Tavor. Now I have to crimp anything that may find its way into that one rifle - process described below.
-------
Are you sure your size die is screwed in far enough to touch the shell holder/plate?
-------
I too have never crimped 9mm, loading it since the mid-1970s on '70s-vintage RCBS dies (sizer is carbide). I use whatever range brass I hoover up when I need some, and lengths are, to say the least, inconsistent. No bleeping way I'm trimming 9mm brass.

With the ammo you already loaded, you might try what I do with .223 blaster ammo:

Clean/resize/deprime range brass
Run brass through a Wilson case gauge, which quickly shows too-long or swollen-case-web cases. which are discarded.
Load rounds on on a Dillon progressive with crimp die backed way out
Remove powder from Dillon measure on the press
Screw crimp die in too far, run every case through the crimp die, "bumping" a crimp by feel

The only reason I do this with bulk ammo is because one of my son's toys is brutal on brass. I had never had a problem with uncrimped bulk reloads in multiple ARs, but his Tavor pushed quite a few 55gr FMJBT deep into the cases.

ShtrRdy · Tuesday at 7:10 PM

You'll have break down the sequence into steps and check dimensions after each step.

For example your first step is to resize the brass and push out the primer. After you resize a case can you slide a bullet into the case?

99mpower · 2025-04-23T08:26:44-0400

if you sized brass, then initial response is not enough crimp, or too much flare

you should never need to trim 9mm, unless loading precision bullseye

did you case gauge any rounds?

feel free to reach out.. i load approx 40-50k 9mm a year, zero issues, mixed range brass

RegionRat · 2025-04-23T12:04:17-0400

ShtrRdy said:
You'll have break down the sequence into steps and check dimensions after each step.

For example your first step is to resize the brass and push out the primer. After you resize a case can you slide a bullet into the case?

+1
This is good advice.
Stop and inspect the bullet diameters.
Stop and inspect the sized ID/OD of the cases from your Hornady die, and then compare to your other die.
Stop and inspect the expanded case ID/OD and the flare.

Sometimes we need to use a micrometer and pin gages, other times a caliper will work.

Do you apply something like an M Die or just a regular flare? If you are using something like an M Die, check the diameter of that expander, or just run a few samples using only a simple flare.

I will suggest you pull down several samples of the ones you said you could move the bullets easily. Inspect those dimensions. Remove the decap stem if you want to save the primer step, or just be gentle and you can probably salvage them, but be gentle and wear your eye/ear pro. Then run that same brass through your other dies and re-inspect. You may even try to assemble the ammo and re-test if the different dies put a good grip on those bullets.

At this point, the first step would be to assume everything is wrong till you inspect it, even the possibility that the batch of bullets is the wrong size, or the new dies are wrong.

Play it safe. Good Luck and in for the report.

FLIGHT762 · 2025-04-23T14:12:39-0400

Is all of your 9MM brass the same head stamp? If not, check the rounds that push in and see if the MFR. headstamp is the same.

I know when I reload mixed 9MM head stamp brass, certain MFG. brass seats softer (less neck tension) than other MFG. brass.

Is your seating depth (COAL) a little too deep for the hornady bullet and you're seating past the taper on the ogive?

You can do a plunk test on seating depth in your new carry 9MM barrel to see if that barrel hits the ogive differently than another MFG. 9MM barrel.

I know some guys use the Lee undersize sizing die. It F/L sizes .003" tighter than regular dies to overcome your issue.

Pistol Undersize Carbide Sizing Dies

Lee Precision, the nation's number one manufacturer of reloading equipment for over 50 years presents its full inventory of quality products.

leeprecision.com

Your issue can be from a number of things that have been pointed out.

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