UPDATE 6/25! SEE LAST POST!! 9 mm Bullet Seating Problem

[Sparky5019]

I'm only going to slightly team the leade or throat. I've done this before in other guns when the leade has been short. You turn the reamer slightly and check then repeat. I don't thinking will have much effect on accuracy. Even it does only slightly, it's better than the gun coming to a dead stop and the round no going down range at all.

I considers changing to a Storm Lake barrel but even then I have to order it direct and tell them it's for lead bullets so they thought it accordingly. I'd rather do the job myself and have a tool for when someone needs it. I'll let you know once I get it on paper but I think the effect will be negligible at best seeing as how the overall chamber is not affected.

[texasgunhand]

Did you figure out the original problem of how to fix the bulging cases? What was causing it etc?
I read the updated post didnt see it. Are you now just going to try to open up the chamber a bit to fix the feeding problem?
Since taking the time to make sure and hand start the bullet straight before seating,my problem has gone away so far.Useing a single stage setup i only load 50 to 60 at one sitting but outa 3 sittings so far no bulged cases. But i see how on a progressive press this could slow your loading speed down alot.

[Sparky5019]

I've installed the Redding CSD and the Doubke Alpha powder funnel and that has helped. I've adjusted the crimp to 0.001"-0.0015" and that has helped as well. I'm waiting for the throat reamer.

Let's be clear...I'm going to ream the chamber LEADE/THROAT slightly NOT the chamber. Lone Wolf barrels are apparently notorious for having super tight leades.

The rounds chamber better with the new crimp but I can tell they're still hitting the rifling. Currently I'm loading them out to 1.105".

I'll let y'all know once the reamer shows up and I get that adjusted. Thanks!

[texasgunhand]

Ahh,i see. Great ,hopefully it will help eliminate the problem. I can see were a slightly bulging case and a short lead would lock it up nice. Good luck,i hope you found the problem and this eliminates it for you. Having two problems at once can be a hard fix and very frustrating.

[T2C]

I reloaded more 9mm today. I sized brass and checked each and every one of them with the loaded cartridge gauge before proceeding. The brass fell in and out of the gauge with no resistance. I culled out the Winchester +P+ brass, which made a significant difference. I only had to pull 2 bullets from cartridges loaded with WCC marked brass. All of the other cartridges loaded with mixed brass passed the gauge test.

[Sparky5019]

So where I am currently is...

I made the above changes and loaded some test rounds. They still catch slightly in the chamber throat (reamer arrived yesterday just haven't had time). I think most of it was in the crimp. Even with the slight catch, they still drop into the chamber by hand with a THONK. A solid stop at the end. The troublemakers were not this way.

As an aside, I still had to mill the seating plug of the Redding CSD. These small caliber conical bullets weren't allowing the sides of the plug to make solid contact. It was contacting the bullet way up toward the nose. That seemed to help some as well. The rounds look great and dry chamber really well with not set back than I can see. I just need to relieve a whisker from the throat and we should be gtg.

I'll report back once that is done...busy week so don't anyone hold your breath. Lol.

Thanks!

[Sparky5019]

So I gently reamed the throat of the chamber. SHAZAM! Just like butter! I'll start cranking out volume of the load and see how the changes do over the long haul but I think it's fixed!

Thanks to everyone! Great job brainstorming and troubleshooting!

[noylj]

My opinion--
If the bullet wiggles in the seating stem, get a custom seating stem. Nothing else about a seating die counts other than seating stem fit. When I get a custom seating stem, I want no contact with the meplat/nose of the bullet and lower the contact on the ogive, the better.
Other than that, being sure the case is properly expanded (not talking case mouth flare) such that case ID is 0.001-0.002" smaller than bullet diameter and that the bullet is sitting square in the case are the best you can do.