importance of head stamps with 9mm

[pool67]

i am interested in starting to reload 9mm and i would like advice on how important is it to seperate your brass by headstamp, is it a safety factor or ?

 

[XtremeVel]

Now days I only buy Starline in revolver so I don't need to sort...

As for 9mm and .45 ACP, most is mixed... I will only look to see if there is anything there I want to kick out. Steel cases, aluminum cases, berdan primed, Amerc, S & B, ect... You will learn real quick what you prefer and what you would rather toss in the scrap bucket.

 

[JDubb]

I have had trouble with federal in 9mm and of course the small primer in 45acp..... I sort my brass in the winter when I am not likely to shoot....

 

[gunman41mag]

I've heard you seperate the brass so you'll have a more accurate group

 

[U.S. Patriot]

I pick up any 9mm brass I can get my hands on at the range. I check to make sure none of the cases have a Military crimp or show signs of damage/stress. Other then that, I do not separate it by brand. I have seen no issues in the accuracy department. As long as the cases are in spec for OAL, I would not worry about it. If you are only loading for range ammo.

 

[DNRrangemaster]

sorting headstamps

I agree with sorting out some brass that is not very consistent. I load mostly Winchester, but I still load R-P and I put CCI/Speer/FC/Blazer in the same can, as they are made in the same place. As a side note....if you load 45ACP, be aware that there are 2 primer sizes out ther now. Used to be only the NT cases were small pistol instead of large pistol. But I see now that CCI, Speer, American Eagle and Blazer headstamped brass use small pistol primers instead of large pistol primers...haven't figured out why yet.

 

[pool67]

thank you that was what i was wanting to here.
I have been reading your reloading post and i like the information you are suppling, keep up the good work.

 

[spencer rifle]

I don't sort 9mm cases except nickel (which I use for JHP rounds). Sure can tell the S&B just by feel in the reloader, though. Tough to get the old primer out and tough to neck size. Still works, though.

 

[noylj]

I have NEVER, in 35+ years of reloading 9x19, worried about the head stamp.
If you want the best accuracy, find those few cases that are 0.750-0.754" in length. These will minimize head space and produce the best accuracy.
The big danger in 9x19 is too small a COL and bullet set-back into the case when the round is fed up the ramp.
Review in your manuals and you'll have few problems.

 

[IndyGunworks]

I never sort straight walled pistol ammo.

 

[sloughfoot]

I never sort straight walled pistol ammo.

I don't either. It just does not matter.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

I have NEVER, in 35+ years of reloading 9x19, worried about the head stamp.
If you want the best accuracy, find those few cases that are 0.750-0.754" in length. These will minimize head space and produce the best accuracy.
The big danger in 9x19 is too small a COL and bullet set-back into the case when the round is fed up the ramp.
Review in your manuals and you'll have few problems.

From my experience with the cases I have used to reload. Every brand has been from .749"-.751."

 

[U.S. Patriot]

I don't sort 9mm cases except nickel (which I use for JHP rounds). Sure can tell the S&B just by feel in the reloader, though. Tough to get the old primer out and tough to neck size. Still works, though.

The S&B casses are harder to size and de-prime.

 

[melensdad]

I've heard you seperate the brass so you'll have a more accurate group

For precision rifle shooting you sort it by manufacturer. Then within each manufacturer you weigh each case and sort out those cases that are too heavy or too light based on your desired standard deviation factor, which for precision should be a minimum deviation. Most often you find one brand that turns the best results, most consistent thickness, most consistent weights, etc and only shoot that brand.

This is not important in most pistol shooting applications. I've loaded tens of thousands of pistol rounds, sorting it for accuracy is not something I worry about with pistol cases.

The only thing I sort for on pistol ammo is to search out damaged cases.

 

[red_zr24x4]

I've been loading 9mm for about 16 yrs. I ...clean, inspect, load...repete

 

[Coaster]

When did all this "small primer" stuff start with 45s? Until recently I had never had a problem except with the nt headstamp. Out of the last 1000 45 cases primed I found over 150 small primer (all Federal). Just what we need - one more variable.

 

[Leo]

The S&B cases are a liitle stiff the first time, but after reloading once, I do not notice any real difference.

Straight wall pistol cartridges do not make much diffence. If you are a precision shooter that can put all ten shots in ithe ten ring on a regulation 50 yard pistol target, you may see a few more "X"s with match quality reloading. Very few will be able to tell the difference. Put a good quality bullet and a consistant reasonable powder charge in a servicable piece of brass, and you will be fine. I have helped a lot of people reload over the years. The people who are the most worried about perfecting every little detail in the ammo are usually the ones that cannot keep it all on a paper plate at 10 yards. Concentrating on the ammo is not what will give the best benefit for your effort. I do not know anyone who seriously dry fire practices these days. In the old days people would tie 5 ibs to their arms and dry fire at a thumb tack in the wall until they felt like their arm would fall off. Do that every other day for several weeks and take a look at how much better groups you will see.

 

[spitfire51]

I have had trouble with federal in 9mm and of course the small primer in 45acp..... I sort my brass in the winter when I am not likely to shoot....

I'd be happy to take all the federal brass you have, you can have my R-P. For some reason I have a hell of a time with the R-P brass the first time through my dies, and even Winchester gives me some issues sometimes. The federal works great though. Haven't used much S&B but from what I can tell it's tough to work with as well.

Having said all that, I don't really put much effort into sorting it all.

 

[redbaron]

Out of the last 1000 45 cases primed I found over 150 small primer (all Federal).

That's exactly what I noticed this evening when I was separating brass. All Federals (and only Federals) were small primer.