9mm revolver brass

[chrislind2]

Just bought a 905 Taurus 9mm revolver. I found that many of my reloads will not chamber in the 905. I discovered that the measurment just above the groove at the bottom of the brass on my reloads was .391 plus or minus. The factory loads which work great measure about .381, and sometimes I get a difference of as much as .012. So the factory loads fall right in and come out fairly easily. My reloads often won't go in far enough to close the cylinder. The measurment on the bullet end is fine, but it seems the resizer doesn't come done on the brass far enough to resize it for this revolver. I sent RCBS an email and I will wait and see what they say. But for now I will have to stick with factory ammo for this gun.
It shoots really well and I am hoping I can get some brass resized so it will work in this gun.

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[BK13]

Redding makes a push-through die that sizes the base of brass, but I want to say it's only available in 40S&W.

 

[BK13]

Yep, my bad. .40 only.

G-Rx Push Thru Base Sizing Die | Redding Reloading Equipment: reloading equipment for rifles, handguns, pistols, revolvers and SAECO bullet casting equipment

 

[deadshot2]

Use a Lee Factory Crimp die. It has a carbide ring that performs a final sizing step. Mine sizes the case right down to the thick web at the base and makes the 9mm loads as consistent as factory loads. It sells from $12 to $20 depending on the "store".

 

[chrislind2]

I appreciate the help. I found that a Lee die will work fine in an RCBS press, I didn't know that. The Lee die at Midway is advertised as a die that does not leave the "belt" at the bottom of the brass, meaning it sizes to the bottom. I will see if Cabela's has one, and if not get that one at Midway. It would be nice to be able to use reloads in this revolver.

 

[Abiqua]

I appreciate the help. I found that a Lee die will work fine in an RCBS press, I didn't know that. The Lee die at Midway is advertised as a die that does not leave the "belt" at the bottom of the brass, meaning it sizes to the bottom. I will see if Cabela's has one, and if not get that one at Midway. It would be nice to be able to use reloads in this revolver.

I purchased my Lee FCD at the Cabela's in Post Falls, Springfield should have one.

 

[zeppelin]

9mm headspaces on the case mouth. So it is the lip of the case around the bullet that stops the forward movement of the cartridge into the chamber. So your used cases are probably too long and need to be trimmed back to proper length. Also you should use a minimal crimp, since excessive crimping (especially into a cannelure) will also mess up proper headspacing.

 

[chrislind2]

That was my first thought that the problem was near the bullet. I measured many of my reloads and not a single one was any larger than the factory rounds near the bullet. I also measured many of the rounds after I fired them for length, most were measured before I reloaded them anyway, and none were even close to being too long.
The only measurement that varied a great deal was at the bottom end of the brass, some as much as .012. There were a small percentage of my reloaded rounds that feel into the chamber just fine, maybe 1/3rd or so. I saved about 10 of my reloads and about 10 of the factory rounds that I bought and measured the heck out of them to find any difference so I could get to the bottom of this problem and once again the bottom of the brass was the only variable. I sent for a Lee sizer die and I am anxious to find out if that will solve this problem.

 

[ma96782]

It might just be that the sizer die is touching the shell holder and preventing the sizer die from going further down on the brass. So.......you might try shaving off some metal from the shell holder. That way the cases will be able to go further into the sizer die. Then.......not all dies are the same. So, look at one brand vs another, the carbide ring is doing the sizing and you'll see some are generous in the mouth area vs others. Same for the steel sizer dies.

This shaving technique may or may not work with a progressive press shell holder.

Anyway, I hope this helps.

Aloha, Mark

 

[chrislind2]

It might just be that the sizer die is touching the shell holder and preventing the sizer die from going further down on the brass. So.......you might try shaving off some metal from the shell holder. That way the cases will be able to go further into the sizer die. Then.......not all dies are the same. So, look at one brand vs another, the carbide ring is doing the sizing and you'll see some are generous in the mouth area vs others. Same for the steel sizer dies.

I thought about this too. I will wait until I get the Lee sizer and see how that goes. It doesn't look to me like grinding the holder would help. The brass is not covered up by the shell holder. You can visibly see the "belt" around the bottom of the brass that is not getting sized even though it goes into the bottom of the sizer. The RCBS sizer definitely has an outward taper on the bottom. You can take a fire brass and put it in the bottom of the sizer and it is loose until it goes in about half way. If the Lee sizer doesn't help I just might grind off that holder.
If that doesn't work I can shoot factory loads and use the brass to reload for my 9mm semi-autos.

 

[BK13]

9mm headspaces on the case mouth. So it is the lip of the case around the bullet that stops the forward movement of the cartridge into the chamber. So your used cases are probably too long and need to be trimmed back to proper length. Also you should use a minimal crimp, since excessive crimping (especially into a cannelure) will also mess up proper headspacing.

I'm sure this is just an oversight, but 9mm bullets should not have a cannelure.

 

[deadshot2]

I'm sure this is just an oversight, but 9mm bullets should not have a cannelure.

Unless you do like some competitors do and shoot .357 bullets in your 9mm.

 

[Lindy]

stevespages.com/page8d.htm
This is a web site for the diminsions on a great number of cartridge cases, look up 9mm parabelum on the chart and you will see what Your cases should measure.
also look up some of the other 9mm (there are many) as you may have some of the "other" Cases mixed in with the ones You'r reloading.

Good Shooting

Lindy

 

[mr.revolverguy]

This is not your brass and no I am not hear to bash taurus as I own this exact same weapon Taurus 905c stainless and I do carry it and trust my life with it. Having said that this is your cylinder, I have the exact same problem as you. But it is not all of your chambers it is only one of them. My factory speer rounds measure .384 at the web my reloads measure .387 if you look at some loading manuals they will tell you a 9mm parabellum should be .391 at the case web, you can verify in the latest Hornady and Speer manuals. I noticed my reloads shot fine in semi auto's but not in my Taurus 905c it was a very tight fit had to push one round down in the chambers. So I took those same reloads and they slipped very easily into my ruger sp101 9mm and my S&W 547 9mm, see a theme hear I love my 9mm revolvers and have since got rid of the 1 and only 9mm semi auto I had. Back to the problem, If you look at your cylinder you should find a X and a 6 stamped close to the ejector star. You are most likely having a problem with the one chamber in between these two marks, and no I am not sure what the mark means or is. I eventually called taurus and explained the problem and they knew exactly what I was talking about and asked me to send it back should take about 2 weeks to fit a new cylinder. I decided to take a chance since they already authorized a return, figured what did I have to lose. Now don't cringe I took out the flitz and mothers mag polish and reached for the dremel and polishing end. I polished the one chamber with the mothers mag first never going to long testing the fit of my reloads. After about 5 minutes worth of polishing stopping every 45 seconds to check guess what it dropped right in. You have to be very careful to only polish the the very edge of the chambers not going to deep and smoothing out your headspace shoulder in the chamber. I then took the flitz and put a nice finish on it. Awesome mission accomplished but it looked a little funny with one nice shiny chamber and the others bead blast finished. On the other chambers I used flitz only just to put and equal shine to all of them. My reloads all drop right in. I had it out to the range shortly after to test function and accuracy and everything was great. No reason for me to now send it back to Taurus.

Hope this helps. I hope to be doing a review of the Taurus 905c soon on my website Day At The Range | Always On Target

 

[deadshot2]

If you look at your cylinder you should find a X and a 6 stamped close to the ejector star. You are most likely having a problem with the one chamber in between these two marks, and no I am not sure what the mark means or is. I eventually called taurus and explained the problem and they knew exactly what I was talking about and asked me to send it back should take about 2 weeks to fit a new cylinder.

It sounds like Taurus is stamping these marks on after the cylonder "chambers" are finished and enough metal is being "upset" into the chamber to interfere with the round. If they'd reverse the process, stamping first then finishing, there'd be no problem.

 

[chrislind2]

I'm not going to say any suggestion is wrong at this point. I will wait for the Lee die and see what happens. I took a variety of factory rounds and some of my prepared and primed brass and some of my fired brass and some of the saved reloaded rounds from my last time at the range. I cannot see that any one chamber in the cylinder is worse than any other. The only stamp I see is not much more than a stamped hole with a raised center. I put a variety of rounds into the cylinder and it was very inconsistent which ones would not fall in and which were tight and which chamber was worse than another. It's like the more I test it the more I believe it is a matter of sizing the brass, but I cannot prove that until an unless the new Lee die sizes the brass in a manner I am hoping it will. If the cylinder is undersized why do the factory rounds fall in and out easily every time in every cylinder? I hope that Lee die gets here soon!

 

[mr.revolverguy]

Let us know how it comes out. Maybe Taurus changed their stamping process and yours is not stamped because let me tell you, you can clearly see the letters on the cylinder on mine. Maybe that's why they wanted to replace my cylinder maybe they have stopped that process?

 

[chrislind2]

I will report what I find out. I'm afraid that Lee sizer may not be here now until Monday. Oh well I can relax this weekend and maybe take another gun to the range. Maybe my Vaquero .45 long Colt. I made a bunch of reloads for that...maybe I better check the fit of those rounds before I go.

 

[chrislind2]

The Midway order won't be here until Tuesday and I had to go to Cabelas for bullets, so I bought a 4 die Lee reloading set. I'm about 98% sure the Lee sizer fixed this problem. After sizing all the brass falls in and out of the Taurus 905 cylinder. The measurement is about .387-.388 after sizing and around .390-.391 before at the base of the brass. So it didn't take much to make the difference needed. I hope I can finish these rounds soon with powder and bullets and that will give the final answer if the problem is fixed.

 

[chrislind2]

I reloaded the Lee sized brass with Winchester 124 gr. bullets and 4.1 gr. of Bullseye powder, and a light crimp. All 107 rounds fall right in and right out of the Taurus 905 cylinder with or without stellar clips.
Yeah I tried every one.
All that is left is to shoot them. I am pretty satisfied that the Lee sizer fixed the problem. I still have an email off to RCBS about this. I wonder what they might say?