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Same OAL with the shiny cases? Does the base fit in the gauge if you flip
the round and try it base first? I load that bullet long for 9 major (1.175)
and I had to throat my case gauge a bit to get the longer rounds to drop
in. Coat one with a sharpie and give it a spin to see what the holdup is.

Take a look at a EGW or Lee U die for sizing.
 
None are resized but the few I did resize when I checked earlier gauged fine, none hung up in the gauge.

I tried both the brass and nickel in the gauge after I resized a dozen or so, all the nickel did not pass QC, the brass did.
Just to ensure clarity...

The nickle cases did not guage AFTER resizing but BEFORE loading? In other words, and unloaded, resized case failed?

I have no idea what would cause that only with nickle cases when the die and methods used are the same as when using brass cases.

I've reloaded many thousands of nickle plated cases over the years without a y issues whatsoever.

Now, assuming the above is not the case and the nickle cases are dimensionality correct
...

It does look to me that your bullets are seated long (picture in post 10). The shape of those hollow points required a bit shorter OAL than a typical RN profile.

But ... if you use the same OAL with the same bullet and the brass cases guage and the nickle does not the problem lies elsewhere.

I'd try reseating some of those rounds a few thousands deeper and test again. I'm betting this is your issue. If you see the round deeper in the guage but still not flush keep nudging the bullet deeper until it fits.

Go slow as you reseat and you will be fine since you used a taper crimp. Test before recrimping and keep going until the proper depth is.obtained.

Then crimp and test again to see if your crimping method is causing problems. With the Lee FCD and can't see how that would be, but who knows without testing?
 
I've never owned a case gauge, I use my pistol barrel as a gauge because that what my handloads have to fit. I've used a variety of 9 mm dies made by RCBS, Lyman and Lee and 99% of everything I load are my own cast bullet sized to .357" as long as I set the OAL correctly they plunk just fine in my barrels regardless of what brand or type brass I use.
 
I'll do a plunk test this afternoon after returning from Tacompton.
That's the first thing I'd try brother. Case gauges can be tight. That's why I just usually use my Barrel chamber. Interestingly, I can make just about any 9 mm that will fit my Walther CCP but they won't all necessarily fit in my Ruger PC carbine. The carbine is tighter in the chamber and more finicky about bullet profile.
 
That's the first thing I'd try brother. Case gauges can be tight. That's why I just usually use my Barrel chamber. Interestingly, I can make just about any 9 mm that will fit my Walther CCP but they won't all necessarily fit in my Ruger PC carbine. The carbine is tighter in the chamber and more finicky about bullet profile.
Well the plunk test (barrel) did not work at all in fact I had to punch the bullet out with a rod. The next test I measured from head to the curvature of the bullet (seated at 1.120") which showed that edge was actually hitting on the case gauge.
I was told when loading these Montana gold bullets to use the load data for XTP bullets. As far as the powder weight it was fine but the COAL is wrong. In the book under 124g XTP bullets it shows the COAL at 1.120", obviously that did not work so taking the advice of one members I tried to seat it deeper by .010 increments. Gradually I noticed the bullets rounds were sitting lower in the case gauge with every adjustment and the magic number was 1.095" seating depth to pass the go-no go test.
Oh and to another member advising me to see if the head fits into the case gauge, indeed it does thanks.
Thanks to all who Gave their advice. It's all been entered into the memory banks, how long it stays there is up for debate. Just to make sure I'll go ahead and write this in my loading book. Lol

0FB96DA0-081F-4EBF-BBFF-B0A11C2A8C4A.jpeg A2472896-3511-4B82-B392-B446105305C7.jpeg C26262DA-08E5-475F-A218-42EFC1F1B783.jpeg
 
Well the plunk test (barrel) did not work at all in fact I had to punch the bullet out with a rod. The next test I measured from head to the curvature of the bullet (seated at 1.120") which showed that edge was actually hitting on the case gauge.
I was told when loading these Montana gold bullets to use the load data for XTP bullets. As far as the powder weight it was fine but the COAL is wrong. In the book under 124g XTP bullets it shows the COAL at 1.120", obviously that did not work so taking the advice of one members I tried to seat it deeper by .010 increments. Gradually I noticed the bullets rounds were sitting lower in the case gauge with every adjustment and the magic number was 1.095" seating depth to pass the go-no go test.
Oh and to another member advising me to see if the head fits into the case gauge, indeed it does thanks.
Thanks to all who Gave their advice. It's all been entered into the memory banks, how long it stays there is up for debate. Just to make sure I'll go ahead and write this in my loading book. Lol

View attachment 1352866 View attachment 1352867 View attachment 1352868
There you go. So it wasn't the case it was the bullet profile if I understand you correctly?
 
When I started loading 9mm I had a Glock 17 with a stock barrel so that was my plunk tester, then I got a lone wolf barrel and had to adjust the seating depth. One of my customers early on told me none of my 9mm ammo would work in any of his Sigs. So I did some research and bought a West German Sig P-6 , they were known to only like to shoot NATO 115gr ammo. That is my current plunk testing barrel and the 125gr TC bullets I use are seated to the 1.095 measurement. I don't hot rod them, the 125's are a little over 1100 fps and shoot great. I stick to that load with that bullet and that depth and sell thousands of them.
 
I never had a problem loading XTP's or the RNFP's in the past so I never really thought seating depth would be the problem with these bullets.
But hey, I learned something today and I will continue learning.
 
Well, if it was easy anyone would do it. Even something like XTP's and Speer Gold Dots have a different profile. What it is, is that in the chamber of the barrel there is a step the the case mouth indexes on beyond that is the free bore and then the rifling starts. When seating the bullet you don't want to seat the bullet so deep the you are past the fat part so you must leave some of the fat part out of the case. That fat part is what occupies the free bore but if it sticks out too far (loaded too long) the bullet (fat part) hits the rifling and the round won't chamber. The taper is called the olgive and the critical measurement we are talking about is the distance between the olgive and the case mouth. Of course we set that by the OAL but this is what we are really fixing and different olgive shapes will have different OAL's but the olgive to case mouth will be mostly the same .
 
Just to ensure clarity...

The nickle cases did not guage AFTER resizing but BEFORE loading? In other words, and unloaded, resized case failed?

I have no idea what would cause that only with nickle cases when the die and methods used are the same as when using brass cases.

I've reloaded many thousands of nickle plated cases over the years without a y issues whatsoever.

Now, assuming the above is not the case and the nickle cases are dimensionality correct
...

It does look to me that your bullets are seated long (picture in post 10). The shape of those hollow points required a bit shorter OAL than a typical RN profile.

But ... if you use the same OAL with the same bullet and the brass cases guage and the nickle does not the problem lies elsewhere.

I'd try reseating some of those rounds a few thousands deeper and test again. I'm betting this is your issue. If you see the round deeper in the guage but still not flush keep nudging the bullet deeper until it fits.

Go slow as you reseat and you will be fine since you used a taper crimp. Test before recrimping and keep going until the proper depth is.obtained.

Then crimp and test again to see if your crimping method is causing problems. With the Lee FCD and can't see how that would be, but who knows without testing?
Bingo. This was the problem! Thanks for planting a seed to check out.
 
Jim,
I'm going to add my nickel's worth here

Please check the case rim for any deformation. I've had failures to fit in ammo checkers due to an out of round and out of spec case rim. One that was grabbed too hard by an extractor, crushed by rocks and feet or just abuse.

Edit; I see you found a solution.
 
Whip out the calipers and start measuring those two side by side on all angles. You'll find something, then you'll know from there.

Also, these case gauges help see where something is off. (Sorry 9 is currently out of stock.)

Well the plunk test (barrel) did not work at all in fact I had to punch the bullet out with a rod. The next test I measured from head to the curvature of the bullet (seated at 1.120") which showed that edge was actually hitting on the case gauge.
I was told when loading these Montana gold bullets to use the load data for XTP bullets. As far as the powder weight it was fine but the COAL is wrong. In the book under 124g XTP bullets it shows the COAL at 1.120", obviously that did not work so taking the advice of one members I tried to seat it deeper by .010 increments. Gradually I noticed the bullets rounds were sitting lower in the case gauge with every adjustment and the magic number was 1.095" seating depth to pass the go-no go test.
Oh and to another member advising me to see if the head fits into the case gauge, indeed it does thanks.
Thanks to all who Gave their advice. It's all been entered into the memory banks, how long it stays there is up for debate. Just to make sure I'll go ahead and write this in my loading book. Lol

View attachment 1352866 View attachment 1352867 View attachment 1352868
Jim, the linked gauge would have shown the bullet hitting the throat.
 
Jim,
I'm going to add my nickel's worth here

Please check the case rim for any deformation. I've had failures to fit in ammo checkers due to an out of round and out of spec case rim. One that was grabbed too hard by an extractor, crushed by rocks and feet or just abuse.

Edit; I see you found a solution.
Yeah I definitely had that problem with processing 223 and 556 which every one is case gauge checked. It's just my way of making sure that if I do sell some they will be ready to load.
 
Yeah and the books don't cover everything. When you get a stinker like that that doesn't fit you kind of have to scratch your head and readjust your powder charge. You didn't have too many of those loaded already did you?
No, I had just started loading the nickel cases.
I have a couple hundred that I loaded with brass last year but when I labeled them I forgot to ad the OAL and didn't think to measure until the light went on. :oops: They were 1.090".
 
Here is the same thing, only different. Everyone knows for rifles you want to seat the bullets at a certain distance from the rifling. But what about a magazine fed rifle, you can't go too long or the rounds won't fit in the magazine. My solution is to go with round nose bullets instead of the more tapered ones.
 
It surely would have if I would have had one. Thanks for the link.
Now that I have a better understanding with these MG bullets I know what to do.
Thanks brother
You might be able to modify your current gauge. Just take a cut out so you can see the round interfacing with the internal dimensions.
 

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