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Old April 13, 2012, 07:15 PM   #1
jwrowland77
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At Range with First ever reloads.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1334362486.750543.jpg Can someone tell me real quick what the ring around the top means? This is on all the reloads I have shot. I just want to make sure it's not over pressure or anything.
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Old April 13, 2012, 07:16 PM   #2
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I am shooting 9mm FMJ with Unique powder charge. These were from 5.2.
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Old April 13, 2012, 07:42 PM   #3
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I'd be worried about the ring and the bright indentation.

Something stuck in chamber? Using the correct brass?

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Old April 13, 2012, 07:44 PM   #4
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Yes using correct brass. Nothing stuck in chamber. Been using snake between each increase in load.
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Old April 13, 2012, 07:45 PM   #5
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Could it be too tight of crimp?
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Old April 13, 2012, 07:48 PM   #6
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Looks like a light load, Unique burns cleaner at top end of the charts ; ) PS Looks like your using a LFC Die JMO
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Old April 13, 2012, 07:49 PM   #7
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Ah ok. It seems to be shooting better the further I go up, but it's still leaving a kind of smoke ring at the top of the case.
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Old April 13, 2012, 08:10 PM   #8
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all my reloaded 9mm always leaves the smoke ring... That with feedback I've gotten from others, I dont worry about it.... you didnt mention how heavy a bullet you were loading...
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Old April 13, 2012, 08:10 PM   #9
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Your pressure could be too low to fully expand the case to the chamber, thus powder burning/fouling the case itself.
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Old April 13, 2012, 08:19 PM   #10
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Loading a 115 FMJ.

Update: it did pretty much had the same ring around the case from 5.0 grains to 6.1 grains, but I did notice that the case were cleaner as the pressure went up but left the same ring around the case exactly in the same spot at the top.
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Old April 13, 2012, 08:33 PM   #11
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ImageUploadedByTapatalk1334367065.626058.jpgthis is the 9mm 115gn FMJ at 21 feet. Unique powder 5.9. OAL 1.162. What I'm wondering about is the gold ring around the top. All in the same spot. Is this normal for reloads...crimping too hard...crimping too little? Any ideas what may be causing this.
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Old April 13, 2012, 08:35 PM   #12
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ImageUploadedByTapatalk1334367313.010545.jpg. Everything thing the same as above except it's Unique powder 6.1 grains. Notice the cases still have the gold ring at the top. ???
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Old April 13, 2012, 08:59 PM   #13
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Can you show a close up of the case mouth and case wall in a silhouette?
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Old April 13, 2012, 09:23 PM   #14
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ImageUploadedByTapatalk1334370155.424825.jpg. Heres the best I could do. Just ran my fingers over the end and it feels smaller than the rest of the case.
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Old April 13, 2012, 09:26 PM   #15
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ImageUploadedByTapatalk1334370313.258690.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1334370394.487445.jpg. Here's another couple pictures.
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Old April 13, 2012, 09:31 PM   #16
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ImageUploadedByTapatalk1334370619.077180.jpgdecided to add a pic of the primers if that helps. These are from the max load I did of 6.1 of unique over 115 grain 9mm FMJ.
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Old April 13, 2012, 09:32 PM   #17
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It looks like the case mouth is indeed belled inwards for a tiny portion of the case length, and I've never seen this before. Does anyone have experience with this?
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Old April 13, 2012, 09:34 PM   #18
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It didn't appear to me that the primer appeared like it was over pressured though....does it?
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Old April 13, 2012, 10:02 PM   #19
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It didn't at all. This is why I'm asking for someone Else's opinion, as I've not seen this. Hang tight, someone might have an answer.
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Old April 13, 2012, 11:13 PM   #20
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Looks odd to me. Have you checked inside your barrel's chamber to see if there is a ring in it?
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Old April 13, 2012, 11:30 PM   #21
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yea looks odd... lets see some loaded rounds.... how much are you crimping these?
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Old April 13, 2012, 11:37 PM   #22
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ImageUploadedByTapatalk1334378223.808940.jpgI didn't figure I'm crimping all that much. I followed the instructions to the T I thought. I noticed when I pulled the bullet from the dummy round I made, there was a light line in the bullet itself from where the mouth of the case was. I have added a picture of a loaded one prior to shooting. I don't have any more loaded up right now.
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Old April 13, 2012, 11:48 PM   #23
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yea those crimps look fine, just wanted to be sure.
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Old April 13, 2012, 11:52 PM   #24
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The pictures of loaded rounds look totally normal to me, as do the primers in the fired rounds. As for the ring and the belling, I would have said "overcrimp" except for the pictures of the loaded rounds. I might buy a box of cheapo factory ammo and fire it to compare.

Actually, I wonder : it's very easy for the eye to get fooled by dark/light contrasts. I could see that confusing the issue here when we look at those pictures (making it -seem- like it's smooshed inwards at the mouth when it really isn't).

Do this:

- Measure the width of the case at the head, the middle and the mouth (with calipers). See if there's really a significant difference.

- Tumble the crap out of a few rounds. Like 6 hours to get maximum brightness. Post new pictures of that.

I wouldn't be surprised if there's actually no squeezing at the case head and it's totally a visual artefact. As for the ring, that really looks like an indentation that comes from the chamber. Firing a few factory rounds woudl confirm.


Edit 2 : Here's an even better theory. I bet the -middle- of the brass is bulged, making it appear as if the mouth is squeezed, when it is really normal. If that's the case, it might potentially indicate an irregular chamber shape. Measure with calipers. And again, I would want to see some comparisons with fired factory ammo.
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Old April 14, 2012, 12:32 AM   #25
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I'm glad it wasn't just me that saw the inward belling. I agree with the above in shooting a few factory rounds, and also measuring the sent casings with a micrometer. Let us know what You discover; I'm anxious to know.
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Last edited by Lead Express; April 14, 2012 at 12:37 AM.
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