Pistol reloaders - question?

[itchyTF]

Don’t shoot (reload) pistol much at all. Rifle, yes.
.40 S&W case length is suppose to be .850”. I have brass ranging from around .833 to .844”. Two issues - headspace and crimp. Do I trim all to the shortest length and hope they all fire? Since I use a taper crimp, if I set it for the short case it may overcrimp the long ones. If I set it for the long cases it may under crimp the short ones. What do you people do?

 

[gambleone]

If your already too short, why would you trim the short ones?

 

[OldManTA]

I buy once fired 40 S&W brass, make sure it is clean and load it. I check/set the crimp by using an E&W cartridge gage. Their multiple cartridge gage is a bargain. Since I have been using the gage I have had no feeding nor ignition problems. The loads are used in several different brands of pistol and I have loaded the brass multiple times. Hope that helps.
Tom Alves

 

[gambleone]

Is the .833 and .844 already sized? If not they should grow a bit when sized.

 

[itchyTF]

If your already too short, why would you trim the short ones?

For crimp consistency. These are range brass, most (I suspect) is once fired. They apparently worked once this short.

 

[TexasC]

Order yourself a Dillon case gauge and drop test your full length sized cases if they do not protrude above then proceed to stuff them as normal. I have loaded 10s of thousands of .40 S&W and never put a caliper to a sized case, this in various quality levels from full factory Glocks to Glock custom match barrels, to high end STI. JME good luck!

 

[Hoser]

I load and shoot lots and lots of pistol ammo each year. Some on semi auto and some on full auto.

If you are shooting tin cans and paper targets inside 100 yards with an average over the counter pistol, just load it up and shoot. Set your crimp to the average case length and dont sweat it.

If you are loading an incredibly accurate pistol at extended ranges, there is some benefit to sorting or trimming brass. If not, save the time and brain cells.

 

[gambleone]

For crimp consistency. These are range brass, most (I suspect) is once fired. They apparently worked once this short.

I understand that but if your trimming the short ones, you are going to have a longer variation in the cases.

 

[SSL]

I understand that but if your trimming the short ones, you are going to have a longer variation in the cases.

The question was if he should trim all to match the shortest ones, not trim the short ones too.

 

[gambleone]

The question was if he should trim all to match the shortest ones, not trim the short ones too.

Brain fart. Need more coffee. Your right. Read it wrong.

 

[alf]

If you are shooting tin cans and paper targets inside 100 yards with an average over the counter pistol, just load it up and shoot. Set your crimp to the average case length and don't sweat it.

This is my routine......

 

[GLShooter]

I would just load and shoot. The crimp doesn't have to be heavy and won't make a discernable difference IMHO. I've shot 45 for decades and it's certainly all over tge map. Hasn't kept me from. Winning a truck load of medals and trophies.

 

[SKWERLZ]

Don’t overthink it
Load em up and shoot!

 

[three percent]

Also with taper crimp your it really crimping simply ironing out or straightening the case flare.no need to dig into to bullets

 

[SKWERLZ]

Also with taper crimp your it really crimping simply ironing out or straightening the case flare.no need to dig into to bullets

Exactly

 

[itchyTF]

Don’t overthink it

That’s one of my problems - analysis paralysis.

 

[fkimble@charter.net]

Clean em, size em, expand em just enough to get a bullet lightly started, seat the bullet and "crimp" just enough to make the case side straight. Verify the round is short enough to fit in the mags and not to long where the bullet hits the rifling. Can prime before or after the expanding.

I prefer Lyman "M" die for expanding. OAL may need adjusting for best feeding. And after over 50 years loading handgun ammo, I have never trimmed a single piece, including match ammo, including 45ACP and 38 Spcl.

Frank

 

[jds holler]

Worst thing I ever did was trying to make my 357 brass more consistent by trimming about 80% of the longest ones to match about 20% of the shortest ones.
Wellll... wait a minute -- there was the time that I actually married a REAL blonde that looked like Suzanne Somers, because --- oh Lord, I don't know.
jd