just ordered my dies

[mekender]

Here is my suggestion for you. That being said, before you do anyhting else you need to get this

When you have read every page regarding the reloading process and the theory behind it, you are ready to start doing something productive.

Don't ignore that advice, Your face, hands, perhaps even your life are at stake. If that isn't enough to convince you: you could mess up your gun.

oh i completely agree... for the press i have an old lyman single stage that was given to me... so that is covered...

[mekender]

ok so perhaps i am a total noob at this... but... the lee site says no crimp die needed... the guy that taught the basics of the process to me didnt crimp any that we loaded that night, and they have shot just fine... and now on here i am being told to crimp them...

somewhere there is a difference of thought in this process and i am confused by it.

Tell ya what, it's been a good day, I'm in a good mood.
E-Mail me and I'll give you the 1st Edition Lee Modern Reloading Manual for shipping cost.

wow, thanks...

[mekender]

ok so i ran through about 15 or so peices of brass last night... just decapping and playing with the dies, trying to get familiar with how things operate...

lessons:

1) my 1/2" MDF desktop is not sturdy enough for a press.
2) military primers are a bitch
3) primers are tiny and hard to find on a floor
4) dont take dies apart and then try to see how the parts interact with casings... stuck casings are a pain in the ass to remove if they arent in the press.
5) the sizing and expanding done on 9mm cases is tiny and damn near impossible to see

ok so i can solve #s 1 and 4 myself...

but #2... how hard should military primers be to get out? the one i tried made me give up because i was afraid i would break the top off my desk... the primer is bulged out about 1/16 of an inch below the flat surface of the casing

#3... what is a good method to keep primers from landing all over the floor?

#5... is that normal?

[Combat Controller]

9mm military? Berdan or Boxer primed?

The Berdan primer is currently the European standard and often found on lots of Milsurp. South African is a good example of this.

In a Berdan primed case the mixture is contained in a simple cup. The anvil is a part of the primer pocket of the case, and is centrally located in the pocket. This necessitates two flash holes off center, rather than the centrally located one in Boxer.

In the Boxer, the primer is self contained in that the anvil is a separate piece, placed in the cup above the mixture. The primer pocket has no anvil, and has a centrally located flash hole about twice the size of the off center holes in the Berdan primed stuff.

Boxer is what us reloaders use, as the other stuff requires a suction/compression type setup that is not really worth getting into. Remember to check that when reloading, a stron light and peering in the empty case ought to tell you, or a + headstamp, which not always, but sometimes will tell you that your NATO ammo might be foreign made.

That or you could not put enough leverage on it. You need a sturdy table for reloading.

[Fivetoes]

Military primers can be a bitch but no way impossible. Many use an aftermarket decapping die for a bit more robustness. Decapping pins will break, RCBS will send a package of five, gratis if asked. No 4 finish nail works too.
Warning: on military brass, make sure it isn't Berdan primed, needs special decapping and special primers. Two flash holes is Berden.

Spent primers do get around. Don't work on carpet. Most presses have a catcher of some sort that may or may not work. I put a waste basket undre my press and catch most.

I have never re-loaded 9mm. But there shouldn't be much change in case size. Just make sure a bullet doesn't drop into the re-sized case.