New to LugerForum and reloading 9mm...

[DCCUK]

New to LugerForum and reloading 9mm x 19mm Para...
Have owned a P '08 for some time now but always bought factory ammo in the past. As I reload quite a few other cals thought it was about time to try 9 x19...
Using Lee dies resized a whole load of used once brass, capped with Fed S/P primers and with 4gr of Bullseye ran into problems as soon as I started seating bullets - both FMJ .3555" dia and cast lead .3565" dia caused visible case swelling just below the neck.
How critical is the .380" dia shown in all the manuals?
Any tips would be appreciated - maybe should I buy a factory-crimp die?

DCCUK

[Johnny C. Kitchens]

I can recommend that you try the factory crimp die. I believe it helps performance, but it won't get rid of the bulge. Do the rounds chamber? I believe that the taper of the case causes some strange reloading differences that other cartridges don't have. I see the bulge you are seeing, but the still function fine, in my Luger and my friends Glock...

[DCCUK]

Many thanks to both Rick and Johhny for posting so promptly ....

I checked and reset the dies (mounted in a Lee Turrent which is the press I use for all my pistol cal and .233) resized, "re-belled" and, I think this was the problem, reduced the crimp to virtually nil* and achieved .380" dia (and slightly below - down to .377") at the mouth with very little distortion showing on the case walls with OAL of 1.169" with a 125gr RNL. (*The Vectan Manual states No Crimp?)
So I hope to have 9 x 19 cracked.... but will let you know as I going to the range Sunday and carry out some (careful) testing... intially with a Lahti M35 before using the P '08.

Again, many thanks for the good advice.

BR DCCUK

[davidkachel]

Originally posted by tacfoley
...I had to hand in 118 handguns, all but one of which was made after 1918, including a P/35 Lahti and a M/40 Husqvarna.

Geez Tac, every time you tell that story I break out in a cold sweat.
I'm not at all sure I wouldn't have opened fire under the same circumstances. Hats off to your self-restraint, though I'm betting you probably regret it.

If it were up to me, all British and Australian gun collectors would have gotten free entry into the US as resident political refugees.

The day will come when those governments realize they did a monumentally stupid thing, but that will be too late and won't put back any of the private property stolen under the guise of law. (Doesn't anyone in the British government remember a nasty little sonofabitch named A. Hitler or the weasely, appeasing prime minister who helped to empower him?)

I just don't know where governments get off assuming that they own their citizens and their property.

[DCCUK]

Hello tac

You must be a wealthy man? 118 Hand-Ins - that must have cost the Tax Payer?
I made a "profit" when I handed in my Model 29 and Woodsman - my only two "modern" guns at that time.

I keep/store my Heritage Pistols (Luger P '08 , Lahti M35, Walther PP RFV. Webley 25acp and S & W Model 52 among others) at the UK NRA Bisley Amory. The HBSA/NRA have kindly set up a reloading facility with Lee Turret presses at the Melville Range, where, using a Lee Turret with pre-set dies/die holder (that's what all the discussion was about as 9mm is far more critical than 38Spl HBWC) and with pre-primed cases it's suprising how quick you can assemble good quality target rounds. I used to buy various 9mm factory at Bisley but thought my 1917 Luger would appreciate some softer reloads - plus I now have a bucket load of 9mm Boxer brass.
I still buy 25acp and 32acp - it's just too small and fidderly to reload.

n.b. The Lahti is especially mentioned in Home Office docs of being of "Technical Interest" - you must have seen The List?

But join the HBSA and (UK)NRA and you too could be shooting a Luger, Lahti or even a S & W Model 52 again.
BTW - What's your primary club called?

DCCUK

[davidkachel]

Originally posted by DCCUK
I made a "profit" when I handed in my Model 29 and Woodsman - my only two "modern" guns at that time.

I keep/store my Heritage Pistols (Luger P '08 , Lahti M35, Walther PP RFV. Webley 25acp and S & W Model 52 among others) at the UK NRA Bisley Amory.
DCCUK

Let me preface this by asking you to please not take offense DCCUK. That is not my intent, though my remarks may make it seem so... (one of the risks of communicating only with text)

It is difficult if not impossible for many Americans to understand how anyone can NOT equate the free and open possession of firearms with liberty. Throughout history and without exception, the first step to totalitarianism has always been to disarm the populace. Had they paid you a million pounds each for your weapons, you still would not have "profited" because your liberty was part of the deal.

Can you take your Luger or Lahti home with you whenever you want to? Can you carry one for protection if you feel threatened? If not, then "you" don't keep them anywhere. The government keeps them in a facility to which you have limited access and where they loan "their" guns (not really yours) to you on occasion and under strict supervision. You did not surrender some of your guns, you surrendered them all. You're just allowed to occasionally "visit" some of them. This is no different than if they had seized your dog, but allow you to occasionally visit him at the petting zoo.

It is unfortunate the British do not have anything like our 2nd Ammendment to hold off the onslaught of the mindless politically-correct who would happily disarm us all. The 2nd Ammendment is not and never has been about hunting, collecting or target shooting. It is there for one reason, and one reason only: because the framers of our Constitution knew that liberty could not last long unless citizens could maintain the ability to resist, with violence, a government gone out of control.

The fact that a country does not have protection for firearms ownership in its constitution alters nothing. A government that wants your guns, wants your liberty. When they have your guns, they have your liberty.

(As you may have guessed, this is a topic that gets me pretty hot under the collar. Freedom is a precious thing for which a great many American and British citizens have sacrificed their lives. Freedom can be protected only with firearms and in my opinion, anyone who wants my firearms deserves the kind of response the framers of the US Constitution would expect from me.)

[davidkachel]

Originally posted by tacfoley
Any more of these well-intentioned reminders of how unlucky we are, how spineless we are, and how lacking in self-respect we are, and I am gone for good.
tac

Tac, it was never my intention to offend anyone, imply any character flaws or tell you what I think you should do/should have done. My apologies if you took offense.

I do however absolutely have to know: what is a "spotty yoof"?

[DCCUK]

Hello David & tac

Sincerely hope I haven't upset anyone with my comments on the "GPR" i.e. Great Pistol Robbery aka "Hand-In". It pained me greatly at the time - my hand-ins were but a speck in the ocean compared to tac's. However, having lived and worked in both the USA and Japan while attached to the USMC Air Wing I think I'm fairly well qualified to comment on the shooting scene in these countries that I'm moderately happy with the current situation in the UK - as tac says - If we wish to live here, we have to abide by the laws. (However, some Muslims here do not seem to agree...........)
Try living in Japan and owning any sort of firearm. Both Marines and civilians were advised not to take any personal firearms to Japan. Everybody went out and bought trail bikes and made a nuisance of ourselves in the hills of Iwakuni/Yamaguchi-ken... But that's another story.

tac mentions The Phoenix event , held annually at Bisley, where I competed last year with a brand new Taurus Model 456 in 45acp LBR - didn't do very well with factory ammo but this year with the LBR well "run-in", home-brew ammo ammo, the "leather" and copious quantities of modified S & W moonclips I may be in with more of a chance.
see you there? I shall try to fir in a Section 1 Shotgun/slug event too as I want try out my Winchester Model 12 in competition -unfortunately I won't be using my Luger (or Lahti)

Re: "the spotty yoof" - I'm sure that "Fred the Lead" the NRA Armourer and his very able assistants at Bisley, Guardians of MY Heritage Pistols could hardly be described as such and between them have a veritable cornucopia of knowledge and experience in firearms of all types. It's the one consolation, Heritage Pistol does not attract spotty yoofs - no plastic pistols allowed and not a micro-chip in sight.....

BTW - I know of a very nice 1915 P '08 up for sale at the moment - delivery in the UK to your "Designated Site" can be arranged....it would be an excellent way start to a Heritage Collection - that and anything in 455...

BR DCCUK

[davidkachel]

Originally posted by tacfoley
OK, Mr Kachel - all over now and forgotten.

A 'spotty yoof' is a young male person with acne. 'Yoof' is the Estuary English pronunciation of the word 'youth' - a descriptive word that is both an noun and an adjective in PE - perceived English, as in 'Police are seeking four youths who were seen running away from the scene of the accident...'

tac, deep in snow

Ah! On this side of the pond, NY only as far as I know, it's "yoot", sans spots.

[davidkachel]

Originally posted by DCCUK
Hello David & tac

Sincerely hope I haven't upset anyone with my comments on the "GPR" i.e. Great Pistol Robbery aka "Hand-In".BR DCCUK

Don't give it a second thought. This is the second time I have unwittingly upset Tac, on the same topic.
If I may be so presumptive as to speak for Tac, I think it is a combination of the fact that Tac is still stinging from his loss (duh!), and that I get extremely upset at the thought of any government, anywhere, grabbing anyone's guns; yours, mine, anybody's... to the point where I shoot my mouth off when I probably shouldn't.

I take the seizure of Tac's guns and yours, very personally. Dumb I know. But that's just the way I react.
An assault against your liberty is an assault against mine.

Anyhow, rest assured that I am 100% in your corner and Tac's. The fact I may be standing there with my foot in my mouth is something I hope can be overlooked.

[Hugh]

David,

If you think that it can't happen here, just look at the bunch in Congress after the last election and imagine them plus Hillary as president! Remember one of the first things the new Democratic majority did was get rid of Bolton, one of the few opponents to global gun ban in the UN.

[DCCUK]

Us guys have got to be on our guard on both sides of the pond...

Judging by the amount of coverage she gets in the UK media you'd think she was running for PM over here...and we've already had a supposedly female PM - Quote:- Perhaps the most significant British politician in recent political history, she is also one of the most divisive, and was both loved and loathed by citizens from across the political spectrum. (see Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Thatcher) who was in power when our self-loading full-bore rifles were confiscated.

Don't know if this will work...and doesn't offend anyone... I lifted it from the "other" Forum.....

http://www.cafepress.com/rightwingstuff.83023795

DCCUK