Home Forums Reloading Handgun Reloading 9mm Loading - Primer Issue

I've loaded LOTS, and LOTS of rifle cartridges over the years, but I'm new to handgun loading. I'm working up loads for the 9mm (Luger) using 115gr Hornady XTPs and Sport Pistol powder. I loaded 4.5 grains of powder and seated the bullet to an OAL of 1.075". My issue is that some of the primers are being pushed out a little after seating the bullet. My first thought was a compressed load, but at 4.5 grains it's hardly compressed at all. That leads to having loose primer pockets. This is all once-fired Winchester brass, so I would hope the primer pockets aren't loose already, but maybe. I could always try just seating the bullet out farther. Might look a little odd, but as long as it feeds and my OAL is still within spec, I would hope I would be good to go.

Any thoughts/ideas/comments on any of the above would be appreciated. Thanks!

I'd question everything also! Just re-seat the primers and check the next time around. Has to be loose primer pockets. Makes no sense to me!

I've never encountered that problem.

If the primer pockets are that loose they might be falling out. Loose primers are easily determined during primer seating. Either that or they weren't fully seated to begin with.

I wouldn't recommend trying to push those primers back in with the powder in the case...some powder will have leaked into the primer pocket.

I'd pull those bullets and start over, being careful with each step and try to figure what is causing the problem.

I've never had the issue with once fired Wincheter. It's one of my preferred brasses for the 9mm.

Which primer are you using?

Well...like mentioned above, seems that I didn't quite fully-seat the primers to start with. I loaded a bunch of 115gr RN plated bullets prior to the XTPs - same recipe, same Fed 100 primers. I always stand up each cartridge on the bench when it comes off the press and I got zero wobble with any of those. I know the XTPs need to be seated deeper, but the primer was flush in the primer pocket with the platted bullets so I figured everything was fine.

I prepped some new cases and turned out the seater plug of my hand primer one big turn, then loaded some more XTPs. Everything was fine after that. And to my eye, it almost looks like that primer is a hair beyond flush in the primer pocket.

I pulled the previously-loaded bullets, resized and re-expanded, then ran them through the hand primer with the new setting and sure 'nuff - those loaded cartridges came out just fine too. Now - let's just hope everything goes bang!

Thank you all for the help!

If you are intentionally seating your primers to be flush with the case, that's a problem...

You want your primers, both rifle and pistol, to be seated below flush...all the way down to the bottom of the primer pocket.

Because cases vary somewhat, the only way to do this reliably is, as I mentioned, by feel...you can feel the primer bottom out in the bottom of the pocket, and all primers should be seated that way.

That way they go bang all the time.

To Boogaloo...Yep! I plan on working with my primer seater so I get that consistent "feel" of knowing when that primer hits bottom. Thanks!

Bottom the primers out ditch the sport pistol and running be-86

For range loads and polymer coated bullets SP is hard to beat!

BE86 is nice for hotter loads!

I don't know what's going on, but I'd stop until you find out.

I got a set of these primer pocket gauges and wouldn't be without them. Saves guessing about primer pockets and provides some peace of mind. Yeah, I know, "everybody" doesn't use them, but I don't follow the crowd.

https://ballistictools.com/store/swage-gage-small-primer-pocket

Out of stock right now, but seems to be available as part of a set of gauges. See their "Original Products" link. Brownells carries them too.