.380 auto dies for 9mm Luger?

[Archilochus]

Hi all,
Just picked up a good deal on a Dillon 550 press and am anxious to get started.
The press came with a huge pile of 9mm brass, bullets, primers, powder, etc - as well as a toolhead & dies that the former owner had marked with a sharpie "9mm".

When I was setting it up, I noticed that the Dillon dies are stamped "380 auto"

Was the former owner nuts to be using .380 auto dies to reload 9mm Luger - or is that normal practice?

Thanks for any info.

 

[DukeInFlorida]

You do NOT use .380 dies for loading 9mm Luger.

Hi all,
Just picked up a good deal on a Dillon 550 press and am anxious to get started.
The press came with a huge pile of 9mm brass, bullets, primers, powder, etc - as well as a toolhead & dies that the former owner had marked with a sharpie "9mm".

When I was setting it up, I noticed that the Dillon dies are stamped "380 auto"

Was the former owner nuts to be using .380 auto dies to reload 9mm Luger - or is that normal practice?

Thanks for any info.

 

[QRUarmory]

WOW you better check all the stuff you got from him.

 

[gerrycaruso]

.380 is not only shorter,it's also smaller in diameter than 9mm. It's the same diameter as the .223.

 

[Realtor MA]

.380 is not only shorter,it's also smaller in diameter than 9mm. It's the same diameter as the .223.

Say what?

ETA - I haven't loaded in a long time but I believe I used to use the same die set for .380 and 9mm. All you have to do is adjust the dies for the various differences in case length, oal etc.

 

[dsm]

.380 is not only shorter,it's also smaller in diameter than 9mm. It's the same diameter as the .223.

No, they are both 0.355 give or take 0.001 or so.

 

[EddieCoyle]

ETA - I haven't loaded in a long time but I believe I used to use the same die set for .380 and 9mm. All you have to do is adjust the dies for the various differences in case length, oal etc.

If you did, you were doing it wrong.

They're different. The 9mm is a tapered case, the .380 is straight. The .380 brass is also thinner. If you resize a .380 case with a 9mm die, you won't be squeezing it back enough. The base of the 9mm is wider. It uses a different shellholder. The smaller .380 uses the same shellholder as the .223 - as Gerry Caruso correctly pointed out.

No, they are both 0.355 give or take 0.001 or so.

The bullets, but not the brass. See above.

 

[T(1)of(3)]

Comparison:

9mm Luger:
Bullet diameter: 0.356 in.
Case Length: 0.754 in.
Overall Length: 1.169 in.
Base Diameter: 0.391 in.
Usual Bullet weights: 115 to 147 grains

.380 Auto:
Bullet Diameter: 0.355 in.
Case Length: 0.680 in.
Overall Length: 0.984 in.
Base Diameter: 0.374 in.
Usual Bullet Weights: 90 to 95 grains.

So although they shoot virtually the same diameter bullet the .380 is not the equivalent of the 9x19 (9mm Luger or Parabellum). Dies are not interchangeable.

EDIT: Sure...while I was busy typing out all of the info...EC went back and added a picture. Pictures are better

 

[Realtor MA]

If you did, you were doing it wrong.

They're different. The 9mm is a tapered case, the .380 is straight. The .380 brass is also thinner. If you resize a .380 case with a 9mm die, you won't be squeezing it back enough. The base of the 9mm is wider. It uses a different shellholder. The smaller .380 uses the same shellholder as the .223 - as Gerry Caruso correctly pointed out.

The bullets, but not the brass. See above.

All good info. Clearly I was wrong. Now I'm wondering if I actually did use the same die set or if I just think I did. I'll have to look for my old recipe book.

 

[Gammon]

Comparison:

9mm Luger:
Bullet diameter: 0.356 in.
Case Length: 0.754 in.
Overall Length: 1.169 in.
Base Diameter: 0.391 in.
Usual Bullet weights: 115 to 147 grains

.380 Auto:
Bullet Diameter: 0.355 in.
Case Length: 0.680 in.
Overall Length: 0.984 in.
Base Diameter: 0.374 in.
Usual Bullet Weights: 90 to 95 grains.

So although they shoot virtually the same diameter bullet the .380 is not the equivalent of the 9x19 (9mm Luger or Parabellum). Dies are not interchangeable.

EDIT: Sure...while I was busy typing out all of the info...EC went back and added a picture. Pictures are better

9mm bullets (jacketed) are not .356. they are .355. You can use the same shell plate for 380 and 9mm. I know because an an occasional 380 case gets into my 550 when I am loading 9mm and it will make its way through the reloading cycle with no problems, except that the 380 case is too short to operate the powder measure.

Based on my experience you could load 380 with 9mm dies as long as you adjusted the powder measure die to drop powder. I see no reason why you couldn't also reload 9mm with 380 dies.

 

[gerrycaruso]

I too have had a .380 case end up in the 9mm cases and it goes through the 650 fine but thats not the problem.The problem is that the .380 uses a smaller shell plate than the 9mm. The 9mm shell plate will work on something as small as a .380 case but if you try to size a .223 using a 9mm shell plate it will sometimes pull the rim off and stick in the die. I've loaded all 3 calibers for a long time. If you want to load .380,save yourself the headaches and get the correct dies and shell plate.;

 

[DukeInFlorida]

Gammon, do the diameters shown in the images of the two cases immediately above your post look like they have the same dimensions???

No to my eyes they don't. Different dies.

Based on my experience you could load 380 with 9mm dies as long as you adjusted the powder measure die to drop powder. I see no reason why you couldn't also reload 9mm with 380 dies.

 

[jar]

9mm bullets (jacketed) are not .356. they are .355. You can use the same shell plate for 380 and 9mm. I know because an an occasional 380 case gets into my 550 when I am loading 9mm and it will make its way through the reloading cycle with no problems, except that the 380 case is too short to operate the powder measure.

Based on my experience you could load 380 with 9mm dies as long as you adjusted the powder measure die to drop powder. I see no reason why you couldn't also reload 9mm with 380 dies.

Did you safely and reliably shoot said 380 after making it?

 

[Archilochus]

Thanks for all the replies! Lots of good info.

 

[Zappa]

Thanks for all the replies! Lots of good info.

How can conflicting info be good?

I've been reloading 9mm and .380 on my Dillon 550 for many years and I don't believe the dies are interchangeable between calibers. If you look at the cartridge dimension charts EC posted, you'll notice that the 9mm case is .017" wider at the base than the .380. It's also .007" wider at the case mouth because it's a tapered case. However, the 9mm takes a bullet of .3555" diameter while the .380's spec calls for slightly larger .3565" bullet.
if you run a 9mm into a .380 resizing die, it simply won't go in the full length of the case. If you manage to do so, and not get the case stuck, your 9mm case will now be .017" undersize for the chamber.
Now, if you try it the other way around and run a .380 into your 9mm dies, it won't resize the case back down to the desired dimension. I'm positive of this because I've had a few .380's slip in with my 9's. They'd push up easily into the die with little to no effort, therefore practically no working of the brass.
And now for shellplates, they are not interchangeable between these two calibers either. The .380 shellplate holds the case much tighter, and a 9mm shell will NOT fit. Inversly, a .380 will fit a 9mm plate, but the fit is loose and you can easily rock a .380 past the rim and it'll pull out of the plate. However, the 9mm plate is also correct for .40 S&W, but the locator buttons are smaller.

 

[Gammon]

Gammon, do the diameters shown in the images of the two cases immediately above your post look like they have the same dimensions???

No to my eyes they don't. Different dies.

The dimensions are different but I think that the average 380 pistol would feed ammo loaded on 9mm dies. Most of these pistols are on the loose side.

Never having tried to load 9mm with 380 dies I can't say for sure. Your objections are based on the assumption that gun and reloading equipment MFRs strictly adhere to the specs you posted. Experience has led me to believe that this is not always the case.

 

[Archilochus]

How can conflicting info be good?

Well .... I always figured a healthy debate was good.
Thanks again for all the replies.

PS: for all us beginners - here's a site that lists various shell plate numbers, part numbers and such for the Dillon 550

http://www.brianenos.com/pages/dillon/cal.conv.chart.html

 

[EddieCoyle]

The dimensions are different but I think that the average 380 pistol would feed ammo loaded on 9mm dies. Most of these pistols are on the loose side.

Never having tried to load 9mm with 380 dies I can't say for sure. Your objections are based on the assumption that gun and reloading equipment MFRs strictly adhere to the specs you posted. Experience has led me to believe that this is not always the case.

I've tried it. The bullets don't stay in the case.

 

[lord1234]

380 case goes through my 550 and depriimes ok with my 9mm dies...but its easy to catch, significantly easier