9mm NATO military brass??

[Masterblaster1]

I have some military 9mm headstamped WCC and FC with crimped in primers. Question is how much do I have to download these due to the thicker brass? Is it similar to 7.62x51mm?

[Mikey]

Masterblaster1:  failing any other replies I would suggest not downloading them at all.  I've used and loaded mil-surp 9mms for years and the only 'downloading' I have conducted is to separate cases by manufacturer so I can get consistent bullet seating and crimping for 50 or 100 rounds or so.  It's a beast trying that with mixed brass. 

The WCC is Winchester Cartridge Company and the FC is Federal Cartridge and I'm not so sure they use thicker brass for their mil-spec loads; maybe they do, maybe not.  That brass sure does not compare to Canadian mil-spec brass for being thick....

Mil-spec ammo is not made for reloaders.  It is made to be shot and the empties left on the battlefield floor - you will find mil-spec brass picked up at military ranges and police ranges but usually by the agencies that trained with it ( you may now assume the paper-pickin' position and retrieve your brass). 

When it comes to 9mm stuff, as mentioned, I try to sort by manufacturer and that's about the best I can do when it comes to prepping the stuff for reloading. 

You may also need a primer pocket swager to open up the primer pockets for re-priming.  HTH.

[shot1]

The cases for NATO pistol ammo are, for all intense and purposes, the same thickness as commercial ammo. Like has been said. WW means Winchester made it and FC is Federal. You will need to remove the primer crimp either cutting it out or swage it out. I use a RCBS swaging tool that fits into my press. I have over the years used a case mouth chamfer tool. When I was a kid I used an old pocket knife to cut the crimp out of all the 30-06 cases so I could load for my 1903A3 Springfield with the hammer type Lee loading tool.

It is the 30-06 and 7.62X51 (308) cases that are thicker. The 5.56 (223) are the same as commercial.

This has been in my experience of loading these cases for ump-teen years.

[gandog56]

I use the RCBS swager.