9mm Luger reloading

[sled_mack]

I tested some 9mm today. I'm using mixed brass, mostly Speer and Win. Bullets are 124 gr FMJ. Unique powder. Based on the books I had, I started at 5.0 and worked up to 5.8 grains.

All shot fine, no pressure signs on the brass. But, none worked the slide enough to hold the slide back on the last round. I've got some American Eagle 124 gr FMJ, and the last round will hold the slide back. So does the Speer Gold Dot in 115 gr.

Looking at the books again, I see that one book showed COAL of 1.169 and another showed 1.120. Mine were all loaded between 1.165 and 1.170.

These are practice loads. I only want them hot enough to make the gun function, plus a little margin. What is the best way forward? Repeat the loads above, but with shorter COAL?

I've loaded a bunch of 308 at this point, but it seems like there is much more variation in the data books for the 9mm. I'm not familiar enough with them to know if I will get some increased pressure/velocity/recoil by shortening the COAL?

The gun being used is a Glock 17, if that matters. Most factory ammo cycles fine. Only ammo that doesn't lock the slide back on empty mag is Speer Lawman 115 gr TMJ.

Thanks!

 

[jet_lagged]

Re: 9mm Luger reloading

I don't use Unique for 9mm, but your max load should lock the slide back. The slide is going back far enough to pick up the next round and feed it correctly every time? You're sure it is not a mag problem?

I normally load the rounds to max length like you are doing, as I think they feed better that way. So, if it is not a mag issue, increase the powder charge a bit, or a bit more crimp on the round, so the powder will burn better/more completely, giving you a higher psi.

 

[gunsnjeeps]

Re: 9mm Luger reloading

I'd say try a little more powder but you are at max for the highest max I have. Speer #12 says 5.2 to 5.8, Hornady #4 says 4.7 to 5.1, Sierra says 4.1 to 5.6. All are Unique. The only other thing I'd sugest is to chronograph factory loads and compare your reloads. Everything seems to be in the 1.10 to 1.15 length range with 1.169 for 147's. Try setting your seating die with a loaded round to get the about the same depth.

 

[sled_mack]

Re: 9mm Luger reloading

The mags work fine with all other ammo (except the speer 115 TMJ).

Min/max loads for Unique are all over the place from what I've seen. I spent a lot of time comparing all of them before picking the loads I was going to test. It doesn't help that some manuals show loads for FMJ, some for TMJ, and others for cast lead.

I'm using the Lee FCD for the crimp. The instructions said 1/2 turn for light crimp and full turn for heavier crimp. I went with 1/2. A little more might be better?

I see now that the 1.169 is max length. One book shows tested COAL at 1.12. The American Eagle measures out to about 1.15. Seems like I could certainly shorten them up a bit.

As long as I'm not seeing pressure signs, I can keep working up till I get the slide to lock back?

This is so different from .308 loading, it's like learning it all over again!

 

[21Bravo]

Re: 9mm Luger reloading

I've been loading 9mm for years and have found seating depth will effect the pressure to a significant degree with the powders I've used, (I've not used Unique). Seating them deeper should help your situation. I <span style="font-weight: bold">wouldn't</span> increase the powder charge until you've tweaked the seating depth.

I've also found (learn from my mistake) bumping powder charges until it cycles is not a good thing with 9mm (any caliber really)but I've only had one incident and that being with 9mm. While working up the load there really wasn't a lot of pressure signs on the brass right up until I had a case rupture.

HTH,

Craig

 

[sled_mack]

Re: 9mm Luger reloading

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 21Bravo</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I've also found (learn from my mistake) bumping powder charges until it cycles is not a good thing with 9mm (any caliber really)but I've only had one incident and that being with 9mm. While working up the load there really wasn't a lot of pressure signs on the brass right up until I had a case rupture.

HTH,

Craig </div></div>

Craig,

Can you clarify this part? Do you mean just not going past the book max charge?

I want to do this as safely as possible. I'm thinking I need to start over again with a deeper seating depth. Start at 5.0 again and work up. But go no higher than 5.8, even if the slide doesn't cycle properly.

Thanks.

 

[21Bravo]

Re: 9mm Luger reloading

I would seat them deeper then work your load back up starting at minimum. Unless your factory 124 grain FMJ ammo is seated near maximum (probably not from my experience)I would measure them and use the same seating depth. If you don't choose to go that route, just split the difference between minimum and maximum seating depth, seat to that and re-work your powder charge.

HTH,

Craig

 

[rweaver00geo]

Re: 9mm Luger reloading

id mess with the crimp, going from no crimp to a crimp significantly changed how my gun functioned so 1/2 crimp to full crimp may help you out. eventually when i found my crimp "sweet spot" i was actually able to drop down a few tenths of a grains in powder. I wasnt using unique though

 

[samnev]

Re: 9mm Luger reloading

I used 5.5 grains of unique with 124 grain and 115 grain projos and it locks back the slide on all my 9mm pistols (S&W, CZ's, P210,Luger, P38, 2 Stars, Lathi and 2 Astra's). I load both projos to the oals listed in the manuals.

 

[leadbullet]

Re: 9mm Luger reloading

use .5 gr off max, drop the OAL to 1.15 and crimp real good, should solve your problems.

 

[sled_mack]

Re: 9mm Luger reloading

Round 2 of testing today. Bullets were seated to between 1.123 and 1.128. I measured all of them just to be sure. I added a 1/4 turn to the crimp die.

I loaded 6 of each up so that I could test feeding and slide lock. All fed fine. None had slide lock. I tested with a few of the Gold Dot factory at the end, and they slide lock fine with the same mag. I don't have a chrono, but these rounds felt like they had more recoil than the first test.

So, how fast does pressure go up with seating deeper? Should I be loading up at 5.0 gr and only seating deeper? Only crimp more? Or repeat the whole powder range with seating a little deeper?

It did occur to me that the Gold Dots are +P+ ammo. I put new spings in my mags and gun this spring. The old recoil spring seemed much weaker. Should I be using that with my practice ammo?

I had a few rounds with a light primer strike but no fire. These are Wolf small pistol primers. Could I be seating them too deep? I'm using a LnL AP press, so I don't have a good feel for seating the primers like I do with the hand primer tool for my .308.

Thanks.

 

[Clark]

Re: 9mm Luger reloading

The ammo should be matched to the recoil spring or the recoil spring should be matched to the ammo.

Ideally, the empty cases should eject and land 5 feet from the shooter.

If there is failure to extract, stove pipe jam, or failure to lock back at the end of the magazine, then the ammo is wimpy or the spring is too stiff.

If the cases go 20 feet and the recoil hurts, then the ammo is too hot or the spring is too wimpy.

The Glock 17 probably has 0.19" of feed ramp intrusion and the brass probably has 0.16" webs, so in a work up, the recoil would become horribly painful before you could get a guppy belly case bulge. And you probably cannot get enough Unique to fit into a 9mm case for that anyway.

 

[sled_mack]

Re: 9mm Luger reloading

Clark - I think I am starting to understand this matching of the recoil spring to the load part of all this. (And people say pistol loading is easier than rifle?)

Is it safe to assume that the loads in data books are for standard pressure? And if the ammo that runs good in my gun is +P+, it is going to be hotter than most data book loads?

 

[Clark]

Re: 9mm Luger reloading

Sled,

Yes, most published max loads will be less than or equal to the SAAMI registered 35,000 psi for 9x19mm Luger.

Also registered with SAAMI is 9mm Luger +P 38,500 psi.

There is +P+ ammo and +P+ brass, but there is no registered pressure for it. We could extrapolate and call it 42,000 psi.

When I started reloading 11 years ago, I soon built a spread sheet of many 9mm bullets and pistol powder combinations worked up in a load until no more powder would fit or something bad happened.

I have a Glock 19 9mm with 48 pound triple recoil spring assembly.

In 9mm, most pistol powders when worked up reach max case capacity before the point of brass failure, but some can reach brass failure like; AA#5, HS-6, and 3N37 have enough speed density product to make trouble in 9mm.