9mm?

horsemen61 said:

ok guys here it is I need info on 9mm and tips im going to start reloading for it thank you

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I like 124/125gr bullets for the 9mm and I load lead and jacketed bullets.

I like medium burn powders in the 9mm and use mostly W231/HP-38 for range ammo and Longshot or HS-6 for more serious work.

Use the powder companies online load data sites for powders charges and cross reference with a manual or two you should have on hand.

Is that enough information?

Get a reloading manual. Read it. It will cover more than you can read about on forums.

Have you loaded for low volume/ high pressure cartridges before? The margins are much smaller with these types of cartridges. Anything from bullet design, seating depth, small variations in charge weight can result in large pressure swings. It’s an easy cartridge to load, but there are some things that you’ll have to pay closer attention to.

I use AA#5 and small rifle primers, exclusively, for loading 9mm.

My kids like my 9mm, so I tend to load range ammo for them with 115gn plated and .5cc Power Pistol. It's a starting load from lee, but cycles my G19 just fine. Plus, they can help out loading on a lee loader at the bench with me while I use the press to load for my .45

I've been reloading 9mm for a couple months, they are a little more involved then reloading the .45acp, but no big deal. I've used Berry's 124 RNHB and FNHB, prefer the Flat Nose. I've also tried LSWC's but my favorite are the moly's from Precision Bullets. I'm finding the 147FP's are a little more accurate then the 125FP's.

Powders include Bullseye and WSF. Get a couple reloading manuals if you don't already have them. A lot of good info on this site, but you might also try ammosmith:http://www.ammosmith.com/forum/

My load for my CZ 75 D PCR is 4.4 of Win 231, plated RN 124, with an OAL of 1.140. Works for me.

Rifle primers may erode your breechface. 9mm is picky, but what I have found to work well in a variety of guns is a .358" 125gr lead TC on top or 3.8grs of 231 loaded to a 1.050" OAL. This load is very accurate and cycles everything reliably. It clocks a little over 1000 FPS.

Get a reloading guide (like the ABCs of Reloading) and read it.
Start with 124gr FMJ
Start with a popular mid-burn rate powder with lots of load data
Follow load data, compare with intenet posting data and start low
Start with a typical OAL
Measure and check often
Go slow starting out
Load 10 of each OAL/charge and check before loading lots
Get a Dillon press
Enjoy

Rifle primers may erode your breechface.

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Yes, they can, especially in weak loads. I speak from experience. Load them near(er) the top end and it goes away. I just stick with SPP now.

9mm load

i FOUND THAT w231 at 4.1 gr with a 124 plated jrn at a AOL of 1.142 works great . Good accuracy... M+P9 compact...

I load 115 gr FMJ with 4.2 gr of Bullseye and normally Winchester primer but have used other SP primers just fine.

horsemen61 said:

Guys I'm loading a 115 grain hornady fmj over 4.3 grains of win 231 with once fired brass to start ill get some soon also using Winchester small pistol primers

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My XD cycles some of the time with that combination. My favorite load is a 115gr MT Gold over 4.8-4.9gr 231 at 1.135 or a 147gr MBC cast bullet over 4.8gr HS-6 at 1.078.

Guys I'm loading a 115 grain hornady fmj over 4.3 grains of win 231 with once fired brass to start ill get some soon also using Winchester small pistol primers

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That load will be pretty light as the manuals will show.
Only load a few to see if your pistol will run with it.
Load a few more .1 or .2 grs more powder
Load a few more another .1 grs more powder.
Fire your 4.3gr loads first. Then the next, then the next.
Do you have a chrono? If so, It'll indicate a comparison with the load data numbers.
If not, I'd make just above mid-range the max. load 'til you get more familiar with loading 9mm.

JMO: Familiar: the importance of "seating depth" vs "oal" using different nose-shape bullets, how your bullet and gun react to small 231 powder changes, how proportional oal and powder changes can work 'up to a point' inside the published load data.

9mm just leaves a little less room for errors than bigger case calibers do. Small changes "can" make a big difference at the low and high end of the load data.

231/HP-38 is a good choice to start with. LOTS of other powders will work with 9mm Luger . Some work best at the high end, others at the low end. 231 will run sooty when at the low end, but will work over a good speed range.

Mt. Creek said it best. If you are new to this hobby it wouldn't be a bad idea to start with a slower burning powder as it is far more forgiving in these small high pressure cartridges. HS6 and Longshot will allow for error and the learning curve while providing you with a stout load if desired.

Many fail to realize that the 9mm is a high pressure cartridge to start with and that very small variations in seating depth and or powder charges using fast burnng powders such as W231 can cause pressures to spike very high. With powders such as HS6 and Longshot it is doubtful that you could even get enough powder into the case to cause a regretful situation. I know, I once loaded 147 gr. XTP's with a 115 gr. charge of Longshot and nothing happened. The only effect was that my velocities exceeded those published in the book by 50 fps and my primers were flowing out to the edges of the pocket pretty good. If I had made that same mistake using W231 or another fast burning powder I would have blow that pistol to pieces!

GS

G.S.: 231 is not a fast burn powder.
A light load in 9mm Luger is a half case of powder and is difficult or impossible to double charge even if you wanted to.
As you said, Titegroup, n310, some AA powders and other "fast burn powders" can be double and sometimes even triple charged in 9mm.
JMO having loaded 40K 9mm for range, comp. and some SD use.

mike.h said:

I've been reloading 9mm for a couple months, they are a little more involved then reloading the .45acp, but no big deal. I've used Berry's 124 RNHB and FNHB, prefer the Flat Nose. I've also tried LSWC's but my favorite are the moly's from Precision Bullets. I'm finding the 147FP's are a little more accurate then the 125FP's.

Powders include Bullseye and WSF. Get a couple reloading manuals if you don't already have them. A lot of good info on this site, but you might also try ammosmith:http://www.ammosmith.com/forum/

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Mike, could you elaborate a little on 9mm being more involved than 45acp.

I've been reloading for a 1911 and had no problems since I started plunk testing every round. Just started 38 special for an LCR.

There may be a Glock 19 in my future. What do I need to know? I will research loads, use W231, 125 gr fmj, make dummy rounds to get the dies set up for oal, start at starting load and work up until it cycles ok.

Do you plunk test for the Glock 19?

Joel

Being careful about charge weights is the key to 9mm, along with setting seating depth for your barrel rather than for some manual's stated figure. As good as manuals are, their testers and editors have never loaded for your particular gun. Many 9mm pistols (CZs come to mind) have short throats and require deeper seating depths than the manuals specify. This can drive the appropriate powder charge down a bit.

When I first started reloading 9mm I kept fumbling brass and bullets due to their small size (the first one's I loaded were 115gr JHPs for which I couldn't stomach the factory ammo prices). I had loaded lots of .38 and .357 but mostly with much heavier thus easier to manipulate bullets.

Now I rarely fat finger 9mm and can even reload .380 without dropping every third one.

The 9mm case is tapered so it takes a bit more effort to resize than say a straight-walled .38 spl.

Some of us like to use just a touch of lube to make it much easier.
But then you should tumble them after resizing to get the lube off.
(usually about 20 minutes or so, but I like them extra clean & shiny so I tumble for an hour)