4.7gr is actually what I've loaded for some 125gr LRN's as well, with no issues. Lyman's manual lists 5.0gr as a max for that bullet so I'm in the clear there, but Speer's manual actually list a max charge of 4.6gr for that bullet.
I'm curious what Speer's manual lists as a max load for a jacketed 124/5 gr bullet? Maybe this is a wakeup call for me, because I actually started at 5.05 gr.
I started with the longest OAL that barely covered the lube ring (MBC Small Ball). Don't recall the exact length, but it was shorter than 1.169". But I've since shortened them to around 1.075" to fit in my friends' guns, as well. They still feel very light.
I guess it's all relative. I shoot a lot of 40SW and .357 magnum, and the 9mm always feels like a can of Pringles. Once I pop, I can't stop.
But these definitely feel a lot lighter than my max jacketed loads. They certainly never felt like a beyond-max load. The cases eject softly. No pressure signs, obviously - not that they mean anything in this caliber.
consider it easily as strong as most cheap factory ammo
That's another thing. I consider most cheap domestic 9mm luger ammo to be very weak.
Sounds like I'm loading them hotter than most. Maybe that's why I find Unique to burn so clean. I shoot a lot of these loads at an indoor range, and do a lot of rapidfire, and there's very little smoke or residue. I'm well into my second box of 500, by now, and this is my favorite load with this bullet after trying 3 others. This pistol gets probably 3 or 4 times as many bullets through it as any of my others, since it's my only 9mm.
