Do I Need To Verify My 9mm Load For My New Pistol

[lee1000]

I have a load that works great in my G26 (see below). I've recently bought a S&W M&P Shield in 9mm. Do I need to work up to my G26 load in my new Shield? The max per my Lee reloading manual is 5.5gr, Sierra says 6.6gr is max. I worked up the G26 load below until reaching 5.7 without seeing any pressure signs.

Glock 26 Load:
Berry's 115gr Plated Bullets
5.3gr of Unique
Winchester Small Pistol Primers
OAL 1.130
1089 average FPS
Taper crimped

Thanks for the advice, I do appreciate it

 

[tightgroup tiger]

I back down to midpoint and start back up with all new to me guns.

Everything I see in your recipe would run just fine through my Shield but I just have a standard practice of going to midrange, checking the barrel lead to find my OAL and so on. If the OAL your loading now works fine in your Shield ( and it should, it does in mine) then you probably don't have much load development to do.

 

[Sam1911]

I would certainly verify what the load does in your new gun. Check velocity with a chronograph, check how accurate it is, and most importantly, check OAL ("plunk test") and reliability.

If you've got a known good 9mm load, I don't see any reason to back it off and start over when switching to another 9mm pistol.

 

[lee1000]

I back down to midpoint and start back up with all new to me guns.

Everything I see in your recipe would run just fine through my Shield but I just have a standard practice of going to midrange, checking the barrel lead to find my OAL and so on. If the OAL your loading now works fine in your Shield ( and it should, it does in mine) then you probably don't have much load development to do.

Thanks for the reminder on OAL, I just tried it by making a long dummy round and putting it in the chamber, measuring it with a pair of calipers (case head to muzzle) and comparing it to a unloaded case. The unloaded case actually measured 0.003" longer.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Like said above, other than the load passing the plunk test I also see no reason to have to rework a known good 9mm load that is within published load parameters when shooting it in a new pistol.

When you buy 9mm ammo on the shelf doesn't it get shot in A LOT of different pistols without testing in each?

 

[Big20]

Just because it's published doesn't make it a good load. I once chose a "book" load that specified 8.0 grains of Blue Dot in the 9 mm without consulting other sources. Blown case = damaged gun. All other sources listed loads around 6.2 grains. Hard lesson to learn.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Just because it's published doesn't make it a good load. I once chose a "book" load that specified 8.0 grains of Blue Dot in the 9 mm without consulting other sources. Blown case = damaged gun. All other sources listed loads around 6.2 grains. Hard lesson to learn.

I didn't say the load was good because it was published. I mentioned "published" to try and head off all the people who like to pick apart every post looking for something they can correct you on but it happened anyway. I said published because if someone made a load that was over published limits it might not be safe in a light 9mm pistol but usually the published limits are anemic enough to be safe is most pistols.

 

[Sunray]

5.3 of Unique is likely fine for a cast bullet, but under minimum for a jacketed. Plated bullets are loaded with cast bullet data.
"...Just because it's published doesn't..." A great deal depends on where it was published. If it wasn't in as manual, it'd be suspect at best. Plus the bullet weight has to be what the manual says. Alliant gives 8.5 of Blue dot as the Max load for a 115 jacketed bullet, 7.9 for a 124 but only 5.8 for a 147. Use the 147 grain data for a 115 and you're asking for trouble.

 

[Schwing]

I have found that 9MM is the one caliber where I almost always have to work up new loads for different guns. Having said that, you might get lucky and not have to alter anything. 5.3 grains of unique is plenty safe for a 115 grain plated bullet.

 

[lee1000]

I just got back from the range and everything went well. I wasn't shooting my reloads or Federal Champion very well. I'm new to the gun and used to shooting my Glock so maybe that's it (most shots were low).

My wife loves that pistol, she's never been so enthusiastic about shooting. I was really surprised to see embrace it as it seems louder than my G26. Of the 350 rounds I brought, she probably shot 250 of them, more than any other day including 22LR.

 

[Lj1941]

Just because it's published doesn't make it a good load. I once chose a "book" load that specified 8.0 grains of Blue Dot in the 9 mm without consulting other sources. Blown case = damaged gun. All other sources listed loads around 6.2 grains. Hard lesson to learn.

I had the same experience with BD in a 9 except no damage done. It felt very heavy on the recoil and on the chrono it was at 38 Super velocity. I stopped and pulled the remainimg unfired cases. It was loaded at what was intended, well under maximum at 8.2 with a 115 grain FMJ. At that time I decided that no more Blue Dot with the 9.That said watch the Shield,some say the case head is not fully supported. I am not sure which caliber but Starline warns not to use their brass for a Shield. The warning is on their web site.Check it out.

 

[Nordeste]

I have found out that the load that cycles and works perfectly in my Star 30M is working not so well in my 92FS. In the Beretta, it shoots low, accuracy is poor and it looks like she doesn't really like the copper plated TC bullets that the 30M eats without a hiccup. I increased the load in .3 grains and she was happy again. My thought is that the 92FS' recoil spring is stiffer (well, I'm sure of that) and prefers a hotter load over the lighter, but still well within power factor, load that the 30M handles without trouble. Sometimes this happens. You have to increase (or the opposite) a load to make your pistol happy.

I do plunk test every one of my rounds that are meant for use in competition (not so much for the training stuff, I can afford having a malfunction on training), and as my ammo is always well within SAAMI specs, so far I've had no problem with my reloads in any pistol I've shot them, and these include my two pistols, several Glocks, STIs, CZs, HK and S&W.

Just my 2 cents .

 

[thefish]

I can't speak to unique, but with my shield I see a significant increase in accuracy between 3.6 and 3.8 grains of tight group.

 

[Steve C]

The only thing you really need to "verify" is if the loaded rounds you have made will properly chamber in your net pistol. Field strip the new Shield and remove the barrel. Drop in a factory round and note where the case is in relationship to the barrel hood, then drop in one of your reloads. It should chamber to the same depth as the factory round and fall out of the chamber without having to pull it out. If it doesn't fit right you will likely have the case sticking further out than the factory round which means the bullet is engaging the rifling before the round is completely in the chamber. If so you need to reduce OAL to make it fit. If you have to shorten OAL then it may be a good idea to drop the charge a little bit before trying them out.

Berry's recommends using a load between lead and jacketed and your 5.3gr load is that. If they chamber properly as loaded I would shoot them to see how well they perform on target and only modify my load later if needed.

 

[Mad Chemist]

5.3gr Unique with a 115gr plated bullet is a very light load. This is likely to be lighter than many factory loads. There is absolutely no reason to reduce it for use in your shield. I have run MUCH hotter loads through my shield with both Unique and 3N37.

 

[dickttx]

I first worked up my 45 ACP load with MBC Cowboy #4 (200gn RNFP) and HP38 for my Rail Gun 3+ years ago. I have since added two Commanders, a CCO, and an Officers. Never even considered reworking the load for any of them. The load feeds and functions and does not lead in any of them.
If it were a top end load I might consider it, but it is not.