Lightest load that will cycle Beretta 92FS

[748]

The fastest burning stuff I have is winchester super lite, with a burn speed somewhere in between reddot and bullseye.
Normally I'm not loading reduced pistol loads, until now with 9mm I load them with unique in the middle to upper range and something like AA9 for +P and a spectacular muzzel flash.
9mm projectiles I have are jacketed 90gr and 115 hollow points and some 110gr Remington .357 jacketed hollow/soft points.
For 115gr the starting load I believe was 3.5gr and the max load was 4.2 or 4.4, don't want to go anywhere near the max load so it's irrelevant.
90gr is probably close to the same, maybe 3.7gr.
Could I go lower like into 9x18 territory?

 

[Blue68f100]

For reducing a load you start at min and make sure every thing functions as it should for a simi-auto. Then you start reducing the load by 0.1 gr steps checking function. You also need to check powder position sensitivity too. Some powders will show a greater spread if the powder is away from the primer. Best to run them over a crony for as you start seeing large ES numbers you are getting close to min, and accuracy will fall off.

Proceed with caution, you don't want to stick a bullet. With jacketed this can happen around 600 fps range. Lead can run lower.

 

[Charlie98]

Honestly, if you are trying to reduce, I would just stick with Unique.

 

[Barbaroja]

What are your trying to accomplish with light loads for your 9mm?
I like to make up reduced power loads for my bigger revolvers so I can make them more versatile like rabbit hunting with a 41 magnum for example.
I’ve never really gone down that road with a semi auto just do to worries of reliability. Usually just load for the midrange for target ammo.

 

[748]

Yeah if I run into powder position sensitivity I'll stop there and go back up.
That's why I like unique and AA in 9mm for full power rounds, it fills the case up good.

I would want to stay at least around 380 mass and velocity numbers.

 

[748]

Honestly, if you are trying to reduce, I would just stick with Unique.

Thats a possibly. I got pounds of WSL I don't know what to do with any more. Using it 3gr at a time won't use it up real fast but it will be saving my precious unique.

 

[spraay]

The lightest load I've ever done is 4.2gr of Win231 with a 115gr gr bullet.

 

[sequins]

3.2gn titegroup barely fails to cycle the slide. Im trying 3.3gn next hoping its enough, but 3.4 would definitely do it. 3.3-3.4gn of titegroup and a 124gn FMJ might be about the lightest possible.

 

[748]

I'll start with about 3.5 and a 90.
Won't be surprised if I have to go closer to 4 with a 90.

 

[WestKentucky]

Be careful about ultra light loads. When they work, you know that your springs are weak enough to allow frame/slide battering With normal loads and +p is going to be a bit spicy. The Beretta design also lends to some stress issues on the locking block, but I can’t see light loads making that worse, just be well aware of spring degradation over time.

 

[Charlie98]

Thats a possibly. I got pounds of WSL I don't know what to do with any more. Using it 3gr at a time won't use it up real fast but it will be saving my precious unique.

That's like me and TiteGroup. I bought 2# of the crap and it just goes and goes.

What else do you load for... that might make use of that WSL? Given the current powder drought, someone local might trade for something useful, too.

 

[748]

I don't have any reason to go way into plus pee 9mm territory. I have a 357 mag to sling approximately 9mm sized lead harder than what a 9mm can.
I got a half ton of 1x fired 9mm I'm sizing and tumbling tonight, just trying to dream up what I should fill them with.
Definitely going to load up 200 or 300, 147gr HP bullets for subsonic suppressed use and after that I'll have about 700 to 800 more to fill with something....
I want the lite 9mm to cycle the gun unsuppressed, I'm sure the Neilson device will help it cycle but I might not be running it suppressed all the time.

I could load some 45acp and maybe some hot 250gr lead 44spl with WSL.
If it burns dirty the wheel gun can handle the dirt ok unless I carbon ring the cylinders and try to switch to 44mags.
I don't know about using it in 380.
WSL burned kind of dirty in mild mannered 12ga bird shells.
Might try to reload some 40x42mm charges with it. 40x42mm training shells use something called M9 flank propellant. All I know about it is it looks a lot like WSL and it reportedly burns really fast.

 

[Dudedog]

Lightest thing I get reliable cycling in my 9s is 100gr bullet at about 1000 fps without changing springs. Some will go a bit lighter but I don't want to have any it only works in one gun loads.
(9mm 1911, PT99, XD, XD sub, P226)
Anything below that cycling is hit or miss.
Just work down from a start charge until you lose 100% function then up that charge .1 or maybe .2 depending on powder.
100gr bullets pushed hard can be fun in 9mm as well.

My match loads and practice loads in 9mm are a 124gr bullet about 1040, pleasant to shoot 300 or 400 for practice.

 

[reddog81]

Different guns behave slightly differently. A new gun with fresh springs might require a load with more oomph than a starting load. The same gun with 2,000 rounds down range might be able to function with a load well below the starting load. When I first got a suppressor I started testing how low I could go and still function.

Personally I'd stick with the 115 grain bullets for a 9mm. I don't think you'll be able to tell much difference in the recoil, but I'd guess it'll be easier to get the gun to function with a more appropriate bullet weight.

 

[Blue68f100]

I should have added this to my original post (#2).

For simi-autos it's best to use a heavy bullet and a fast powder. Lead is better than jacketed or plated since it requires less force to move it down the barrel. This combo has a better chance of operating the slide to get full function. You can always go to a reduced power recoil spring, but be careful if you shoot full power ammo. It will beat your gun up.