Loads for Springfield XD9

[TonyAngel]

Hey guys,

I got an XD9 not too long ago and had a butt load of 125gr smallball from MBC. Like 2500 or 3000. I had a bit of a time getting comfortable with the relatively short COL that I had to seat to in order to get the rounds to chamber in my XD. I looked around and noticed that Dardas' 125gr 9mm projectile has more of a conventional shape to it and the bearing surface doesn't start as near to the top as the MBC projectile does, so I ordered some last Thursday to try them out.

I was half way hoping that they'd show up Saturday, but they didn't and they didn't show up today (Monday) either. I'm not really complaining, it's only been five days, but I guess I've been spoiled by the quick service and shipping from MBC, so I've decided that I'm just going to stick with them because I'm sort of an "I need it when I need it" person.

Anyway, I looked at MBC's other 9mm projectiles. MBC has the 115gr RN and the 147gr flatpoint. Have any of you guys loaded for a Springfield XD9 with either or both of these projectiles? What sort of COLs were you getting and if willing to share, what loads are you running? I load 9mm with Accurate No. 5 mainly, but I can get other powders too. I'm not interested in using 231 or HP-38. It's too hard for me to get right now.

Thanks.

 

[TonyAngel]

No help with this one?

 

[WV_Vizsla]

No one I know is using the WBC here yet. Most prefer plated. Main 9mm powder used here is WSF in the #8 can. Seems cleaner than the #5, meters the same. Produces 9800 bangs to the can.

Please report your final loads, speed, cleaning, ect..
And PM results.

 

[Sam1911]

I use the Missouri 147s in my xDM almost universally. I believe my load is like 3.5 gr. of 231, but don't quote me. I'd have to check when I get home to see what the COL is, but I've never had a stoppage of any kind and they are supurbly accurate.

I've also run 115-119 gr. truncated cones over Titegroup (maybe 4.0 gr.? Can't remember...) and they were perfect as well.

I'll try to post back tonight with the specifics.

-Sam

 

[LiveLife]

If you are having difficulty finding W231/HP38, on another thread we are finding Ramshot Zip is very close powder with Green Dot close and bit faster burning powder with similar charge load data.

Are you having the same feed problem in other pistol?

 

[Sam1911]

O.k. I checked when I got home. My loads with the Missouri 147 gr. TCFP are all 1.145" OAL.

-Sam

 

[ChuckB]

Missouri Bullet smallball- I load them to 1.065" col, over 5.0gr. of Power Pistol. I like it!

Chuck

 

[TonyAngel]

Thanks for the responses guys. I still have another four pounds of No. 5 to go through, so I'll be shooting that for a while. Loading 9mm with Super Field never crossed my mind, but it does seem that you guys like the faster powders for the 9mm.

My main reason for asking the question is because of the short overall length that I've had to load the MBC 125gr small ball to. I'm not having any problems, just wondering if anyone had better results with a bullet that they didn't have to seat so deeply. At this point, the 147gr MBC bullets might be the ticket.

I'm still waiting for the bullets from Dardas to get here. Apparently, Matt was in an accident and was out of commission for a short time. I got word last week that my order was going to be shipping, but I still don't have them, so I guess I'll just order the 147gr from MBC.

Thanks again.

 

[evan price]

One problem I have had with the XD9-

I have an older XD9 (non-tenifer, 2005 I think). My neighbor has a newer BiTone XD9 (2008, I think).

I load the Lee 125-2R lead bullet. It has a "step" on the edge of the bullet where the driving band stops and the meplat begins. Normally you seat the bullet to the edge of the step, leaving a hair of it exposed.

On my older XD9 I never had a lick of trouble with this bullet.

On my neighbor's newer XD9 he had problems with jamming, where the spent cartridge, while being extracted, the rim hits the step at the edge of the brass/bullet, and causes a jam. Changing to a tighter taper crimp didn't help this.

I wound up loading up some 122-grain truncated cone (no step) and the problem was solved.

Edit to add: When you take the barrels from the two guns and compare them side by side, there are obvious differences. The newer one is thicker and the ramp is shaped a bit different. They will interchange but there has obviously been a design change.

 

[azar]

Tony,

How has the leading been with your XD9 and the "SmallBall" bullet? I've had much more leading than I've wanted, but perhaps I just haven't gotten the charge quite right.

 

[TonyAngel]

azar, I'm not getting any leading at all. I've gotta tell you that I've really been impressed with the projectiles from MBC. I discovered MBC about 8 thousand rounds ago. That's the best way that I can put it. I use the harder bullets exclusively, when I have a choice.

What I have found (and has been confirmed by research here) is that shooting too mild (as in pressure being too low) will cause leading. I have not yet been able to get these bullets to cause leading due to the loads being too hot.

When I load and want to move up and down in the velocity range, I'll raise and reduce charges to fine tune a load, but not to go from a hot load to a milder load. If I want to load hotter, I go to a slower power. For milder loads, I go to a faster powder. I generally try to keep the powder working in the upper limits of the pressure range.

Now, assuming that you are loading hot enough to get a good seal, you may want to play around a bit with different diameter projectiles. If you are shooting .356, you might want to try .355 and .357 to see what happens (working the loads up of course). It may just be that the standard size of the smallball is just not the best for you bore diameter.

That's probably more than you wanted, so my short answer is that I haven't had any leading problems at all.

 

[Sam1911]

Just to follow up:

I chronographed two of my loads today. Both 147 gr. Missouri Bullet Co.'s TCFP.

3.3 gr. of 231 got me an average velocity of 812 fps.

3.5 gr. of 231 gets me an average of 913 fps.

 

[arizona98tj]

I run Berry's Mfg 115gr TMJ in my 4" XD9. With 5 grains of Unique, it averages 1152 FPS. It also runs well in my Kahr PM9 (3" barrel) but with a lower velocity.

 

[TonyAngel]

Just an update, I waited and waited and waited for my order from Dardas to get here so that I could try their 125gr (or was it 124) bullet that has the different profile. They never showed up, so I ordered up some MBC 147gr. Of course, ordered Sunday after 10 at night and they were here on Wednesday. Anyway, when seated to 1.145, they are perfect. It's gives me a bit of a margin of error as far as fitting into the mags goes and they feed very smoothly.

I'm trying to settle on a first recipe. For me, getting out to the range takes an act of Congress, so I have to make my range sessions count. I'd like to start out with a load that will be at least shootable, without chance of it not cycling my Springfield.

Accurate's load data for a 145gr round nose starts at 4.6gr of AA #5 and maxes out at 5.1gr for a COL of 1.145. I was going to go with 4.8gr.

Does anyone load the 147 grain MBC bullet with Accurate #5? Any words of wisdom?

Thanks.

 

[LiveLife]

With your OAL, how about test loading some 4.8gr and 5.0gr as comparison for accuracy?

If your XD9 is full size, perhaps 10 rounds of 4.6gr too as comparison?

 

[mongoose33]

I ran some 125gr Smallballs through as a test on Tuesday; from 3.8 to 4.2 grains of 231, and from 3.8 to 4.4 with WST. This is out of a Springfield Armory XD-9 Service with the 4" barrel.

It was just a test run to check pressures, and I'll now load up a bunch more to check accuracy. Here's what the initial velocity data says (all OAL's are 1.09, and all fed just fine):

231 3.8gr 4.0gr 4.2gr
Avg 0951..0988..1024 fps

wst 3.8gr 4.0gr 4.2gr 4.4gr
Avg 1002..1024..1043..1076 fps

I shoot through a chrono and for whatever reason, I'm not very accurate off a bench type arrangement doing that. So I need to shoot my normal way to assess accuracy.

But both the 4.2 loads seemed fairly ok for accuracy. I'll report back when I get out to try them again (maybe this weekend).

 

[Tilos]

TA...I've been waiting for your Dardas report

Well, I guess I won't be ordering from Dardas anytime soon.
Last I knew you were shooting 125gr, what made you try the 147s?
What were you looking for and did you get it?
Did you find any "shootability" difference with the 147s?

Tilos

 

[LiveLife]

I find that I need to push 9mm 115/125gr bullets fairly near max to get good cycling through my stiff recoil springed Glocks, espeically G27. The near max 9mm loads recoil like mild 40S&W loads and make good transition practice loads.

The heavier 147gr bullet will provide softer recoil - maybe that's what TonyAngel was looking for.

 

[Tilos]

bds:
Thanks for the input.
Following you off subject a little, I have a load for the 125 small ball that works well and wanted to go 115 or 147, as that load has become, well, boring.

Shooting a G23 with 9mm Storm Lake barrel 4.1gr of W231 under 125 Missouri small ball.
WAY softer than 40 factory or defense loads.

Tilos

 

[LiveLife]

I am pushing 125gr lead bullet with 4.3gr W231/HP38 and 1.12" - 1.125" OAL. 125gr plated at 1.125" OAL. 115gr Winchester FMJ with 4.9gr-5.1gr and 1.125" OAL.

I only shoot 9mm lead/plated in 125gr and FMJ in 115gr

The near max 9mm loads recoil like mild 40S&W loads

I did mention MILD 40S&W loads - these were 180gr 3.7gr - 4.3gr W231/HP38 and 1.125" OAL. 9mm to 40S&W transition shooters and female shooters sure like these loads for practice

 

[mongoose33]

Got out w/ a bunch of loads for the Missouri Bullet Smallball 125gr 9mm.

I loaded both 231 and WST, in 4.0, 4.2, 4.4 gr at 1.09 OAL.

The 4.0 were NG.

WST performed better than 231 in both the 4.2 and 4.4. I rate the accuracy of the WST as very good to excellent--when I do my part.

My tightest group was w/ 4.2gr of WST. In truth, though, they were fairly similar, with the edge to WST.

The most shocking part came after running 120 rounds of these cast bullets through my XD9--if there was any leading, I couldn't really tell for sure. Shockingly clean. I ran a boresnake through after every 10 round group, so that may have helped, but I discovered I bought a Lewis Lead remover for 9mm for, apparently, no good reason!

 

[Sam1911]

if there was any leading, I couldn't really tell for sure.

I shoot many hundreds of rounds of lead 9mm through my xDM between cleanings. I've never had any leading at all.