MBC 115gr LRN 9mm OAL

[kal2828]

For any of you that have used Missouri Bullet Company's 115gr LRN .356 diameter bullets in 9mm, could you please tell me what OAL you used?

I'm trying to use Clays, but am having problems with (I think) insufficient pressures to work the action of my M&P9c...I'm manually extracting at least half of the cases fired, with an abundance of stovepipe jams.

I'm using 3.3gr Clays with these bullets seated to give an OAL of 1.10". The reloading data I have available doesn't seem to have a bullet with this shape, and I'm considering the possibility that I'm seating them too high.

Since Hodgdon's data for Clays and a 115gr LRN bullet lists a maximum charge weight of 3.4gr, I'm hesitating to increase the charge weight without first considering what else might be causing the problem.

I've heard from at least one shooter that has successfully used 3.3gr Clays with this bullet, and in the same model of pistol I have.

While the pistol has a round count of only 300 so far, I have cleaned and lubricated the slide bearing surfaces well, and the pistol has functioned 100% with WWB 115gr and Remington Golden Sabre 124gr +P.

Thanks.

 

[kal2828]

Anybody seat these 115gr lead round nose bullets to an OAL of less than 1.100"?

 

[Peter_S]

When I reload lead bullets which are a little bigger in diameter I use brass with thinner walls, like Speer or Blazer. I have found that CBC for example can be up to 0.002" thicker than most brass which adds 0.004" to the overall OD. These seldom pass the headspace gage first time. Have you checked the finished round OD...the max is 0.380"

I don't know that specific bullet but don't see any problem with your general dimensions/OAL.

 

[Tilos]

kal2828:OAL of less than 1.100"? YES

1.080 OAL shot from a Storm Lake aftermarket drop in barrel.
OOPs...I see your using the 115 bullet, and I load the 125 bullet.
The re-sizing info is still relevant.

I also push the bullets thru a Lee sizing die .356 diameter prior to loading.
The die costs $15 and it takes 20 minutes to size 500.
This eliminates the problem Peter_S brought up.
I would suggest you also buy a .355 diameter sizing die and experiment a little.

With these 2 dies you can even buy 38 bullets and resize them for 9mm.
The nay sayers will advise against this but I often resize 38 bullets (lead and jacketed!!) and load/shoot them thru a 9mm.

I hope this helps in your quest in the science of re-loading,
Tilos

 

[Peter_S]

Tilos - I just ordered a Lee FCD today so we're on the same page.

...and I have to give a shout out to Midway. I ordered the die and some bullets at about 1:30pm and they show it shipped at 4:00pm. That is some seriously good service.

 

[tom357mag]

Smith & Wesson SW9VE
5.1gr Unique
Sm Pistol Primer
Missouri Bullet 115gr LRN
OAL = 1.035 [anything longer won't hand cycle]

 

[Tilos]

Peter_S Tilos - I just ordered a Lee FCD today

I hope Walkalong doesn't see this

He will come to your house for an intervention
Send you off to re-loader's rehab.

Tilos

Seriously though cast bullets come from many cavities and may have slight differences in diameter.
I'm not sure if all the bullets dropped are pushed through the same lube-sizing die or not.
If not, any variation can be eliminated by pushing them all through the same Lee sizing die.
I'm not quite annal enough to measure each bullet diameter but can feel the varying difference in the pressure required to push them through the sizing die.

whew, long answer to no question...Tilos

 

[LiveLife]

I hope Walkalong doesn't see this He will come to your house for an intervention Send you off to re-loader's rehab.

From what I read from his posts, he can come over to my house anytime - I would chain him to my reloading table until I picked his brain vault completely empty.


As to OP - kal2828, any update on what OAL/powder charge worked?

 

[kal2828]

Thanks all for your replies,

I've measured my finished round OD's and they are all at .377"-.378", the bullets that I have measured are roughly .3555-.3560".

I know that cast/sized bullets from any commercial casting company will have varying diameters, but I don't think that my problem is one of finished load diameters. I should have mentioned earlier that I have put together and successfully fired cartridges using these MBC 115gr bullets with charges of 231.

The reason I'm trying to use Clays is that another poster on another forum has used this powder/bullet combination in the same model gun as I have, and he has no issues with FTE's, and also has exceptional accuracy. Because of the narrow window of Hodgdon's load data for Clays with a 115gr LRN bullet (max. charge of 3.4gr), I'm just trying to bump up the pressure enough to cycle my slide reliably.

I figure that I can do that by either seating the bullet deeper, or increasing the charge weight (which I'm uncomfortable doing because of my unfamiliarity with this powder).

I'll try seating the bullets a little deeper, maybe down to an OAL of around 1.050", using the 3.3gr charge. I'll let you all know how that works out.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[Tilos]

kal2828:

You sound like a re-loader: develop a good load, shoot it for a while, get bored with it and move on to something different.

Some are shooters who reload, others are reloaders who shoot and all the people in between...

I didn't know you had FTE problems.
So much for my reading/comprehension skills.
The short/best answer for FTE is more powder.

Thanks for acknowledging our input,
Tilos

 

[Peter_S]

Tilos - lol.

I've started sorting my brass now and now that I know what brass works best on my lead in the long run I won't need the Lee FCD. But I still have a bunch that could probably be salvaged with a run through the FCD.

I have some Magnus 135 grain lead round nose bullets that I have to seat quite deep to pass the barrel gage test. The issue seems to be at the base of the bullet which bulges the case lower than other bullets would. Like I said before, it's only the difference of a couple of thou in thicker walled brass.

I'm a really careful reloader; single stage press and I gage every bullet. I have only ever had ONE fail to eject and that was on one of these rounds. The casing acually ended up sitting on top of the clip so all I had to do was tip it out...so it wasn't a particularly serious issue.

 

[ssyoumans]

Missouri Bullet Co does not make a 115gr LRN?? Theirs is a 125gr. I load these with an OAL of 1.150". Functions perfectly in a Kel-tec PF9 and a Glock 26.
Load 4.6gr Bullseye, WSP. 1.150" (max 4.9 per Alliant)
Going to try some with 5.6gr Unique, WSP. (max 6.0 per Alliant)

Note: I take no responsibility for the load data. Handloaders must develop and verify loads function safely on their own.

 

[Tilos]

ssyoumans:
115gr RN

http://www.missouribullet.com/details.php?prodId=117&category=5&secondary=8&keywords=

Tilos

 

[ssyoumans]

Hmmm. I must have missed them. My bad.

Correction to post #12, bullets loaded are 125gr GA Arms not 125gr MBC.

 

[billybob44]

Adjust OAL for YOUR handgun's barrel.

kal2828, I load some of the 125 MBC-RN. I will not give the spec. but I usually use HP-38.
On first batch off of my Dillon 550, I found that, even though they went through my MidWay 9MM case gauge fine, they would not chamber correctly in my CZ-75 P0-1.
As you probably know, the CZ's are known for having a short lead in their barrels.=The bullet was hitting the rifling before the case would head space.
I found the best way to fit for MY pistol, was to seat the MBC bullet just off of the barrel's rifling. When the seater and taper crimp is adjusted correctly, for my barrel, I will hear a distinct "click" of the brass mouth hitting the barrel at the proper head space point before the rifling starts.
After this "tweak" in adjustment, the 125 MBC-RN run just fine in my CZ.
PS; If seated under specs in your load data, back off of the charge at least 10% to avoid excessive pressure.