I'm a new reloader so to quote my mother "you could fill a book with things I don't know" What I'm looking for is a ballpark OAL measurment for a 9mm, 115grn round. I'm using Berry's 115grn DS RN and 4.5 grns of Tite Group powder. I have a Dillon xl650 so it doesn,t lend itself well to tinkering, more of a production thing if you know what I mean. I built 50 with 4.7 grns and an OAL of 1.154 (which is the same as the factory 115grn FMJ FEDERAL/CHAMPION ) they shot fine, if not a little snappier than the FED. I checked Berry,s website, no luck, I have Lyman's 49th nothing there either. I did a search of THR and have found lenghts frm 1.125 to 1.145. I understand that a plated bullet gets a mild to middle powder load but what OAL?
need help with OAL
- Thread starter cemjr
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LiveLife
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You can determine the max OAL by dropping a dummy round into the chamber with the barrel out of the pistol.
But I end up using the OAL that feed/chamber best from the magazine. You can test by putting your dummy round and manually pulling back on the slide and releasing. Start with the max OAL determined by above method and keep decreasing until you have reliable feeding/chambering from the magazine.
Then, you can move on to working up your favorite powder loads.
I load for multiple pistols, so I tend to load 115/124/125 gr 9mm RN reloads to 1.125" OAL, which will work in most pistols. In general, longer the OAL, the sooner the bullet will engage the rifling for more consistent chamber pressure and increased accuracy.
But I end up using the OAL that feed/chamber best from the magazine. You can test by putting your dummy round and manually pulling back on the slide and releasing. Start with the max OAL determined by above method and keep decreasing until you have reliable feeding/chambering from the magazine.
Then, you can move on to working up your favorite powder loads.
I load for multiple pistols, so I tend to load 115/124/125 gr 9mm RN reloads to 1.125" OAL, which will work in most pistols. In general, longer the OAL, the sooner the bullet will engage the rifling for more consistent chamber pressure and increased accuracy.
LiveLife
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Here's a good thread about determining max OAL.
bds, Thanks for the pics. I took the barrels out of both my pistols to use as gages per the illistration. One is an H&K p-30 3.86" the other a KAHR pm9 3.0" barrel. All the bullets I tried; reloaded berry 1.148, factory FED fmj 1.154, MAGTECH 115grn jhp & SPEER gold dot 124grn jhp all fit both barrels the same. The jhps OAL are conciderably less than the fmjs. This leads me to believe that it's the case that determines the fit in the chamber not the OAL of the bullet?
Walkalong, It was your reciepe I found when I googled "Berry's 115grn DS RN" If I may ask, how did you arrive at that OAL?. I'm a little concerned about the case volume at that length. I disassembled a factory 115grn fmj with an OAL of 1.154 and noticed that though the fmj bullet is .040 taller than the berry, it has a .100 cup on the bottom. The powder measured 4.7grns, not so differant than the 4.5 I'm loading. I built some 1.148 long and 4.5grns and they still had a pretty good pop to em
amlevin
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cemjr-
The case definitely determines the "fit" in the chamber on the 9mm (and most rimless autoloaders). The OAL is important for chamber pressure, feed from a magazine, and whether or not you want the bullet to touch the rifling when it's chambered.
Pay CLOSE attention to the Minimum OAL as stated in the load data. This is to prevent extreme chamber pressures. Other than that it is a case of what feeds well. Most production pistols are not as sensitive to bullet jump (the initial movement until it hits the rifling) as a rifle can be.
I load all my 9mm to a OAL of 1.125 using a Montana Gold 124 gr JHP. This works flawlessly in my Sig and CZ.
The case definitely determines the "fit" in the chamber on the 9mm (and most rimless autoloaders). The OAL is important for chamber pressure, feed from a magazine, and whether or not you want the bullet to touch the rifling when it's chambered.
Pay CLOSE attention to the Minimum OAL as stated in the load data. This is to prevent extreme chamber pressures. Other than that it is a case of what feeds well. Most production pistols are not as sensitive to bullet jump (the initial movement until it hits the rifling) as a rifle can be.
I load all my 9mm to a OAL of 1.125 using a Montana Gold 124 gr JHP. This works flawlessly in my Sig and CZ.
It's been so long I don't remember the details, but I have been shooting various standard profile 115 Gr RN bullets in 9MM at that O.A.L. for some time. It works in my guns. Perhaps I chose it because Speer showed a 1.135 O.A.L. with their 115 Gr RN. That's my guess.
rfwobbly
Member
It's the fit between the bullet and your barrel that determines the max OAL. That being said, the CZ has one of the most demanding barrels and in mine the Berry 115gr RN can be easily set to the SAAMI max. Therefore, you could probably use any OAL any load manual suggests.
That's also true of all the Berry RN: 115, 124, 130, 135 and 147.
That's also true of all the Berry RN: 115, 124, 130, 135 and 147.
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
I'm loading that bullet at 1.120" + 5.5 Unique for use in SIG P6, S&W 39-2, and Springfield XD compact.
Way longer works in the S&W, and slightly longer works in the SIG, but not the XD.
The XD chambers them longer, but won't feed them without a hitch in it's getalong you can feel.
Feeds like corn through a goose at 1.120".
The SIG & S&W just plain don't care.
SO, it's not all about bullet missing the chamber leade either.
rc
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I load the berrys at 1.135 col on top of 4.5gn of titegroup. I have gotten 100% reliable feeding with this combination. My average velocity is 1069fps measured 15' from muzzle with my ruger p95. The factory winchester white box clocked in at an average velocity 1102fps. You might consider getting the lee reloading manual as it has load data for the plated bullets
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