new P30 - whats your 9mm reload formula?

[genek]

BrokenWheel, I reload my 9mms for accuracy not power or velocity. If you ever decide to leave the W231 try Unique.

For plinking I use 115gr Win bulk FMJ or Berrys 115gr w/ 5.2 gr Unique and the OL is 1.145. Try it, you will like it. Gene

 

[LiveLife]

BrokenWheel, for newer stiffer recoiled pistols, if you have the option to choose between 115gr and 125gr, I would recommend the heavier 125gr bullet - you will have less problem with slide fully cycling.

Were you able to make for your planned shooting?

 

[BrokenWheel]

bds - yes thanks for asking this is what I found out.

H&K P30 (P2000 and USP?) use a very stiff recoil spring. While reason for this is not clear some say HK designed the spring around a NATO 9mm cartridge which is about as hot as a +P here. Not sure about this reason but it is as it is...

If your HK is new and you reload, start in the middle and work your way up (for safety), I used 115gr plated bullets (Berry's). At the high end,4.8 grains of W231, although I didnt get FTE and the slide locked back, the brass would be ejected upward thus falling on me. That being said, I think that 4.9 or 5 grains of W231 would be appropriate in a new P30. I was at the range and tried 125 grain 9mm loaded with W231 and the results were the same as with the 115 grain bullet.

So I don't think that the weight the bullet is going to do much in ejection and slide lock - rather the powder charge. So get FMJ'ed bullets - they can be pushed faster without deforming , unlike the plated one I initially bought.

 

[LiveLife]

H&K P30 (P2000 and USP?) use a very stiff recoil spring. While reason for this is not clear

Glock did the same thing with their Gen4 models, the new Gen4 models have even stiffer recoil springs than Gen3 models (which were stiff enough already).

The reason for this is all the hot factory JHPs (Golden Saber, Ranger SXT, etc.) that were released in recent years that pushed the terminal performance up but also increased the felt recoil for the shooters. The stiffer recoil springs help reduce the felt recoil for these rounds, but the milder practice reloads will fail to fully cycle the slides and stove pipe the spent cases.

This is the reason why I load my 115gr Winchester FMJ to 4.9gr of W231/HP38 at 1.125" OAL for my Gen3 Glocks. I suggested 125gr over 115gr because often they are priced same or similar and the 125gr bullet requires less powder charge (4.3gr vs 4.9gr). Other than copper FMJ, brass jacketed Montana Gold and Rainier Ballistics copper plated bullets are other great lower cost alternatives to copper FMJ (BTW, I push Rainier bullets as fast as FMJ with no problems) - THR member longdayjake stocks both bullets at http://www.rmrbullets.com/).

So, how do you like the P30?

 

[BrokenWheel]

Thanks for the information, (I always thought that 125gr bullets were going to cost more than 115!), but your point about using less charge makes sense.

As for the P30, I really like it. I got the LEM version which takes some practice but I like the trigger over all. Its smooth but the pull and reset is long. The P30 feels that it is custom made for normal sized to smaller hands. All the other pistols I tried (Glocks, XD's,USP) seemed to be designed for gorilla sized hands and thus felt unwieldy, and felt like my hand had to accommodate the grip, the P30 's grip seems to accommodate me.

Definitely recommend this pistol.

 

[Peter_S]

I'm using the Berry's 115 grain with 4.6 grain Win 231 and a 1.30" OAL.

They are fairly light loads but accurate and decent for practice.

 

[xd9]

I use 7.4 gr. of blue dot with small pistol magnum primers with 115gr. hornady fmj rn in my sprigfield xd-9

 

[BrokenWheel]

I hate to bring up (my) old thread but using the method to determine the OAL, outlined in a couple of threads, I measured 1.200". So I should subtract .005", giving me an ideal OAL of 1.195?

That seems way too long! I am sure that I measured it correctly.

 

[Afy]

125 grain FMJ 4.1 gr VV N 320.