Opinions on first 9mm handloads

Status
Not open for further replies.
N

nojoke

Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2011
Messages
128
Location
San Diego, CA
Using a LnL with a powerfunnel.
The funnel gives quite a flair and I've played with the crimp quite a bit to smooth off the flaired end. Seems over crimped to me but any less and I get a rough/still flaired edge.
I'm using the Hornady seater/crimper die.
Opinions? Suggestions?
Using power pistol 5.4grains. 115g FMJ

first9mm_zps0f48ac4e.gif
 
Last edited:
They look good, very nice. I have never loaded FMJ bullets in that caliber, so they look a bit long to me.

Did you drop a sample into the chamber of the pistol you plan to use them in to verify enough crimp was used? They should drop right in on their own.
 
Look good to me. My lee dies leave my 9mm reloads with that hourglass look.

I was also going to recommend the plunk test. Your rounds should drop easily into the chamber and fall out when u turn the barrel upside down.
 
You are right at max length @ 1.169, make sure they do not jam into the rifling with a plunk test.

Looks like you have very little bullet in the case - it is kind of hard to tell in the pic, but it almost looks like a few did not seat straight. The three in the middle seem to have about the right amount of crimp - just enough to remove the flare. The round farthest right seems like it is tilted in the case, leading to a crimp bulge on the right side of the pic. Could just be the photo though.
 
they look good i shoot a lot of cast boolits out of my 9mm
using Bullseye powder i would but 1 or 2 rds in your magazine
to see if they feed ok
 
Looking at the round on the right it looks like you can see where the bullet is seated in the case. If thats how far they are seated, they are no where near seated to the right depth. With it being a 115gr bullet, I dont see how they can have that much bullet outside of the case.
 
At saami max they are safe to shoot, if your pistol will feed them. It is always about the feed. My current loads are 1.16, they are very close to factory rounds, in power, and dimensions. They work great in my M&P 9.

Let your pistol decide, not someone's opinion.

Your rounds look fine, you did everything right, looks like.
 
Last edited:
1000's of rounds down range is a little more than just a guess, it's opinion based on experience. Those rounds have very little of the bullet in the case.

And yes, the pistol has the final say, but at that OAL I would surely try the plunk test before loading a bunch of them. :)
 
I just pulled out my factory rounds, they measure over 1.16(Speer Lawman and S&B RN ammo) . I'm going to go along with millions and millions of rounds worth of experience. And a plunk test. *shrug*

The main issue with max length if your pistol feeds is it takes more powder to get the velocity up. My 1.169 rounds were quiet and weak when I first started working up, was like shooting a 22LR compared to factory stuff.
 
I personally would seat a little deeper just to make myself feel better about how much bullet is being held by the case. And IMO that is quite a low powder charge for that bullet, especially at that loooong OAL. You're robably gonna wanna work up from there. Power Pistol is pretty forgiving. You can go up quite a bit with a 115gr jacketed round nose.
 
They do look long to me. Very little bearing area. These are my 9's with 115gr Berry Plated. 1.12" OAL.

picture006.jpg


Lee shows 6.2gr Power Pistol as starting load, 6.7 max. I use 6.5 with no issues. You may find those a bit lacking in pop. Give em a try. That's how you'll know.
 
OP: (Nojoke)

Is it me or is there a bulge near the top of the case (crimp?) on the round on the right?

How do these chamber?
 
I'm going to go along with millions and millions of rounds worth of experience.
Click to expand...
Well, I certainly haven't loaded and shot that many 9MM rounds. :)

I would still be a lot more comfortable with more of the bullet in the case.
 
nojoke, your rounds loaded to 1.169" OAL may hit the start of rifling on some barrels.

Here are Winchester 115 gr FMJ (.355") bullets loaded to 1.135" OAL with .375" taper crimp - feeds/chambers reliably in several pistols I have used.

attachment.php
 
Agree, they look very well made but need to be seated deeper. Not enough bullet in the case and may not load into the mag easily. Without his barrel no way to tell if they'll hit the rifling.

I'd hate to have the OP actually bend one open trying to to get it in the mag.
 
So do the finished rounds drop in the chamber freely with a "plonk" and feed/chamber reliably from the magazine when the slide is released?
 
9mm

I agree with several of the others you need to seat the bullet deeper into the case.
You may fine that you'll have feeding problems with the rounds as they are.
I don't use a LNL but I would think you could adjust the powder die so that it flairs just enough to get the bullet to start seating.
To much flair works the brass unnecessarly.
If you fire this ammunition in different firearms I would suggest getting a cartridge case guage.
If a cartridge will drop in and fall out freely from a cartridge guage it will chamber in any firearm, provided it isn't to long.
 
Those definately need to be seated deeper OP, no matter what the max allowable length is. Some of them even look a little crooked. When they get seated to a proper depth sometimes slightly crooked bullets get straghtened out.

Good luck, and Good Loading OP!
 
A couple of things. Girst of all, have you inserted these rounds in a magazine and fed them reliably through a pistol?
Also, I have just finished up 3000 rounds of 9mm. And che
 
A couple of things. Girst of all, have you inserted these rounds in a magazine and fed them reliably through a pistol?
Also, I have just finished up 3000 rounds of 9mm. And checked each of them with a Wilsom case gauge which I highly reccomend
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

PO2Hammer
  • Locked
Shaving lead in the seat/crimp die.
Replies
12
Views
1K
PO2Hammer
PO2Hammer
R
  • Locked
Looking for micrometer taper crimp seating die for 9mm
Replies
14
Views
2K
Blue68f100
Blue68f100
M
  • Locked
Hornady LNL & crimp die issue
Replies
5
Views
565
rcmodel
R
M
  • Locked
Going from .223 Rem to 9mm
Replies
5
Views
994
milanuk
M
I
  • Locked
9mm Lee Factory Crimp - What gives?
Replies
11
Views
621
The Bushmaster
The Bushmaster
Back
Top