Powder for gentle 9mm loads

[ewlyon]

Hi all,
I am planning to work up a gentle 9mm load that I can use in a variety of pistols, mainly for old mil-surp pistols for target shooting. Do you all have a recommendation for a powder that would give good case fill and accuracy while also running at the lower end of the pressure scale? I don't intend to push this load as I have other powders and guns for that but I want something that will function in some old 9mm pistols and be gentle about it.

 

[Sam1911]

The guys shooting a lot of the practical gun games (IDPA, USPSA, etc.) tend to like soft recoiling loads as well. (Leaving out compensated "Open" guns, of course.)

The go-to load tends to be a heavy bullet (147 gr.) and a light charge of something like 3.4 grains of WST or one of the other similar powders.

Gets you all the umph you need to cycle any gun reliably but keeps the speed down under 900 fps or so and recoils nice and easy.

 

[rbernie]

I used 125gr cast and 4.x gr of Green Dot, mostly. I've run as low as 4.2gr and found that stiff guns and cold days were just on the raggedy edge of short stroking in my 5" 1911 9mm and Glocks, but worked fine in my 1937 P08. I usually wind up loading a batch around 4.5gr, to keep all of the toys happy.

One nice thing about Green Dot and cast is that it seems to cause much less smoke than more energetic powders. It's actually quite noticeable, compared to 231 or similar...

 

[lebyrn2]

I love 700x. I use it for 380, 9mm and 45. Very soft shooter in my glocks.

 

[TimSr]

When somebody gave me some WSF I discovered it was great for light loads. Don't have my notebook in front of me, but I was using with 125gr truncated cast bullets, and very mild recoil with casings dropping right next to me.

 

[jmorris]

The softest feeling load I have ever fired that makes minor PF is 3.1 gn N310 with a Berrys plated 147 @ 1.160". 3.2 of N320 or tight group are pretty close as well.

None of them will fill the case though. Your going to need a slower powder with more bulk if you want to do that. Something along the lines of HS-7, maybe try some 3N38?

 

[anothernewb]

124 grain hitek coated lead and 3.7 to 3.9 grains of VV N320. super duper soft and clean

 

[rdtompki]

In a light sprung 9mm 1911:
1) 3.3gr WSF behind 147gr FP coated lead - pretty soft
2) 3.7gr N320 behind 115gr RN coated lead - slightly softer (.3gr under book)
3) 3.1gr N320 behind 147gr FP coated lead - seems about as soft as #2, above. I think I could run 3gr. Note that VV does not show N320 and LRN; they only go down to N330.

We're shooting steel challenge so I don't have to worry about PF. I've chrono'ed some combinations, but don't have that data handy. WSF gets dirty at the low end. N320 not quite so much.

 

[TenDriver]

I love 700x. I use it for 380, 9mm and 45. Very soft shooter in my glocks.

I second 700-X. I've gone as low as 2gr in a 44 mag case. It downloads quite nicely.

 

[jaguarxk120]

I also go with 700X in the 9MM. About 3.5 grains and a 120 grain bullet cycle's my PT99 well.

 

[Starr1der]

Gentle 9mm

I'd suggest Longshot and 147 gn plated or cast; IIRC, I use 3.9 or 4.0 gn and OAL of about 1.12. I use flat nose Acme bullets, so called "lipstick" bullets, but use cast numbers for the loads rather than HP or FMJ numbers.

 

[armoredman]

124 gr cast Lee TL with 4.2 grains of AA#2. That's the low recoil load i build for friends who aren't recoil friendly.

 

[ewlyon]

Thanks all for the suggestions. I will have to check some of these powders out, especially the 700X which I was already considering for a potential 45 powder anyway. Luckily my favorite bullet for the 9mm is the 147gr Acme coated so I can just stock up on that.

 

[lpsharp88]

I like to use 700-X as well

 

[Goju]

Check the Accutate/Western online loading data. Get yourself some Nitro 100 NF and some coated 147 gr bullets from your favorite vendor. Use the minimum charge for a lead cast bullet and work up until you get 100% function (if needed).

 

[Starr1der]

Another possibility...

I also use Power Pistol with the 124 & 147 lipstick rounds. Here is what I have for different rounds and different powders:

147 gn Hornady XTP (boat tail HP); 1.100 OAL
Power Pistol -- 3.8 gn (est. 800 fps), 4.2 gn (est. 850), 4.6 (est. 900), 4.8 (est. 950), 5.1 (est. 1000 fps)- all estimates 4" barrel. I use 4.6 in my Ruger LC9S carry pistol, and 4.8 for my Springfield XD-m
Longshot-- start at 3.8 gn. (est. 850 fps), max 4.7 gn. (est. 1000 fps). I use 4.4 for the Ruger and 4.6 in the XD.

For the Acme 147 coated, I use the same OAL, but drop each load 0.4 gn- doesn't matter which powder. Example- I use 4.2 gn. Longshot @1.100 for the XD rather than 4.6.

As always, start low and work it up- and remember that longer barrels equal higher velocities.
I seem to get about 70 fps less from the 3" Ruger than the 4" XD.

I'll look up and post the 124 numbers later.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Thanks all for the suggestions. I will have to check some of these powders out, especially the 700X which I was already considering for a potential 45 powder anyway. Luckily my favorite bullet for the 9mm is the 147gr Acme coated so I can just stock up on that.

IMO 700x is too fast a powder for the 9mm and for me it doesn't meter well. I use a lot of W231/HP-38 because it meters like water, doesn't spike pressures and produces accurate ammo for me. I use it in the 38 Special, 38 S&W, 32 ACP, 380 ACP, 45 ACP, 9mm and the 45 Colt. I like it a lot and when it won't do I use W540/HS-6.

 

[ewlyon]

I use Longshot for my main 9mm loads for my carry gun but it seems a bit dirty especially at low levels and the case doesnt seal well to the chamber unless i seat them the bullets short over a max charge. So I figured I would keep that for those specific loads and use something that will work better at low charges for the soft loads.
The main pistol that I worry about loads for is a Husqvarna m40 since I have read about the frames cracking on those due to suspect steel. Hopefully the lowest loads that function in that gun work in the others as well.

 

[TenDriver]

Thanks all for the suggestions. I will have to check some of these powders out, especially the 700X which I was already considering for a potential 45 powder anyway. Luckily my favorite bullet for the 9mm is the 147gr Acme coated so I can just stock up on that.

The only downside to it is the large flake size. Even so, it is like any other fast powder in that it's very versatile and inexpensive to boot.

 

[jmorris]

IMO 700x is too fast a powder for the 9mm and for me it doesn't meter well. I use a lot of W231/HP-38...

700x is slower than 231/HP38 and most of the other powders suggested in this thread.

However, I also don't use powders that meter poorly.

 

[Hangingrock]

This is not meant to be demeaning or argumentative. I'm amazed at the aspect of the 9mm-Luger quest for soft shooting loads and the respondents that utilize such loads. You learn something new every day. I must not be that recoil sensitive. None the less an interesting topic and the information provided by different respondents.

 

[jmorris]

I'm amazed at the aspect of the 9mm-Luger quest for soft shooting loads and the respondents that utilize such loads. You learn something new every day. I must not be that recoil sensitive.

I have no idea why the OP wants soft loads, however, I developed them for shooting timed competitions. Even if more recoil doesn't bother you the extra muzzle rise will require more time to get back on target than a load that raises it less. That time may be small but multiply that time by a few hundred (rounds you shoot in a match) and the advantage can be significant.

You don't have to tell anyone you were shooting "girly" loads when they ask you about your trophy collection. In the shooting sports world we don't call the girly, referring to them instead as "minor" loads.

 

[1John1:9]

anothernewb in post #7 has apparently been reading my loading record book. That's exactly what I like for soft loads.

Also 3.9 gr Titegroup with 124 gr plated works pretty well.

 

[Sunray]

Old 9mm pistols don't really need light loads any more than any other pistol, but I've been using cast 121 grain TC's with Bullseye out my Inglis BHP for eons.
The actual powder you end up using doesn't make a lot of difference, but using a cast bullet vs a jacketed can.

 

[thomas15]

Titegroup, Clays or N320