Suitable 9mm load for SD?

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Rmeju

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This would be for a M&P Shield 9 (3.1" bbl).

Hornady 124gr XTP
5.4gr Power Pistol
1.100" OAL (passes the plunk test in my gun)
Win SP primer

I've been using Unique on my practice rounds, but after looking around, people seemed to have a few go-to powders for 9mm SD applications, one of which was PP.

I was just curious what the more experienced 9mm loaders here thought of this load for SD use.
 
I use either Longshot or HS-6 but I see no reason why you can't use PP. If that load generates enough velocity to reliability expand the bullet and is accurate I would call it a good choice. If not, no. Alliant says you can go a full grain higher with your charge.
 
Power Pistol is a good powder, I use a lot of it, but it can be a bit flashy. To the point where it will blind the shooter for a second or two until his eyes readjust from the bright light, especially at night. Not a good thing in a SD situation.
 
For defensive loads, I would use powders with flash suppressant (like BE-86, WSF, etc.) for reduced muzzle flash (especially for shorter barrel pistol) as basketball sized muzzle flash may not be desirable for defensive rounds. ;)

We did night shootings and indoor range shootings with lights dimmed and most of my loads produced orange to melon sized muzzle flash of varying degrees of brightness. The larger/brighter muzzle flash loads did start to affect ability to see night sights and Power Pistol loads lit up the area like a torch.

After our defensive shooting instructor (who taught PD/SD SWAT teams and our RSO) taught us (local USPSA match shooters) point shooting (he made us remove front sights of our Glocks), I moved away from night sights and practiced point shooting drills using this step by step procedure - http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=9859706#post9859706

So I could work towards doing long distance/rapid fire point shooting like these - http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=9866378#post9866378
 
Thanks guys!

Any recommendations for low flash powders in my application? Some that I have and that I've seen thrown out there are W231, Tite Group, N340, and Bullseye, but none of those are listed in my Hornady manual, so I wansn't sure. As stated above, I also have unique.

Obviously, I'm happy to buy some more appropriate powder if I need it, but I'd like to use what I've got if I can.

Thanks again!
 
Unique isn't flashy, and that's what I use in my SD loads. Filled with 5.0 grains, they run to about 1120 FPS, with a 124 gr XTP.
Could probably run them a bit hotter than that.
 
9 sd

I would go with BE 86 or Hodgdon CFE Pistol They are very close in burn rate and interchangeable with different data of course. I like Hornardy XTP in either 124 or 115 grains with 124 preferred. The experts say never use hand loads so it is your choice
 
The load mentioned in the OP looks good to me. The flash and noise should be mild, for this powder.

I use these exact same components loaded quite a bit hotter at a shorter OAL. Obvioisly I am not a proponent of the blinded-by-muzzle-flash croud. The basket ball sized ball of fire doesn bother me much. It is technically not my everyday carry load, but I wouldn't hesitate to do so.
 
I would use whatever powder is loaded in the commercial SD ammo I chose. I wouldn't use handloads for SD. The reason has been discussed in many previous threads.
 
I have had good results with universal clays out to 100 yards with 9mm pushing 115 grain Winchester JHP's. That said I have never fired a shot towards a person.
 
For low flash I would pick something faster than silhouette maybe N310 or N320, they also work great with suppressors if you want a no flash load.
 
X-Ring said:
Power Pistol is a good powder, I use a lot of it, but it can be a bit flashy. To the point where it will blind the shooter for a second or two until his eyes readjust from the bright light, especially at night. Not a good thing in a SD situation.
Click to expand...


No way is it blinding someone for a second or two. This gets repeated time and time again and it's not true at all.

OP, go out and shoot some at night. It's not a big deal at all. The flash will not blind you for two seconds.
 
I don't see any flash with my heavy H110 loads either. Maybe because I am using cast bullets? But even moderate charges of Power Pistol with jacketed 9mm bullets produce a fireball, even in daylight. Like I said earlier though, I don't buy into the blinding effects of muzzle flash from a pistol. Use whatever powder makes you happy.

Here is stiff charge in a CZ75...

1rdj6g.jpg

The obnoxious flash is kinda fun sometimes.
 
way is it blinding someone for a second or two. This gets repeated time and time again and it's not true at all.
Click to expand...

I have shot (and won) a number of low light matches and always use very fast low flash powders.

Go out side in the dark and take a picture with a camera, not aimed at you but down range, then still in the complete darkness tell me what you see, it will be the image that was flashed, if you didn't have your eyes closed when the flash went off.
 
If you like Power Pistol but don't like the flash try BE-86. I like them both a lot in 9 & 45. But, seriously who doesn't like flash and bang? (sarcasm start) For night time tactical use load alternate Power Pistol and BE-86. The first round lights up the target for you then ...(sarcasm end)

CFE Pistol also seems to be moderate on flash at least a lot less than PP
 
Some people are much more sensitive to the flash that others and for anyone to say it will not make it difficult picking up you sights for a second shot is just hogwash. Likely from someone who has never been in a dangerous situation when the adrenalin is pumping and your safety and possibly your life are in jeopardy.
 
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ArchAngelCD - I find the flash from heavy 44 mag loads using H110 "satisfying", but this is a 9mm thread. You're not saying ...
 
jmorris said:
I have shot (and won) a number of low light matches and always use very fast low flash powders.

Go out side in the dark and take a picture with a camera, not aimed at you but down range, then still in the complete darkness tell me what you see, it will be the image that was flashed, if you didn't have your eyes closed when the flash went off.
Click to expand...


I've shot power pistol, h110, and 2400 in low light and dark situations. Yes, there is flash, no it's not blinding.

X-Ring said:
Some people are much more sensitive to the flash that others and for anyone to say it will not make it difficult picking up you sights for a second shot is just hogwash. Likely from someone who has never been in a dangerous situation when the adrenalin is pumping and your safety and possibly your life are in jeopardy.
Click to expand...


You know what's funny, I think it's hogwash when people say it will "blind you for two seconds."

Everything changes in an adrenaline based situation. Guess what? But will matter even less then. Just like recoil. When it all goes south people who have been in those situations report not even feeling the recoil.

This is exactly like the argument that a compensated gun will blind you in the dark. It sounds great repeated on the internet but it's not true.
 
While it certainly isn't going to "blind you" for a couple of seconds, muzzle flash is going to bother some folks in a low light situation, and since we can use low flash powders, why not? The factories do.

Even a split second of interference with our night vision could be a bad thing in a defensive situation. Hopefully that shot ended the conflict, but the first shot doesn't always do that.
 
^ This was exactly my thought.

I shoot a decent amount of PP, and to be honest, I see the fireball, but it doesn't bother me at all.

That said, for SD loads, why not use something with a lower flash? I loaded up a few XTPs with both Unique and PP, just to see the difference. Both shot fine, but I couldn't really see any flash with the Unique, so I just loaded a few more of those up for now.
 
I loaded up a batch of max Unique loads with a 200 gr XTP in .45 acp a couple years ago. I wouldn't call the results a "flash" in low light. It was more of a orange and black ball about the size of a grapefruit.

I'm loading 9mm with Hornady's max Unique recipe and the 124gr XTP but I haven't fired them in low light yet. Accuracy is great and I managed to topple over several Pepper Poppers at 100 yards with them.

I wouldn't hesitate to carry that load in my pistols except Hornady loads the 124gr +p in their factory offerings so I have options.
 
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