9mm Major questions

[Shooter94]

Just got my STI Trubor in 9mm major have a couple questions about loading for it what primers do you use and what headstamp on brass to use or avoid? Thanks for any input.

[kneelingatlas]

You don't need to do extensive brass prep to shoot 9 major reliably. I use mixed range brass, dry tumble for 45 min and load, after loading I tumble again, chamber check each round in the barrel and place it in a plastic ammo box. I then run my finger over the head stamps and pull out the stepped brass (FM, INT and Ammoland) for use in practice. Since I adopted these steps my guns have run flawlessly.  Here's the skinny on stepped brass:

forums.brianenos.com/index.php?/topic/216083-first-case-failure-9-major/

For primers some use small rifle primers for 9 major, but I use small pistol, usually CCI or Winchester. 

[Hi-Power Jack]

2 hours ago, Shooter94 said:

 1.  what primers do you use and 2. what headstamp on brass to use or avoid?

1.  I use any primers that go bang and cost as little as possible

2.  I use any brass that I can get the old primer out, and a new primer in* 

What powder/bullet are you planning on using?

 

* I avoid gov't brass and NT and S&B - tough to get the primers in or out.

[Sarge]

It's really not voodoo like many make it out to be. As long as you avoid the stepped junk as mentioned above and pay close attention while loading you'll be fine.

Its not rocket surgery.:)

[Bkreutz]

Rocket surgery sounds risky.

[Sarge]

27 minutes ago, Bkreutz said:

Rocket surgery sounds risky.

[theWacoKid]

I try and cull stepped brass (FM, IMT, Ammoload) before I even load it. I'm not willing to even shoot it in practice. 

Any primer is good, I stay away from rifle primers only because it's the only constant I've seen with respect to guns that happen to have the issue of prematurely eroded breech faces. 

I try to always learn from the mistakes of others.

[BallisticianX]

Biggest things to pay attention to, is as already mentioned, the internally stepped brass. Throw it to the side for minor loads only. Another thing is range brass shot from a glock. That little bulge they sometimes develop can blow out with a major load and stick inside the chamber. I found Remington brass was especially prone to the glock buldge blow out. I had it happen twice at matches both times it was a Rem/UMC case. So I purged all my Remington, Tula, PPU, S&B, & Ammoland brass. I also bought a Magma Case Master Jr to bottom size all my sorted range brass to mitigate any bulges and never had a problem after that. As far as primers go just use std Small pistol primers with no worries. I used Winchester & CCI regularly in my 9 major  The whole rifle primers in 9 major and 38 Super is unnecessary. 

[Sarge]

12 hours ago, BallisticianX said:

Biggest things to pay attention to, is as already mentioned, the internally stepped brass. Throw it to the side for minor loads only. Another thing is range brass shot from a glock. That little bulge they sometimes develop can blow out with a major load and stick inside the chamber. I found Remington brass was especially prone to the glock buldge blow out. I had it happen twice at matches both times it was a Rem/UMC case. So I purged all my Remington, Tula, PPU, S&B, & Ammoland brass. I also bought a Magma Case Master Jr to bottom size all my sorted range brass to mitigate any bulges and never had a problem after that. As far as primers go just use std Small pistol primers with no worries. I used Winchester & CCI regularly in my 9 major  The whole rifle primers in 9 major and 38 Super is unnecessary. 

Rifle primers give more spark when shooting a case full of powder. In my experience rifle primers cause no problems.

[BallisticianX]

2 minutes ago, Sarge said:

Rifle primers give more spark when shooting a case full of powder. In my experience rifle primers cause no problems.

Bear with me I'm over tired but here goes.......They aren't necessarily a problem, just unnecessary. Pistol Powders used in the burn rates for major will ignite just fine with a std pistol primer. The "spark provided" when you have a case full of powder is less of a concern than a half case of powder where you now have a potential of extended distance for the spark to travel if the powder is rolled to the front of the case.  Rifle primers were used under the idea that it was necessary to safeguard against pressures approaching rifle levels. Reality is a .223 can run up to just shy of 50k psi. A 38 Super Major load is between 36k to maybe 40k. The 357 mag and 44 mag run in that same area and no one ever preached the need for a small or large rifle primer(respectively) should be used. They do usually call for a magnum pistol primer in those magnum calibers only because the slower magnum powders have more flame retardant in their composition. Magnum powders that are in a class of their own beyond typical major powders I might add.  The downside to rifle primers in a pistol caliber are; requires a harder hammer hit whereas trigger pull could be heavier than if not using them; the harder cup does not flow/expand as easy and could allow gas blow by in the primer pocket beating up the breach face.  I suppose if you want extra "spark" I would rather use a magnum pistol primer and utilize a better seal in the pocket and the softer cup to utilize light triggers.  I shot a whole lot of std small pistol in major loads and never had any problems with consistency, accuracy, or piercing. 

[arkadi]

Indeed, an experienced Open shooter and gunsmith hinted me, that he uses Magnum SPP (Magtech) for consistency. I verified, Magnum primers gives me SD of 5, while regular primers are SD 10, and even 15-20 with Fiocchi SPP. This is for 8-9gn of VV 3N38 under 120gn coated bullet and mixed brass.

[Sarge]

8 hours ago, BallisticianX said:

Bear with me I'm over tired but here goes.......They aren't necessarily a problem, just unnecessary. Pistol Powders used in the burn rates for major will ignite just fine with a std pistol primer. The "spark provided" when you have a case full of powder is less of a concern than a half case of powder where you now have a potential of extended distance for the spark to travel if the powder is rolled to the front of the case.  Rifle primers were used under the idea that it was necessary to safeguard against pressures approaching rifle levels. Reality is a .223 can run up to just shy of 50k psi. A 38 Super Major load is between 36k to maybe 40k. The 357 mag and 44 mag run in that same area and no one ever preached the need for a small or large rifle primer(respectively) should be used. They do usually call for a magnum pistol primer in those magnum calibers only because the slower magnum powders have more flame retardant in their composition. Magnum powders that are in a class of their own beyond typical major powders I might add.  The downside to rifle primers in a pistol caliber are; requires a harder hammer hit whereas trigger pull could be heavier than if not using them; the harder cup does not flow/expand as easy and could allow gas blow by in the primer pocket beating up the breach face.  I suppose if you want extra "spark" I would rather use a magnum pistol primer and utilize a better seal in the pocket and the softer cup to utilize light triggers.  I shot a whole lot of std small pistol in major loads and never had any problems with consistency, accuracy, or piercing. 

I fell asleep half way through that. Use what you like but most open shooters I know are using SRP.

[Sarge]

8 hours ago, BallisticianX said:

Bear with me I'm over tired but here goes.......They aren't necessarily a problem, just unnecessary. Pistol Powders used in the burn rates for major will ignite just fine with a std pistol primer. The "spark provided" when you have a case full of powder is less of a concern than a half case of powder where you now have a potential of extended distance for the spark to travel if the powder is rolled to the front of the case.  Rifle primers were used under the idea that it was necessary to safeguard against pressures approaching rifle levels. Reality is a .223 can run up to just shy of 50k psi. A 38 Super Major load is between 36k to maybe 40k. The 357 mag and 44 mag run in that same area and no one ever preached the need for a small or large rifle primer(respectively) should be used. They do usually call for a magnum pistol primer in those magnum calibers only because the slower magnum powders have more flame retardant in their composition. Magnum powders that are in a class of their own beyond typical major powders I might add.  The downside to rifle primers in a pistol caliber are; requires a harder hammer hit whereas trigger pull could be heavier than if not using them; the harder cup does not flow/expand as easy and could allow gas blow by in the primer pocket beating up the breach face.  I suppose if you want extra "spark" I would rather use a magnum pistol primer and utilize a better seal in the pocket and the softer cup to utilize light triggers.  I shot a whole lot of std small pistol in major loads and never had any problems with consistency, accuracy, or piercing. 

I fell asleep half way through that. Use what you like but most open shooters I know are using SRP.

[Sammi]

I need a major load using 9 mm makor with vv3/n38

[kneelingatlas]

53 minutes ago, Sammi said:

I need a major load using 9 mm makor with vv3/n38

Vihtavuori lists a max load for 3N38 under a 115gr JHP which makes 170.5pf: 9.4gr under a 115gr JHP @1.161" (listed under 9x21, but can be loaded in 9x19).