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9mm Major Load Data


Alan Meek

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You should be all right as long as your bullets aren't touching the rifling before they are fired.

Back when we had the 175 power factor we used 9 grains of WW540 or 9 grains of HS6. Also back then I had problems when I used N350 with the short 9x21. Stuck cases [no ejection] when the temp outside got above 85degrees. FWIW.

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Well, I am in the final stages of getting my Para Open gun converted from 38 Super to 9mm.

I have found the Para mags and 5" S2 Trubore require longer OAL to work together. Luckily both the mags and barrel have room for the longer OAL.

124 gr Star FMJ

7.4 gr Longshot

1.190 OAL

1366 fps ave velocity

29 fps ES

169.4 PF

Accuracy is fine, no flat primers or OP signs. Recoil impulse is pretty flat. Dot wiggle is up and down but stays in the lens. A lot of that is me getting used to shooting a dot again after a long layoff.

Just working through a few ejection bugs now, especially with the very last round.

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  • 2 weeks later...

New info:

Changed to 9mm Para mags and the need for long OAL went away.

So a new load that has worked really well so far, is:

7.3 gr Longshot

124 gr Star FMJ .355

1.170 OAL

Mixed brass

Federal Primers

1386 Ave fps

32 fps ES

171 PF

Flat shooting, accurate, and runs great in my Para.

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Thanks to everyone for the recent load data.

Just to confirm, as I bought powder & primers yesterday, the dealer showed me a letter from Hodgdon Powder stating that HS6 is the exact same powder as WW540.

Letter also stated that HS7 is the exact same powder as WW571.

There is no difference at all.

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I recently bought another batch of True Blue to burn in my Open blaster, and I found that the new stuff is faaaassst. My "old" TB was made on 03-13-2002 (according to a label on the bottom) and my "new" TB was made on 05-24-2004. My load with a 125 JHP went 1360 like clockwork with the older powder, and dropping the same load with newer powder went 1390-1400.

This may explain why some people drop 8+ grains for major and others use 7+ grains for major. (with 125)

I thought I would share my suprise when I looked down at the chrono!

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So, what's the word on Ramshot Silhouette? Gotta place an order for some powder, but I'm wondering if it's worth finding some Silhouette to try before getting the (uber-gritty) True Blue I'm shooting now.

PaulW... where're those chrono results? What're you shooting in the new 5-incher?

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I thought the True Blue was cleaner than the Silhouette. Silhouette left white & black sand size junk in the gun. Silhouete made major easily with both 115's and 124's. It's not as soft as 3N37 and the dot leaves the lense. I shot 4 pounds of it and changed to VV. The True Blue was nice and reloads easily, but I was getting fireworks out of the comp. The little sparkels were confusing when looking at the dot. :wacko:

5 1/2" bull barrel with no blow holes and a 4 port comp.

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Well I'm still playing with loads.

Full size 9mm, 7 port bedell comp, 2 hybrid holes.

8.0 of Silhouette give me 171-172 pf and works well.

8.0 of True Blue I have not yet chrono'd but it should be pretty close to 170pf.

Honestly I find the Silhouette cleaner than the TB. TB in my full size 9mm seems like it has a little less dot wiggle horizontally. However niether powder is what I would call "clean".

I have some hs-7 I want to try and that will be my last to try before I settle on one load. I need to break the chrono out and do some test. I will soon and will post then.

Sure wish VV powders were cheaper because this would be a non-issue...I think.

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VV 3n37, 8.0gr in my 5" 9mm is 169-170pf

VV 3n37, 8.4gr in my shorty 9mm is 168-169pf

VV 3n38, 9.3gr in my shorty 9mm is 170-171pf

i like the 3n37 load better and it's a bit easier to load without slinging powder out of the case during indexing. these loads are all with winchester small pistol primers and a Zero 125gr h.p. .355" bullet, oal is 1.150" or 1.170".

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Little Bill, I feel exonerated. My first batch of Tru Blu made major EASILY with 7.6 gr. With the new batch I'm loading 8.0 gr. and just barely -- I mean barely -- making major. I thought it was a gun problem but I'm seeing it's the powder. Regardless, from 7.6 to more than 8.0 to make the same power factor is a pretty big jump. A little consistency would be nice.

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Newguy-

That is why I like to buy as much powder as possible at a time from the same lot. (like 8lbs or so) I still have not tried 3n37 due to the warning I read here (BE-land) from my man, Mr. JL Hardy. (It is hard on barrels)

Does anyone have any side-by-side opinions of TB vs 3n37?

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  • 2 weeks later...

The newest V-V loading guide no longer lists any 3n38 loads except for "38 Super Lapua" [rimless] which has loads for 115gr and 123gr FMJ's that easily make Major. Also TWO for 147 JHPs in 9x19, BOTH min and max loads of 3n38 easily make Major. Anyone have the older manual with more 3n38 loads for 9x19 or 9x21???

Also noticed that they have an N105 load for 9x21 [short length] that makes 165pf with a 115 FMJ, and an N105 load for 9x21 that makes 160pf with a 123 FMJ. Anyone try these? Is it even possible to get 7.5 to 8.5 grains of N105 in a 9x19 case? It would be a compressed load but N105 has always had Major loads under the SAAMI limit, even when compressed.

I'm having major primer-flow issues so any input is very welcome. The lower pressure the load, the better. Thanks.

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The newest V-V loading guide no longer lists any 3n38 loads except for "38 Super Lapua" [rimless] which has loads for 115gr and 123gr FMJ's that easily make Major. Also TWO for 147 JHPs in 9x19, BOTH min and max loads of 3n38 easily make Major. Anyone have the older manual with more 3n38 loads for 9x19 or 9x21???

Also noticed that they have an N105 load for 9x21 [short length] that makes 165pf with a 115 FMJ, and an N105 load for 9x21 that makes 160pf with a 123 FMJ. Anyone try these? Is it even possible to get 7.5 to 8.5 grains of N105 in a 9x19 case? It would be a compressed load but N105 has always had Major loads under the SAAMI limit, even when compressed.

I'm having major primer-flow issues so any input is very welcome. The lower pressure the load, the better. Thanks.

Which powders are you seeing the pressure probs with? HS7? I'm starting to worry about True Blue as I've now had two primers deprime themselves, jamming up the gun nicely. I'm not seeing any tophatting, but I am seeing flow (no brass shavings thanks to the extended FP). I'm at 8.0 grains, which is making about 166pf. 350, Silhouette, HS6, and HS7 were going to be next on my list... might have to try 105, too.

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I'm using HS-6 with 8.5 gr no primer flow at all CCI SPM, I have tried the HS7 and at 8.5 gr I'm not making Major yet....I have loaded some more at 8.6 to see...but I don't believe it will ever make major....not enough space...but I'm trying since I got a couple pounds

Longshoot at 7.4 gr was almost making Major again loaded some more to see at 7.5 and 7.6 gr..I'm sure it will make it...again no primer flow or pressure problem.

All were shoot through my Stinger 9x19, and MG 124 RN, once fired brass...

When loading my ammo I notice that sometime the primer were very easy to set in...so I put those rounds aside and fire them....most of them resulted in primer leaving the fix so loose primer could be the cause of loosing versus pressure problems.... now the pressure is high no doubt but still save with no primer flow...

Also using a Limcat XL Firing pin..

Cheers

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Better luck today with primers - instead of FSR and WSR [which still shaved primers when I tried them] I made up loads to chrono with FSP and CCI small rifle primers. Neither of those left much in the way of shavings.

Some guys on GlockTalk showed me how the Glock slide is supposed to have a debris hole for junk to fall out of: Click HERE My Caspian G17 slide doesn't have one - either by design or from lack of QC.

Edited by eric nielsen
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Hello Eric the HS-7 didn't work out for you huh? I was getting about 40fps for every 2/10ths of a grain up until I stopped loading at 9.4 grains.. 2 port comp with no blow holes. I too am getting a fair amount of brass in the striker channel. WSP seemed to alleviate that a slight bit. I took your tip about the reshaping the striker as well. I am going to go shoot 3 or 400 rounds today and we'll see how that goes.... FYI I tried the FSP and the cups on them are just too soft for the higher pressure loads. I had 2 or 3 pierced primers out of a hundred.... There was less debris in the striker channel though.

124 grain zero fmj

1.138 oal

fair amount of crimp

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Just to add some data:

7.5gr VV3N37 1.160 OAL 124gr MG JHP Winchester GI Brass Federal SRP

28 rounds

Lo 1324 Hi 1369 Avg 1339 (166PF) SD 12.76

This is all out of a standard 5in STI with a 3 port brazos comp with 2 side ports, 2 blowholes, STI barrel

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The HS-7 doesn't work for me either at 8.6gr I only get 147.5 PF, so I'm stopping there..

Longshot at 7.6 is making 165 with 20 rds ES of 14 FPS so I like it a lot...will bump this to 7.7 for the next try....

all with a Stinger, MG 124 RN, CCI SPM, 1.180"

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Gun: Glock/Caspian/KKM/TiComp 9x19, click for photo: HERE

Various primers tried - what works in my Glock is Federal Small Pistol and CCI small rifle. WSR and FSR both gave me MAJOR shavings in the slide.

Bullet - Powder charge - Avg Velocity - MAD - PwrFactor - comments

124fmj - Hirtenberger +P+ factory - 1282 - 10.6 - 159 - soft

124jhp Zero - 8.1gr 3n37 - 1342 - 8.8 - 166 - flash ball

124jhp zero - 8.4gr 3n37 - 1382 - 12.6 - 171 - FLAME balls

124jhp zero - 8.1gr HS6 - 1338 - 13.3 - 166 - loud

124jhp zero - 8.5gr HS6 - 1381 - 7.1 - 171.2 - LOUD

124jhp zero - 8.4gr SP2 - 1287 - 9.4 - 160 - primer flow

124jhp zero - 8.7gr SP2 - 1324 - 10.8 - 164 - recoil! primer flow

124jhp zero - 7.8gr 3n38 - 1143 - 14.6 - 142 - mild

115jhp zero - 8.4gr 3n38 - 1231 - 9.1 - 141.5 - mild, flame balls

124jhp zero - 8.6gr HS7 - 1220 - 4.6 - 151 - ok primers

124jhp zero - 8.9gr HS7 - 1222 - 11.8 - 151 - bad primers, no vel increase!

Below is my luck-job new favorite load: not that loud, much milder recoil than 124 Zero bullet, noticeably flatter-shooting. NOTE BRAND AND TYPE OF BULLET which is the Federal hollowbase 115gr FMJ. It looks just like a 124 FMJ but with some lead missing from the back end; most accurate bullet in my Caspian hicap 38super.

115gr Federal FMJ - 8.8gr HS6 - 1453 - 5.9MAD - 167pf - FLATTTTT

High/low velocity was 1466/1445. Decent primers. Groups 1.5" @ 25yds, standing.

Shot some tonite with 9.0gr HS6, also decent primers, couldn't chrono it [yet].

Just guessing but maybe hollowbased jacket expands like a parachute when fired and that makes for lower chamber pressure, better accuracy, higher muzzle velocity... or I could be wrong. Local supply guy sells them to me cheap.

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Good info Eric... With an 8.6grain load of hs-7 in my gun with the same bullet you were using I get a mv of 1310. I think your hybrid ports are bleeding off alot more pressure than just my two port comp.... I am going to have to go and buy some 115's and some hs6 by the looks of what is working for you... Always looking for something better... I had heard from a couple of different people that hs7 seemed more violent in their guns than hs6 or ramshot silhouette. It was the first powder I tried and seemed to make major easily at or near the max listed book load.... Back to the store again... Do you know who your local distributor gets their federal 115's from? Always looking for a deal you know....

Did you have any problems with the FSP? I tried them and ended up with a couple of pierced primers....

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Yes I got a few pierced primers too with FSP, but they don't seem to leave any more debris than CCI. I want to avoid the piercing regardless. The load with 8.8 or 9 grains of HS6 doesn't compress at all at 1.160" oal.

The local guy doesn't want to sell out-of-state because it's the same component he sells with his brand of practice ammo. Winchester made a hollowbase 115 that was almost identical. The Federals are totally different from Zero 115gr FMJ & a lot more accurate from what i've seen.

Edited by eric nielsen
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