Load Data for 9mm in a Browning HP?

[racine]

I'm starting to load 9mm for my young son who inherited a 9mm BHP and a P38 from his grandpa. I just wondered if anyone who's shot this Browning has a good recipe as far as OAL, crimp and such. So far I'm having reliability issues with proven specs for someone else's 9mm. I'd appreciate any help from some of the old IPSC guys. Many thanks!

[Hi-Power Jack]

I'm having reliability issues with proven specs for someone else's 9mm.

Racine, what's your "proven" load?

Lead or jacketed? OAL?

What kind of Reliability Issues are you having?

[racine]

OAL of ~1.136 +/-

Taper Crimp of 0.380

Bear Creek Moly 125 gr RN

WST 4.4gr

Win.SPP

Full Length case resizing

The problem is that I get frequent failures to chamber with the bullet hanging up just before the ramp or bullets hanging up at the top of the ramp. I've eliminated 1 magazine (OEM Browning) but still unreliable. I just wanted to know if some of you old BHP shooters loaded them long or short. This recipe is from someone who shoots a custom 1911 for NRA Action Pistol. Thanks in advance.

[Hi-Power Jack]

OAL of ~1.136 +/-

Taper Crimp of 0.380

Bear Creek Moly 125 gr RN

WST 4.4gr

Win.SPP

Full Length case resizing

I get failures to chamber with the bullet hanging up just before the ramp or bullets hanging up at the top of the ramp. I've eliminated 1 magazine (OEM Browning) but still unreliable.

Racine, have you dropped the reloaded cartridges into

the chamber (remove barrel from gun 1st)? They should

drop in very easily, with a plunk, and drop out very

easily - if not, you're loading too long.

I load to 1.135" also - found 1.12" too short to feed

reliably, but that's with the MG 147 gr bullet - not

sure what you should load the Moly to??

Are the empty cartridge cases being extracted properly?

I'd still suspect the magazines - if you're not loading

too long for your gun. If you can, try a new MecGar

stainless steel mag - borrow one if you can - see if that

helps.

But, I'd start with the drop in barrel test first.

[redmanfixit]

4.1 gr Bullseye under a 124 plated round nose bullet. Knocks steel down NICELY! Cheap. Check the Magazine springs. If they're old, Brownell's or Midway have Wolf spring kits. Clean the magazine body and use a dry lubricant on the interior surface.Older springs often allow the bullet to nose dive in the mag as they are being driven forward toward the chamber. Buy a box of Winchester white box 115 practice ammo. Run them through the gun. If those feed, (they probably will) make your hand loads the same length. Simple setup. My wife shoots a Hi-Power. There is a nice little frame buffer for a Hi-Power that both Midway and Brownell's sell that keeps the frame from getting battered. After you get it running, Install the buffer. It will tend to be hard to lock open by hand till the buffer gets pounded in a bit. My Wife has small hands and a touch of joint problems. The buffer softens the recoil impulse nicely in addition to protecting the frame. Helps a new shooter avoid acquiring a flinch. She has shot THOUSANDS of loads built as described above. I don't like taper crimp dies as the pull pressure is less consistent than using a Lee Factory Crimp die. Because of variables in case hardness and thickness, the Lee die prevents bullet set back on feeding better than the taper crimp. Pressure spikes a LOT with bullet set back in pistol cartridges, check the literature. This is a LAZY man's formula for reloads. We shoot lots of competition and I own a business. I don't want to take a lot of time to sort brass by headstamp and I don't want to blow the gun up either. Spring kits from Wolf are a simple way to bring a gun up to factory standard and they don't cost much. Set up like this, the gun runs most any ammo we feed it. It also runs military surplus ammo that is loaded to the highest safe pressure that 9mm will run routinely and European ammo made for subguns with hard primers. I have several different USPSA production guns that I run the same formula in. Have fun and be safe.

[XD525Shooter]

You may find useful info over at hipowersandhandguns.com.

http://hipowersandhandguns.com/9mm_hi_power_reliability.htm

[noylj]

Since I have never shot that BHP, I can't help you.

My BHPs generally are VERY fussy about COL and like a relatively short COL--just a bit longer then the COL in the reloading manuals.

You, and he, need to learn how to work out the COL that is best for each bullet in your gun. This is best done by loading a couple of inert "dummy" cases, using them to set-up each die and then play with various COLs until the two inert cases fit the magazine and feed and chamber in your gun.

I will generally only load maybe 10 rounds at that COL and then load another 10 at a couple of steps down, using the dummies to establish when COL if too short for reliable feeding (or I am at the COL in the manual--don't go below the COL of the manual). A 10 round group at each COL will give you an idea of any feeding/chambering problems and what COL might be the most accurate.

[Hi-Power Jack]

My BHPs generally are fussy about COL

to work out the COL that is best for each bullet in your gun. load a couple of inert "dummy" cases, using them to set-up each die and then play with various COLs until the two inert cases fit the magazine and feed and chamber in your gun.

I A 10 round group at each COL will give you an idea of any feeding/chambering problems and what COL might be the most accurate.

+1. This might solve your problem.