Issues with loading 9 Major

[frag316]

I'm loading 9 Major using mixed range brass, Montana Gold 124 grain JHPs, and a standard Hornady 3-die set in an old model LnL AP.

(NOTE: For you Dillon folks out there, I will ignore any suggestions to buy a new loading setup, because I simply don't have the cash for it. If you have no suggestions other than "DILLON RULEZ, EVERYTHING ELSE IS CRAP," you're not helping.)

The load I was given is 7.8 True Blue at 1.150" OAL. Loading for an STI 2011-based Open gun.

When I case gauge my rounds with my 7-hole EGW case gauge, the rounds don't sit flush on the top, they're just shy (by how much, I don't know, I haven't measured yet).

When I drop them into my wife's 9mm 1911 barrel or my XDm 9mm barrel, they don't sit flush. When I drop a slide for them, I get ~.010" of setback.

Any suggestions?

I'm very leery of going shorter, because I don't want to mess with the pressure. They sat marginally lower as I added crimp, but I'm under the impression that's a problem (the bullets had a crease where the crimp was with these loads).

[klee]

Are you sizing the case down far enough?

[DRobson]

Sounds like the rounds are just too long for the chamber and the egw gauge. I reamed my barrel and egw gauge for my loads with a 124 jhp. If you are leaving a crimp a crimp ring on a montana gold you are crimping way too much.

[Sarge]

How do they fit in your open gun? That's the only gun that matters here. I can run the same bullets out to 1.17 + and they fit fine in my Cheely Open. Your XDM for sure won't be cut enough for a long 9mm to fit. If you pick up the gauge do they sit flush? i.e. are the bullets hitting the table? They should not be at only 1.15 but they may be.

So first, I would hold the gauge in my hand and see if that works, then I would drop them in the open gun barrel and see what happens.

[klee]

Also, you may want to seat and crimp with 2 separate dies.

[lee blackman]

Mic out your powder depth, subtract that value from the OAL of the bullet, then add that number to your case length. That will give you a good idea of your minimum before you start compressing the powder. I run 7.4gr Autocomp, which leaves me roughly .21" of room on top of the powder. I've load 124gr MG JHP's at 1.120" without problems. I don't know about true blue though.

[kneelingatlas]

Got any round nosed bullets? They have a much longer ogive (the same barrel can take RN out to 1.185", but HP hit at 1.12")

[frag316]

Thanks for all of your inputs!

Are you sizing the case down far enough?

I believe I am. If I size, bell, and crimp a case with no bullet, it fits in the case gauge.

How do they fit in your open gun? That's the only gun that matters here. I can run the same bullets out to 1.17 + and they fit fine in my Cheely Open. Your XDM for sure won't be cut enough for a long 9mm to fit. If you pick up the gauge do they sit flush? i.e. are the bullets hitting the table? They should not be at only 1.15 but they may be.

So first, I would hold the gauge in my hand and see if that works, then I would drop them in the open gun barrel and see what happens.

I'm still waiting on my gun to be finished, so I'm borrowing a gun from a bud--all that to say, I don't have it in hand yet.

I actually did the initial drops with the gauge in my hand. I also dropped just a bullet into the gauge and it appears to sit at about the same spot with no case as a dummy round does.

I took some dummy rounds to a bud's house who has an open gun (he also built the gun I'm borrowing), and they fit fine in his barrel--but the barrel we used to test was finish reamed using a go/no-go gauge as the guide, where the gun I'm borrowing used a loaded factory round to check against, so the gun I'm borrowing may have a shorter chamber.

Also, you may want to seat and crimp with 2 separate dies.

I would, but I don't have an available spot on my press. I may switch from a separate expander to an expander on my powder measure. At that point, I could run two dies.

Mic out your powder depth, subtract that value from the OAL of the bullet, then add that number to your case length. That will give you a good idea of your minimum before you start compressing the powder. I run 7.4gr Autocomp, which leaves me roughly .21" of room on top of the powder. I've load 124gr MG JHP's at 1.120" without problems. I don't know about true blue though.

I'm going to try this tonight, as my bud suggested that when I went to his place yesterday. Thanks!

Got any round nosed bullets? They have a much longer ogive (the same barrel can take RN out to 1.185", but HP hit at 1.12")

Unfortunately, I don't. I'm sitting on about 5500 JHPs right now.

[FAZZ]

EGW gauges are not reamed.

[Hi-Power Jack]

Most likely the crimp - you're not loading too long for an STI with MG JHP's.

[gng4life]

Yeah, my MG 124 JHP are at 1.145 and I use an STI. I have ran that same load (True Blue) and it shot fine but I went back to HS-6, just felt a little better. If you are worried about the pressure, back off the powder, bring them down to 1.140-1.145 and try again, repeat if necessary. I imagine they are too long for that chamber, as others have said. I'm surprised they are not having any problems in your mags but I don't load out that long for my other pistols.

Also, EGW gauges are the tightes gauges around, you will have more failures with them than your barrel for sure.

Let us know how it goes...

[MoNsTeR]

Get a Lee sizing die.

[frag316]

Yeah, my MG 124 JHP are at 1.145 and I use an STI. I have ran that same load (True Blue) and it shot fine but I went back to HS-6, just felt a little better. If you are worried about the pressure, back off the powder, bring them down to 1.140-1.145 and try again, repeat if necessary. I imagine they are too long for that chamber, as others have said. I'm surprised they are not having any problems in your mags but I don't load out that long for my other pistols.

Also, EGW gauges are the tightes gauges around, you will have more failures with them than your barrel for sure.

Let us know how it goes...

I wound up measuring the amount of remaining volume and decided to back it off to 1.140. They worked just great, and they even fit into the case gauge (weird . . . .).

When I did the dummy round check in my "regular" 9mm pistols, I dropped the round into the chamber, then dropped the slide. I didn't feed them from a magazine.

Get a Lee sizing die.

I've had no luck using Lee dies in my LnL. For some reason, the sizing dies don't seem to have enough thread to let me screw them down far enough to size to the base.

[Sarge]

Not familiar with LNL's but with most Dillon machines the LEE dies are short as well. We put the nut underneath the tool head when they are way too short.

As for the drop test. You should be checking fit with the barrel removed from the gun. Drop the rounds in and spin them. There should be no dragging or stickiness. Dropping a slide on a test round can still push the bullet into the case if it's a little too long.

[lcs]

Don't load ammo until you actually have the open gun in hand. The barrel in your open gun drives your loads. Do you know what barrel (brand) is going in your open gun?

We shoot JHP all the time. Probably the most used bullet in Open. The OAL you stated is a little short. Mags with spacers should allow 1.165

[frag316]

I actually wound up loading at 1.140" and ran the gun on Sunday. Loads worked fine, fed fine, no major issues. I plan to load a few at 1.150" and 1.160" to test them and see if they work. Ideally, I'd like to load as long as possible.