General Q On 9mm Major -- Ease Of Loading

[boo radley]

If someday I were to get an Open gun, I'd probably get it in 9mm, because I hate worrying about reusing brass....

But I remember just loading 9mm minor, for my Glock, being a pain on the Dillon SDB because powder would get thrown out when the shell-plate indexed. A mess.

Now I have a Dillon 650, but even with .40S&W, it throws a little powder from time to time...I'm thinking with 9mm *major*, it would really spew, no? Don't the cases get almost completely full with the amount of powder needed to make 9-major?

Do y'all go slower, and more carefully? Just ignore it? Or it doesn't happen on your press(es)?

[eric nielsen]

I hold the next bullet with my left thumb & middle finger, and use my left index finger to press lightly against the side of the powder'd case as it comes down & around. Then I visually check the powder in the case [really really full] and put the bullet on top.

That seems to slow down & smooth out the shellplate's travel enough to keep 9 grains of 3n38 in the short 9x19 case. Probably hugging on any of the cases as the shellplate moves would work, just happens to be the one coming out of the powder station is the most convenient one.

[bgary]

1) depends on the powder. I use Silhouette, and it fills the case enough that a double-charge would spill out, but not so full that just cycling the 650 spills any out.

2) also, if your 650 "snaps" into each index position enough to be spilling powder, you can adjust that by modifying the spring that holds the ball-detent up against the bottom of the shell plate. Do a search - there is a whole thread of 650 tips and tricks.

Bruce

[smokshwn]

+1 to both Eric and Bruce's suggestions.

With the above techniques in place I can easily load at a rate of 7-800 and hour on my 650 with very little spillage.

The third thing you can watch for is to make sure you are not belling the case too much and that the transition area on the powder funnel is polished extremely smooth. At times a case mouth will stick (you are lubing cases right) and cause a little jump as you bring the shell plate down.

All in all I haven't found 9 major to be difficult to reload.

Good luck, Craig

[blue edge]

If loading MAJOR 9 ammo is a problem( slow), IT IS still worth it to ME !!!!!!!!

I would and will do it again!

[Harmon]

the only powder i have had to slow down to load in the 9mm at major was imr7625. with the other powders i have tried, (power pistol, HS6, ramshot silhouette) i can haul ass on the press w/o slinging any powder out.