Loading Major 9 Need Advice

[TwoShot]

I have loaded thousands of .45 ACP and minor 9 loads. I am making the jump to open and major 9. I have a Dawson tuned STI Trubor on the way. I have searched the forum and gleaned a great deal of good information. My plans are as follows:

- Once fired brass sorted by headstamp, most of what I have is Federal and CCI nickel

- EGW undersized sizing die

- Winchester Small Pistol and Small Rifle Primers are what I have on hand

Question 1, Is the Lee factory crimp die necessary?

Question 2, What bullet ? Zero's seem to be scarce as hens teeth. Would Montana Gold 124 CMJ's be a good place to start?

Question 3, What powder? I'm in my 50's and have no illusions of grandeur. I see many of you use HS-6, it is considered dirty by many. Many use VV N340, N350 and 3N37. Many say 3N37 puts alot of heat in the gun. Silhouette seems to be equal in performance to 3N37 without the heat. Where do I start? Am I expecting too much looking for a powder that isn't a compressed load.

Question 4, How much taper crimp at the case mouth? Are you measuring this or going by something else?

Question 5, What OAL, I'm getting Dawson tuned STI mags, the 170 will have a spacer, the 140's will not.

Thanks for your time and consideration!!

[GentlemanJim]

In the last year My Wife and I have shot around 30,000 rnds of major 9s in two Trubors.

We have mosty used HS6 and Montana 125gr CMJs...but shot about 10,000 124 Zero HPs

We only use Win small rifle primers...and HS6 IS DIRTY requiring frequent cleaning

I can make major at about 8gr of powder with no signs of over pressure.

I load to 1.150 oal...and it is not a compressed load

We use HSMITH tuned mags (STI) no spacers

At this load we can get MANY reloads on our brass...

Your gun may vary from this data so....start at a lower gr of powder ...and work up

the only other powder we have used was acurate #7...also dirty.

Jim

[bgary]

1) I use the Lee FCD. I don't know if it is "necessary", but it does do a nice job of ironing the case-mouth onto the bullet.

2) I use MG 124-JHPs. Zero's are pretty much equivalent, if you can find them. I am an acolyte in the cult of the JHP, which teaches that because of the hollowpoint, more of the weight is distributed farther back in the bullet and the bullet has more bearing surface in the rifling, which let the JHPs stabilize sooner and they're therefore more accurate. Yeah, it's voodoo, but it is happy voodoo ;-)

3) I use Silhouette. It isn't the cleanest powder I've ever used, but it is very consistent, and produces a major-9 load with no pressure signs. 7.8 grains over a Winchester small-rifle primer produces a consistent 170 PF (and it is not a compressed load)

4) My loaded rounds measure .372 at the case mouth. Like I said, not a lot of crimp, just sort of ironing the case mouth back onto the surface of the bullet.

5) I load JHPs to an OAL of 1.165 If I use CMJs, loading to 1.170 keeps the case volume constant between loads. Note that with STI tubes, you really have to use spacers (IMHO) - ammo loaded to this length will not contact the forward spacing rib, which leads to all kinds of headaches.

Bruce

[rtr]

I run 124gr MG CMJs with 8.0 gr 3N37 fed small rifle primer, I don't have a measurement on the crimp but you can see and feel the edge of the case pretty well not too much crimp. Gun runs fine with this load to the tune of 20,000 or so rounds thru the gun it's a trubor barrel with brazos cut comp.

[boz1911]

I run 124gr MG CMJs with 8.0 gr 3N37 fed small rifle primer, I don't have a measurement on the crimp but you can see and feel the edge of the case pretty well not too much crimp. Gun runs fine with this load to the tune of 20,000 or so rounds thru the gun it's a trubor barrel with brazos cut comp.

RTR, I watched your videos the other day and noticed the phenomenom I've heard about 3n37. Sometimes the gun appears to have much more muzzle/comp flash. Am I seeing things? If not, is it distracting while you're shooting?........Thanks

[satx40]

Twoshot,

I've been running 7.8gr Trueblue. It is real clean and soft shooting. It is a fine spherical powder that meters well and is not a compressed load. This is under a 124 MG FMJ or 125 Zero FMJ with an AOL of 1.160 and WSR primers.

I bought a jug of HS-6 but haven't used it since the Trueblue runs so good. I may try it sometime in the future though.

Art

[caspian guy]

I like MG 124 JHP with Silhouette. I like Silhouette because it "feels good" meters well and leaves plenty of space in the case (doesn't make a mess all over the press). This is what I went to when my keg of SP2 was gone.

If you don't mind cleaning a little powder off the press, 3n38 is also nice (what my gunsmith JL Hardy was recommending at the time my gun was built).

Peter

[TwoShot]

Thanks to those of you who replied to my questions I appreciate your time and the information you shared.

TwoShot

[Flatland Shooter]

Be sure to give several powders a try. I'm also in the "load development" stage with 124 gr MG JHPs for major 9.

This past weekend I chrono'd loads with N-350 and HS-6. At 170 PF the HS-6 was snappy and kept the dot within the C-more lens. Recoil, while not bad, hit my hand a little harder than expected.

With the N-350, the recoil seemed much softer at 170 PF and the dot barely moved. The N-350 also seems cleaner and in my case, had less standard deviation between shots (11.8 for N-350 versus 17.7 for HS-6).

I hope to locate some 3N38 and give it a try.

Bill