9mm major

[Bert.40]

What's the excitement about 9mm major? Is there an advantage in the Open or Limited class? My first thought would be 9mm major would run close to shooting .40's. Is it economics, recoil, or just something new?

[lneel]

9major is only for Open. In Limited, the minimum caliber for major is .400.

In my opinion, it is a run the engine cost issue....9mm once fired brass is readily available and ~1/4 the cost of new .38 Super brass. The reason I don't use it is that your chioces for powder are much smaller. You must use a fast burning power to push a 115/124gr bullet to major velocities. While in a .38 Super you can use the same powder or a slower powder which may work beter in a particular gun. Stockton does have a good point that if you start with a 9major you can always have it reamed to a .38 Super if you find it doesn't work well for you.

[ALF]

The reason I shoot 9 Major is because I can get once fired 9 mm brass real cheap.Never pick brass again(YES).

It is a bit trickier to load 9 Major than 38 Super but it can be done. My powders of choice is Vith N350 and 3N38. Other ones that I have tried and liked is Hogdon HS6 and Vectan SP2.

[bulm540]

I thought you use slower burning powder like 3n38 to lower case pressure?

[lneel]

In 9major you can't get enough of a slower burning powder in the case to make major. That's why .38 Super is more flexible. YMMV...

[mlmiller1]

If by chance you want an open glock, you will need to have it chambered in 9mm. The 38 super is too long for the magazines. That is the economical way to go with an open gun. You can buy your gun & have it professionally built for about the cost of purchasing a conventional STI type gun which still has to be built into the open gun.

9MM major in a glock is just a matter of economics. It isn't better but it can be pretty good.

[HSMITH]

9mm major is about cheap brass, there is NO other reason to do it. Super/Supercomp is more flexible, easier to keep the gun running, easier to keep the mags running, easier to load, and so on. Not picking up brass is why my open gun is in 9mm, 12-14 cents each for Super brass adds up quick when at the local matches I shoot I would be lucky to get 50% back. With 9mm it is really not an issue at all, if I find a couple that is great, if not oh well.

The price for GOOD 9mm brass is going up and up and up if you don't have a ready source. The difference now is only a factor of 3 or 4, when I built my gun it was 10 or more.

[ALF]

I use 7,5gn of N350, with 3N38 is about 9 gn needed to make Major. I use a 124 gn FMJ and Fed 100 primers, no problem at all. As someone said it is all about brass. To never have to pick brass is indeed a blessing.

Super and SuperComp is more flexible no doubt about that but the brass is also more expensive!

[Mick]

What is your overall length (OAL) with the 124 and those powders for 9mm Major?

[HSMITH]

Mick, with spacer magazines run 1.165", with spacerless or SV mags without spacers run 1.175" minimum out to as long as you can get them.

[Mick]

Thanks.

I was hopping Alf would tell me about his N350 and 3N38 loads.

I saw awhile back that TGO was using a 9 major gun with 130/135 loads and N350.

Mine is still back at SV but I'm thinking the N350 load at 1.170" might be good.

I have LOTS of 9mm brass!!!

[lcs]

Thanks.

I was hopping Alf would tell me about his N350 and 3N38 loads.

I saw awhile back that TGO was using a 9 major gun with 130/135 loads and N350.

Mine is still back at SV but I'm thinking the N350 load at 1.170" might be good.

I have LOTS of 9mm brass!!!

Anymore bullets and brass have gone out-of-sight cost wise. The cost of powder is not as much of an issue as it use to be, but the cost still contributes to overall cost.

N350 is a good powder, but if you can get Ramshot Silhouette you will see significant savings on powder. Silhouette is not quite as clean, but very easy to work with as you do not need to fill the case to make major with a 125GN bullet. You can also use Sil for 115 loads.

I load a 125JHP at 7.7 of Sil OAL 1.174 for a 171PF. Why 171? At 171 the dot tracks straight up and down. I am using a 4.75 inch Nowlin barrel. 5.5 inch barrels normally require less powder.

[HSMITH]

I find 350 to be harsh compared to 3n-37 and 3n-38. Silhouette feels exactly like 3n-37 to me, and is half the price. HS-6, if your gun will tolerate the dirty nature, is soft and accurate. I have worked up 6 or 7 more powders, but the above to me is the cream of the crop.

I prefer 3n-37 and JHP 115's for my big match load. 8.8 grains at 1.185", WW primers and brass.

[Mick]

Locally we have some 9 Major guys shooting Silhouette with good results.

I was told by an industry guy that it is nothing more than WAP....

I guess I will have to try it and HS6.

[ALF]

I use an SVI IMM with a 3 port comp and 3 popple holes. The barrel has been reamed to allow for longer cartridges.

My OAL is 1.21. With 7,5gn of N350 will I get about 1350 FPS. The dot hardly moves just shudders thats all.

Other loads that works for me is 8.6 gn HS6 I used that load at last years Florida Open it made about 170 in PF.

With Vectan SP2 did I have to use 9.2 gn to get 1350 FPS.

My test of 3N38 are "promising" but not completed yet , but my guess is that I must use around 9 gn to "be there".

I only use Fed 100 primers, for match use.

For practice is my load the same except for the brass and primer.Here in Europe is there a brand called Sellier&Bellot which is a "budget"brand. Their primer pocket is just a little smaller than standard only S&B primers will work without a problem at least for me. I use S&B brass and primers because their brass is easy to get hold of.When I use S&B primers will I get about 3-5 units of PF less than with Fed 100.

For match use is my brass of choice Norma or Fiocchi(GFL). I used small rifle primers for a while but I found no improvement over Fed 100.

Edited April 30, 2008 by ALF

[larry cazes]

I have been loading Silhouette in 38super for a while and really like it. It is not squeaky clean but what residue is left is soft and powdery and presents zero problem for me. It is also cheap and readily available from all of the big on line retailers. After loading super for 3 years or so and going through a lot of different powders, this is the sweet spot so far.

[ExtremeShot]

I've been running Longshot in my 9mm major gun. So far it works pretty good. I'm running a 124 grain bullet with an OAL of 1.190. As I recall I'm using about 7 or 7.2 grains. of Longshot to get around 170 PF.

DM

[Jaxshooter]

I run 7.8 gr of True Blue with a 125 Zero JHP at 1.160 OAL for 171 PF. 8.0 gr of TB bumps the PF to 177.4. I use SV mags only. That is in a full size 9mm open gun.

[the duck of death]

I shoot a Glock 34 open gun using MG 121 and either Silhouette or HS 6. I DO pick up my brass since it lasts as long as any other brass shot in a 9mm.

[Greg Q]

I've been running Longshot in my 9mm major gun. So far it works pretty good. I'm running a 124 grain bullet with an OAL of 1.190. As I recall I'm using about 7 or 7.2 grains. of Longshot to get around 170 PF.

DM

A few of the better shooters at my club are using Longshot for 9mm major and 38 super. Has anyone compared this to N350? I shot some Longshot and the dot barely moved.

[pbosik]

I am shooting a full length SV, I use 7.0/N350, 124 MG/Jhp, 1.150 oal,,,dot tracks really well, i dont see how these other guys are loading much longer???

[Fireant]

It's pretty easy, I'm loading a MG 121 with 8 grains of ramshot sil. at 1.185 and still have room to go longer if I needed to.

[ExtremeShot]

I'm doing 1.190 for 9 Major. ...I'll say that when I was using a standard seating die (like RCBS) I would occasionally have a bullet that would be pressed off center. When I switched to a Redding Competition Seating Die, that problem went away.

Darren

[mikeAZ]

I load to 1.200, 8.6 HS-6 x 124MG rn or steel MG121 @8.6, Didn't believe the groups w/ 121. Just super accurate! Try the Lee "U" die in the 1st. stage (EGW)(ALSO makes a neat 4in1 case guage).... The only draw back???? with 9mm is I didn't like the thrown powder with my 650.... so... I sold it ... Back to the 550's (have 3). I usually come home with more brass than I started with ... get a easy 5/7 reloads before the primer pocket feels loose... I would not recomend 7625 in 9mm.. had 2 case seperations, who knows what the problem was & and why find out!! I ran out of my 5 year supply of WAP/SILLOUTTE, I don't see Hs-6 as that dirty... BUT the VIT powders are really clean... Tried n350/3n38, nice but I'm a working man. Use Win. small rifle primers cause I have AR 15's.

[dansy]

I would stay away from the 7625 (even in 38SC)it showed me quite a bit of pressure signed, Hs-6 and 3n37 were fine.