OAL 9mm

MacD · Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2012 5:44 am Post subject: OAL 9mm

I am currently loading three bullets using W231. After checking my Lyman and Lee manuals and the Hogdon site I have come up with three different OAL. How do these look to you.

Berry's plated 124gr RN 1.120
Berry's plated 124gr HP 1.060
FMJRN 124gr 1.125

The Berry HP wouldn´t load smoothly in my M&P at a greater length.

Bushmaster · Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2012 7:41 am Post subject: Re: OAL 9mm

I would think that anything from 1.100 to 1.120 would do just fine.

I load Rainier 124 grain plated HPs to 1.100 and my carry ammunition (hornady 124 grain XTP/HPs) to 1.115.

Probably more important is what your "wonder 9" prefers.

TRBLSHTR · Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2012 10:27 am Post subject: Re: OAL 9mm

Mornin -Mac,Bushy!I've been loading just as of yesterday some varied 9mm stuff.I have gone by several manuals,and they all seem to have dift opinions on bullet length(coal).I just check with the longest-147 gn,and set back from there till I can crimp within the bullet manufacturers coal.The crimp seems to be the deciding factor on a couple of my shooters-as they seem to stop on the feed ramps if not done correctly.Hope this is something useful! Smile

Ominivision1 · Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2012 2:00 pm Post subject: Re: OAL 9mm

I don't own a 9mm anymore but do own 45acp and 10mm, and they all seat at the mouth if the case. Reloading books vary on oal & coal across the board and one thing I been doing is to chamber a fired case with a bullet inked with a sharpie marker. Using the marker you can tell exactly where the chamber ends (lands begin) for developing a load. Depends on what bullets you use, you may have to push them backwards with a rod to get them out.

I usually take the barrel off and slide in the used case with no primer, nor powder and just seat bullet by hand. After putting the shell into the chamber, (SLOWLY) I can measure col and start by subtracting 0.020 and work from there.

Just make sure if you use this method that the shells will fit you magazine ok.

PaulS · Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 7:48 am Post subject: Re: OAL 9mm

MacD,
I will assume that the cases have all been trimmed or at least checked to make sure they are within spacs and uniform in length. With the 9mm there are two things that determine the COAL;
1. powder capacity with the particular bullet used.
2. feed ramp and magazine length (if it don't fit it won't feed)
If you seat deeper than listed COAL then you may increase pressure and if you seat them farther out pressure will decrease. The bullet manufacturer is the only one that knows how much space is left after the bullet is seated, how hard the bullet is, and how much barrel resistance is generated unless the powder company has used that specific bullet.
I used to shoot lead bullets in my 45 ACP and they worked fine as long as they were sized properly but I had to resize some because they were not consistant. I don't know how consistant the Rainier bullets are but it is something to check too.

MacD · Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 10:47 am Post subject: Re: OAL 9mm

Cases are all same length and to spec.

1. HP loaded in 10's from 3.6 to 4.0 Win231. RN same except 3.9 to 4.2. Berry's site suggests FMJ low to mid loads.
2. RN were perfect at 1.120 but I had to keep pushing the HP down or they hung up on ramp.

I used data for 125 FMJ or lead as I couldn't find a copper plated 124 with win231 or HP-38 (same powder apparently). My Lee and Lyman books and the Hogdon site were not consistent with OAL but powder charges were in the 3.9 to 4.4 range for HP and 4.2 to 4.7 for RN. I went lower for both to start. I am not concerned with RN but the deeper seating of the HP has me a bit anxious. The HP are .032 shorter than the RN. If my arithmetic is correct that means the HP are .028 deeper in the case. I will chrono both to see velocities. I went with Berry's because they are cheap and were available from the same supplier as my powder. I haven't shot a pistol in 40 years so I need to put range time in before I start trying for accuracy or join the local IDPA or IPSC club.

Bushmaster · Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 12:19 pm Post subject: Re: OAL 9mm

I don't see any problems with your loads. Maybe a small change to the OAL of the hollow points (a bit longer) wouldn't hurt.

As far as W-231 and HP-38 being the same...Some say it is and some say it isn't. I'm the latter thinking. All my manuals show different powder charges for each powder.

Yup...Been using 125 grain data for 124 grain bullets for years. No problms.

MacD · Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 2:34 pm Post subject: Re: OAL 9mm

Thanks Bushmaster. Hopefully I will get out to the range this week and try them out.

Dawgdad · Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 3:07 pm Post subject: Re: OAL 9mm

you can say that again...

Bushmaster · Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 4:27 pm Post subject: Re: OAL 9mm

I think he did...

MacD · Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 5:28 pm Post subject: Re: OAL 9mm

Senior Moment I guess. Darn I need to retire and concentrate on loading and shooting before I forget which end the bullets comes out LOL.

PaulS · Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 9:33 pm Post subject: Re: OAL 9mm

Bushmaster,
I had the same opinion on HP38, WW231 and H110, WW296 and WW760, H414 and kept hearing they were the same, so, I emailed Hodgdon and asked them.
Mr. Hodgdon, himself, replied and told me that they are identical powders. The different data lisyed is due to differences in testing methods and lot to lot variations. Since I was using Winchester powders, until they started changing their powders so much, I just switched to Hodgdon's powders and never looked back.
WW dumped two of my favorite rifle powders, 740 for the 3030 and 785 for the 243 and then the whole string of shotgun powders and I got fed up with having to find new loads with the "replacement powders" that I just stay with Hodgdon powders now. They may add new powders but they rarely delete any.

Bushmaster · Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 9:39 pm Post subject: Re: OAL 9mm

I use both hodgdon and WW. As long as the different manuals continue to show different values for these powders I will continue to consider them different. But I do understand your thinking, Paul.

MacD · Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 5:13 am Post subject: Re: OAL 9mm

While not exact, this is a useful chart.
www.adi-powders.com.au...alents.asp

SyberShooter · Member Joined: Jul 23, 2010 Posts: 93 Location: Arizona

I generally calculate my OAL based on the bullet length and seating depth (after I figure what is the maximum length my magazine/chamber will allow).
I pulled several OEM bullets after marking them at the case line. They all were seated .18 to .28 deep so that is what I use as a guide for 9mm (XTP are short so I use .18~.20") Most 115~ 124 I use .20~.25" and then the OAL falls where it does, usually between 1.08 to 1.115 depending on how long the nose is. HP are usually much shorter.