Does this sound ok?

[nhrifle]

I have been loading and casting for years, but am new to loading for 9mm. I worked up a load today that functions fine and doesn't show any pressure signs, just wanted to run it by the group and make sure I am in the safety zone. I am firing these in a new Taurus PT24/7.

Boolit: Lee 125 gr round nose, tumble lubed
Case: mixed, mostly Winchester and CCI Blazer
Primer: WSP
Powder/Charge: Red Dot, 4.6 gr
Max listed charge : 4.8 gr

My concern is that the powder fills a sized and belled case to a point that the boolit looks like it squeezes the powder a slight amount upon seating. Seems to fire fine and I am probably just being paranoid. This is the smallest handgun cartridge I have ever loaded for and am used to a little airspace in a loaded round.

So what say the wise and learned among us? Am I good to go? It is a really nice pistol and I don't want to blow it up.

[Doc Highwall]

My LEE book shows 4.5 grains as a max load with a 125 grain lead bullet. With mixed head stamps case volume can vary even more not taking into consideration burning rate of that lot of powder, I would drop the next load .2 grains just to add a little more safety factor.

[Blammer]

I believe Red Dot is a shotgun powder. Shotgun powders are typically 'compressed' as that's the nature of shotgun loading. Compressing your load a little shouldn't hurt a thing. I'd say you should be good to go.

[Lizard333]

Of you say it shoots fine if go with it. In the future you may want to work your loads up to the max instead of starting there. That way if you find signs of over pressure, you can correct it b

[Jim]

From the Lyman Cast Bullet handbook...

56676

Based on the theorum that the powder charge is reduced if the bullet weight is increased, you might want to reduce your charge weight just a bit.

[nhrifle]

Thanks everyone, good advice all around. I'm going to fire off the few I have loaded up and I think I will drop it to 4.3 gr. This should keep me well within safe limits.

[Jim]

Smart man. Wise decision.

[kir_kenix]

Good idea there. I have a 24/7 in 9mm as well. Have broke a couple of extractors (Taurus has always fixed them under warranty, with a brand new magazine each time to boot!) using some top end loads. My theory is that these top end loads force the brass to expand and fill the chamber more then powder puff loads, and there is extra force required by the extractor to pull out that case. I'm not talking gross overloads here either...this was reputable data I was using.

Ever since then I have toned down my 9mm loads. My targets (cans, plastic bottles, and stationary clay pigeons) can't tell the difference, and no more broken extractors.

I think the 24/7 is a really well designed and thought out pistol, but at least my example didn't like the near top end performance that my glocks, browning high powers, 1911 platform guns, and Berettas seem to digest with ease.



Thanks everyone, good advice all around. I'm going to fire off the few I have loaded up and I think I will drop it to 4.3 gr. This should keep me well within safe limits.

[nhrifle]

That is why I love Taurus and why I buy them. Awesome customer service.

My thinking on this was a load that would be good for both plinking, and since this is my carry gun, self defense. I had worked the load up from minimum, watching for excess pressure or any sign of trouble. Didn't see any of that, so I stopped a little short of max figuring a bit more muzzle energy would be a good thing.

Kir Kenix, what have you found to work well in yours? So far I love the gun. I am going to do a bit of smoothing on the frame as there is a little flash from the mould lines, but overall I have no complaints.

[CWME]

I ended up dropping my 9mm Sig P225 Red Dot load to 4gr. I just couldn't get a consistant throw with the powder measure and didn't feel safe running any more than 4gr. Add to that the varying case capacity of the 9mm cases as already mentioned. If memory serves me I had a few flat primers when I was trying 4.3gr loads. might have been the powder, might have been those cases, no idea. No issues with 4.0gr and going on 500 rounds or so.

[Dannix]

nhrifle, there's one thing you really need to keep in mind too: Power charges are all in the context of OAL. The Lyman data Jim posted, with 4.5gr being the manual's maximum, is in the context of 1.110" OAL. That's also for a bit lighter boolit though too.

I just want to mention it. Basically all my reloading and casting time is spent on 9mm, and it's a cartridge where you really have to watch OAL. Powder charges are rather useless without OAL being mentioned, since what could be a dangerously too low of a power charge for one OAL could be a max or beyond max load in another.

Make sure you take your barrel out and do a "plunk" test with your loaded round to ensure it fully loads and extracts readily. I have a 9mm Jarvis barrel that requires me to slightly crimp/de-bell, for example, with loading .358" boolits, but will readily tolerate longer OALs (which is nice for full-house loads). My HiPower barrel though requires the boolit to be seated more deeply.

A chronometer can be a nice tool too as you get close to a maximum load, should you ever desire to do so.

[nhrifle]

Ok I'm feeling a little bit better about the load, but I am still doing to drop it. Probably down to 4 grains so I have a nice round number plus it will give me a little fudge factor if the measure throws a charge a little over. I have been loading these to 1.152" - 1.153". They feed quite well. First few rounds I loaded up, I took the barrel out of my pistol. The case mouth butted up against the chamber nicely and it jiggled a very slight amount in the chamber so I think the assembled rounds have good dimensions.

I fired another 30 rounds of that load a couple hours ago and inspected the brass a little more carefully this time. The cases all looked good, but there is a little bit of raised metal around the primer indent.

[Forrest r]

With a 9mm you don't see signs of too much pressure. You just replace parts, guns or fingers.

[nhrifle]

Excellent point, Forrest, and point taken. Parts and guns are easier raplaced than fingers. Or eyes for that matter.

[nhrifle]

Did a little more trial and error on loading the 9mm. Tried a couple new powders, AA #2 and Clays. Data from Hodgdon shows 3.5 - 3.7 grains over a 125 gr jacketed bullet. I used the starting load, figuring my cast boolits fire at reduced pressures from jacketed. Turns out to be a nice comfortable shooting load, the gun feels a bit less snappy and the sights are back on target faster. Got some more experimenting to do but I think I may have found my load.

[ph4570]

My 9mm tools really like Blue Dot. Since you are experimenting with powders you may want to give it a try.

[nhrifle]

I really should pick up some more Blue Dot. Used it a bunch in reduced 30/06 loads and mag pistol. Worth a shot in this 9mm.

Also discovered another combo. Found some .355" 158 grain j-words I had forgotten about and figured, what the heck. Downloaded to 2.5 grains of Clays and loaded to 1.150" OAL. Perfect function, very soft-shooting load, very little muzzle flip.

[MT Gianni]

Try around 4 gr of AA2 with that boolit.

[nhrifle]

I'll give that a shot, so to speak. Thanks!