need help reloading 9mm Browning Long

[LouisianaMan]

Hello all,

I need some technical help: to reload/handload 9mm Browning Long, do I have to order custom dies from Lee or RCBS, or can I make good ammo using .38 ACP/Super dies or something else? Lee & RCBS both say I have to get custom dies, but various internet threads indicate that people have found some combination of 9mmP, .38 S&W, and .38 ACP/Super dies & parts that supposedly do a good job.

In my continuing love affair with obsolete guns and calibers, I have gotten my hands on a Husqvarna Model 1907 Swedish Army surplus handgun, with both .380 and 9mm Browning Long barrels. The recoil spring it came with is tuned to run fine with .380, and a milsurp spring I installed runs beautifully with 9mm Long ammo. (I got my hands on some modern-era Norma FMJ and some 1941 milsurp FMJ). I already load .380 and 9mmP, but *really* want to load 9mm Browning Long for this gun.

Those who have read my ramblings about handloading the .38 S&W won't be surprised & won't ask "why?", I'm sure :-)

Anyone with experience who can steer me on this one? Thanks!

LAMan

[SOFMatchstaff]

You can use 38 auto or super brass trimmed back to .800 +-. Use the straight case 38super size die and the parabelum seater, and a 380 or 9mm taper crimp.
depends on your chamber. Its all in how you adjust the dies. I sent a whole bunch of my used brass to a friend in Sweden, and he trimmed and loaded it with no problems at all.. a bit of experimentation and it will seem simple as any other caliber.

[LouisianaMan]

Thanks, I'll give that a try tomorrow!

[nitro-express]

I just acquired a FN 1903 with shoulder stock and have ordered ammo, and I'd like to reload too. The thought of buying dies for 200 $ doesn't appeal to me. Semi-auto pistols are particular about ammo, size matters. I've got a bunch of 9mm 125 grain bullets but my research tells me may be too heavy (to long OAL) for this application. I can't do anything until the ammo arrives and I have some fired cases to fool with.

If you find a recipe that works for you, let me know.

Thanks.

[LouisianaMan]

Interim update:
Successful using .38 ACP/Super for sizing and decapping, and 9mmP dies to bell & prime, seat, then crimp. Belling & seating are easy, and a little trial and error works out the crimping issue. I spent a goodly amount of time finding COL's for each bullet that allow easy chambering, then made and kept dummy rounds for reference.

Tomorrow I'll boost the amount of Power Pistol that I put under a .357-110-XTP until I reach approx 1100 fps. Already found a way to use PP under a .357-135g GDHP-SB that gives 858 fps; will add .1g to get me comfortably at 870-880 to ensure positive bullet function, as Speer says 860 is what the bullet needs. Out of an abundance of caution, I'm running the nominally .357 bullets thru a .356 sizer.

Will try to give detailed update tomorrow night.

Have 125g Remington .357 SJHP and .38 Super Starline cases inbound to see if it's practicable to go that route. Will trim brass to .800" and see if I can work up a COL of 1.04-1.08" or thereabouts. At 990 fps, that gives 3/9 free recoil, the same as MILSURP ball ammo.

[nitro-express]

My ammo arrived and my education continues.

The 9mm Browning long is not a true 9mm, it is not loaded with 0.355 bullets. I consulted the CIP drawings and measured the Prvi ammo. The bullets measure in the 0.3575". The CIP spec for max bullet diameter is 9.09mm or 0.3578". The barrel min. specs are 9.12mm and 8.92mm (0.359"/0.351") for groove/land. My barrels are not minimum, closer to 0.360 groove.

LEE sells a 38 short/long Colt die set (SKU: 90276) that just may do the job. A source for proper diameter bullets is still a quest.

Shooting these is a hoot, I bought a second "parts gun", that turned out to be nicer than my first one, pleasant surprise. One of my clips was toast, so I ordered some spares, and they look new and work perfectly. I also ordered a pair of military holsters.

Having fun, and I may not reload, as long as new ammo is available.

[LouisianaMan]

Wow, guess I dropped the ball on giving an update, didn't I? I've had to "cease-fire" for a while, since deer season got underway and I didn't want to interfere on my friend's property. He's gotten at least one big buck already, so maybe I'll see if I can find a time to go pop away with some of my 9mmBL handloads.

I've loaded up a small batch of the Hornady 110g XTP that I hope will give about 1100. They cycle fine from the mag, and I've noticed that the mag itself is the best indicator of whether I've properly matched the COL to the bullet profile. A few thousandths too long, and the offending round will "stick" and the magazine spring can't maintain tension on succeeding rounds. When it goes slack like that, I can literally pour the cartridges out of the magazine & then a good slap frees up the offending round. Have found that COL is most accurate when I take the time to seat and crimp in 2 separate operations. Also, I'll have to dig out and throw away the several cases I trimmed too short, as they tend to gum up the works.

Wish I could get my hands on Prvi ammo, as it would be great to shoot and reload. I've had success with the once-fired Norma brass, so it's a question of figuring out whether I want to blast away the 200+ rounds I have. They're hotter than the 1941 milsurp ball ammo, as several strings have given an average of 1190 fps, about 80 fps faster than the old stuff. Guess you could call them 9mm BL+P.

Interesting that the Swedes loaded up that hot 9mm BL in the 1970s-80's, as they'd actually had to pull the old m/07's out of the arsenals and re-issue them to the troops. Seems they had been running stoutly-loaded 9mmP SMG ammo thru their Lahti pistols, rendering a bunch of them inop in the process. (They wound up adopting a Glock to replace all the older guns.) I don't want to replay that episode with my m/07 getting beaten up with this hot Norma stuff. Will have to decide whether to chance it, or simply save the Norma ball against a rainy day. . .

Nitro: like you, my barrel slugs at .360". Can you chrono your Prvi ammo so we can compare its vel with the Norma and surplus loads? I also have gotten a bunch of mags & they run perfectly. To stockpile spare parts, I've boosted the Swedish economy and ordered from Stockholm Vapenfabrik. Have bought almost every type of part they carry, excepting grips & grip screws.

[LouisianaMan]

BTW, the gun runs fine with its .380 barrel & spring, or with its 9mm barrel and milsurp spring. The mags seem happy either way, and the barrel-spring matchup is an appropriate & reasonable adjustment.

I strongly suspect that the reputation of the .380 conversions as jam-o-matics stems from the fact that lightly-loaded commercial .380 ammo of the 1960's-1970's simply didn't give a strong enough recoil impulse to operate the slide of this full-sized service automatic, except under optimum conditions of fit, cleanliness, lubrication, etc. The gun was designed to run 108g @ 1115 fps, not 95g @ sub-900. Maybe I just got lucky, but mine does well with commercial ammo and handloads, and the 5" barrel turns commercial ammo into a ".380 Magnum" to boot. Will post my .380 chrony results later.

[nitro-express]

Nitro: like you, my barrel slugs at .360". Can you chrono your Prvi ammo so we can compare its vel with the Norma and surplus loads?

I loaded up a clip and sent them through the chrony. I'd call it a solid 1050 at 10 feet. One shot was 1124, above the rest by a bit, so I left it out.

I believe I've done my research and I would like to add a comment: According to CIP, and the Prvi ammo I have, the 9mm Browning Long has a straight walled case and uses a 0.358" bullet. The cartridge bible, Cartridges of the World, mine is the 4th edition, lists different specs, and if you loaded a 355 bullet in a 9mm Browning long case, is exactly what the specs would be. Call it what you like, COTW is in error, and should have listed the CIP cartridge maximum specs or measured a factory round. I mean no disrespect to such a comprehensive book, and an excellent reference.

Name Bullet Length Rim Base Neck OAL

9mm Brn Long CIP 9.09 (.358) 20.20 (.795) 10.20 (.402) 9.72 (.383) 9.68 (.381) 28 (1.10)
9mm Brn Long COTW 9.02 (.355) 20.32 (.800) 10.26 (.404) 9.75 (.384) 9.55 (.376) 27.94 (1.10)

[challenger_i]

Old thread, I know... However, I was curious as to whether any progress has been made, and if any tests have been ran with Unique, and HERCO, powders.