40 S&W Lead help

[tmccoy2]

Hi there, long time lurker, first time poster.

So I usually just compete and handload for rifles and have been doing that for a many years. Have never reloaded for a handgun, but a buddy of mine happened to come across some free brass and cast bullets that some poor guy lost in a divorce. We have about 2000 pieces of brass and 180gr lead bullets. The make of the bullets is unknown (dia .4005, wt 180gr). So I decided to give loading for this a try. But in my area, pistol powder is non-existant. Looked everywhere and nothing even vaguely close, but I did find a lot of Win AA Super Handicap, which appears to have a rate just next to International, between WST and N320. Googled around and found some guys using it, so I thought I would carefully step into it. Loaded some up and chronographed them. Here's what I'm loading:

S&W M&P 40
Win SP primers, Win brass, AA Superhandicap powder, 180 gr truncated cone lead bullets

3.6gr Vel 825
3.8gr vel 840
4.0gr vel 885
4.2gr vel 1210
4.5gr vel 1550- stopped very quickly and didn't go any further

So now my questions......the goal here is to just have fun with mild recoil throwing some lead. Thinking of loading it down even more. Is the bottom side of a load just limited by what will function in the pistol? Any other drawbacks of going too low? What would be considered a low power velocity for this bullet weight range?

Any other drawbacks to using this powder that I may not be seeing, knowing that i'm looking for very mild loads anyway.

Thanks for all your help. Attached is a pic of the bullets, any insight into this or just no way to know?


Travis

109014

[petroid]

I'd would be very careful in your load development. You are definitely in an over pressure situation at 4.5gr and probably at 4.2 as well. That is a pretty fast powder and without published load data you are just guessing. Your chrono results indicate that 4-4.1 would approximate factory 180gr loads. And be very careful with seating depth. A slightly deeper seated boolit will raise pressure dramatically. You're lucky you didn't try this in an early glock or 1911 style gun with an unsupported chamber or you likely would have destroyed the gun and injured yourself.
i would wait for a powder that has data for it. And run oal as long as will fit in mag, cycle, and chamber. This can keep pressures lower

[tazman]

For a semi auto pistol the lightest load that will function the pistol consistently is your lowest acceptable load. Sometimes this light a load will not give acceptable accuracy, depends on the pistol.
Also if you get too light the case will not seal and the gun will get very dirty very quickly(ask me how I know this).
Often light loads just burn dirty as the pressure required for a clean burn is higher. I wouldn't think that would be much of a problem with shotgun powder though.
I have been using WSH in my 9mm for several months with great success and no problems. I have fired over 2000 rounds of it successfully.

[rsrocket1]

Those bullets look like commercial "hardcast" with crayon hard lube in them. Don't load them too light or else you may experience leading in your barrel. Fortunately the powder is not a slow powder so you will build up pressure quickly. If your barrel is really 0.400", you are good to go. If it is 0.401" or bigger, you may get leading if you go too light on the powder. Looks like 3.6-4.0g is good to go.

You can also determine that you went too light on the load if you experience sooty cases and/or gas blowback into your face. That means the case is not expanding enough to seal off the gases.