9mm reloading questions

[JudgeBAC]

I have run into some questions regarding loading 9mm. In the past 30 years, I have reloaded many different rounds including .45 ACP but no 9mm until now. My bullet is an LBT 124 truncated cone bullet sized to .356. It has an overall length of .587. To make it chamber in my barrel, which is a cut rifled barrel in a Glock 19, my overall length is only 1.026.

Is this too short? I.E. will this tend to cause unacceptable high pressures? Would it be satisfactory if I stuck with the starting load or whatever minimum load is necessary to operate the action?

Thanks for reading.

[Bigjohn]

JudgeBAC
Speaking (writting) from experience with loading simular styles of Boolit in 9mm, I would suggest the following. The TC's I have loaded were seated to the junction of the driving bands and nose, Then crimped.

These loads were for IPSC Handgun and were required to exceed a minor power factor floor level. Hence the loadings were maximum recommended or slighty below. No problems were encountered with pressures.

The GLOCKs tend to have their own chambering gauge; providing a cartridge will fit into the chamber of the barrel (while it is out of the firearm) and not protrude back past the hood (or protrusion on the top at the rear of the chamber) without jamming in there; then it is ok.

I can not help you with loads as here in Oz we use mainly ADI powders.

I know these methods sound a bit rough but they worked for me when proper equipment is not available.

There are some commercially made chamber gauges available if you can find one or ask the maker of your barrel.

But PLEASE, OH PLEASE; if you use the barrel to check the chambering of your rounds; REMOVE it from your handgun. Drop the rounds into the chamber and tip the out.

Also it may pay you to slug the bore as I have found some manufacturers are using .357" bores in 9mm handguns; it helps to keep the pressures down.

John.

[hotwheelz]

I have a 125gr TC lyman bullet that is .625 long and COL is 1.110 and I have run it with out issue up to max load { for lead }. this is a little diif. then yours but close I would start with a light load and work up . As a matter of practice I allways start light and work up when using a new bullet.

[Crash_Corrigan]

I have a Browning M 35 9MM for which boolits sized at .356 do not work well. The are too small to oburate in the bore and leave the gun very sooty and about 15 percent of the rounds FTL or FTF. I cast some .358's and after a FCD squeeze they work perfectly. In my Ruger BH 9MM cylinder they will not fit!