9mm Gallant 125 GN Lead Reload Problems

[treillw]

Loading up some rounds for my new Sig Macro, my first 9mm - 125 grain coated lead round nose bullets by Gallant bullets. I pulled load data from my hornady reloading manual for 124 grain round nose copper projectiles - 1.150" COAL & 4 to 5 grains of unique. As far as I understand it, lead vs copper bullets are essentially the same cat. No load data on Gallants website.

Went outside to test fire a couple and they won't chamber properly. Extracting them from the gun is a real chore - can't believe how badly they get stuck in there.

I've done a little trouble shooting and am coming to the conclusion that my COAL is too long. I tried bumping it down to 1.110" and it still will not chamber properly. See below photos where I'm comparing some HST factory loads to my 1.110" COAL reload.

Checking diameters between the two rounds, they are consistent within .002", so that shouldn't be the issue.

What COAL should I be using for these?

Thanks!

 

[treillw]

I feel like I'm getting pretty short on the COAL with 1.110", but I guess I need to go deeper....

 

[Baron85]

No one can really tell you what OAL to use, you need to keep seating deeper until the loaded round drop in and out of the chamber freely or called the clunk test. Each gun/barrel is different on how long the throat is and may require a different seating depth even with the same bullet.

I make a dummy round with each bullet I use and try it in all my different pistols to find the one with the shortest throat. For me it’s my CZ p10. Now I load all my ammo so that it works with the CZ and I know it will work with all my others since it’s the shortest.

Even bullets with the same weight will have different tapers and profiles so each bullet will have a different OAL to reach the lands of the barrel. Find the length that fits, look at some reloading data and compare the data’s OAL and powder charge and make an educated decision on a starting point, start low and work up especially if you are not using the exact combo of case, primer, powder, bullet and OAL that the book is.

 

[spife7980]

Look like two different types of brass? Could just be the glare in em in the pics. But if so: the brass fits the chamber before you put a bullet in it?

 

[RegionRat]

If someone chimes in with specific experience with those same bullets... great. But if not....

I would suggest two things.

One would be to dummy a cartridge and inspect the brass sizing, case length, and then just incrementally seat the bullet deeper to determine when/if they ever behave.
You may be running more than one issue at the same time so the advice above to make sure your brass is also correct is important.

The other reason to do this is to have the seating depth value required to pass the plunk test in hand before you check back in with Gallant and see what they advise.

 

[Gustav7]

I feel like I'm getting pretty short on the COAL with 1.110", but I guess I need to go deeper....

1.10" isn't that short. I run my 125 Truncated Cone (coated lead) for all my CZ's at 1.10". Now if I switched to round nose like that, I might have to go deeper. I'm not a fan of round nose for that reason.

So keep going 0.005-0.010 deeper until they seat fine.

This is just a guess, and it may be the light, but it looks like your crimp may be overboard. I've seen rounds get stuck like that before. IF you over crimp, that lead/brass has to go somewhere.

You did buy 9mm bullets and not 38/357 right? 9 should be .355-.356 -- 38/357mag will be .358-.359

 

[treillw]

Got it running

 

[Gustav7]

Got it running

Well c'mon....what was the issue? I didn't type all that shit out to be left on read lol

 

[treillw]

Well c'mon....what was the issue? I didn't type all that shit out to be left on read lol

Sorry, I was mid-reloading-stream.

Needed to seat it deeper. Also had to back the crimp off until the proper seating depth was achieved. 1.130" worked. First time trying deeper seating I was too lazy to back the crimp off and kept seating the same round deeper. I knew it wasn't right to do, but thought I could get away with it.

When I started at the book specs, it was failing the plunk test and I thought it needed more crimp - so you're right, it was a heavy crimp initially. I backed that off after seating deeper. I never could get it to freely plunk in and out initially.

I've loaded pistol ammo for half a dozen other cartridges and this is the first time the COAL didn't match the book - new one for me!

Thanks for the help.

 

[treillw]

This was also my first time setting up an old Dillon 450. Missing some pieces to it, so couldn't only resize and flare with it for now.
I noticed the shell plate rotating decently when pressingly firmly on the handle, so I initially though something might have been screwed up from that operation.