9mm reloads - range results - what’s this mean?

[Pwoens]

First - never thought I’d be reloading 9mm, but thanks to the current landscape 9mm is now a part of my routine

load is as follows:
115gr RN copper plated
Powder is CFE pistol at 5.0gr
Primers are a mix of brands
Brass is range brass fully processed
Die set is Lee Deluxe
Press is Dillon 650
Oal is 1.170
Weapon is shadow systems m918 elite

Situation is that one side of a discharged brass is covered in black from the discharge. The other side of the brass is not. Is this a non-issue or does it tell me that I’m needing to make adjustments?

 

[MtnCreek]

Might be low pressure or CFE might just be dirty.

 

[whatsupdoc]

Clean and check the chamber for debris, test 5.2 and see if it improves.
Check each load with a specific primer dont just mix primers and assume its all good.

 

[Steel head]

That’s pretty mild load.
I use that same charge for 124’s.
I use CFEpistol for my 9mm AR and my brass looks like that but it’s a blowback.

 

[LimaKilo]

Is this a non-issue or does it tell me that I’m needing to make adjustments?

Black soot on the outside of the case is an indication of too low pressure - not dangerous, but you're getting brass and the chamber unnecessarily dirty. Easy remedy is to use a bit heavier charge weight or shorten COAL which will bring the chamber pressure up.

Using mixed brass will cause the COAL, chamber pressure and velocities to vary quite bit, which explains why some of the brass don't have black soot on the outside.

 

[Cascade Hemi]

You're .2gr under minimum charge weight and .070 longer than max COAL. Your brass isn't sealing the chamber because you do not have enough chamber pressure. We've had a few notable threads here discussing overcharges with fast burning powders that resulted in catastrophic failures. When dealing with slow powders the opposite starts to become a issue as you're seeing now.

Increase charge weight and shorten up the COAL before you damage the locking lugs on the barrel.

 

[whatsupdoc]

He is also using copper plated not jacketed bullets, dont know shit about them but I would think they
would be equivalent to shooting lead bullets.

 

[918v]

He’s not .070” longer than max coal.

 

[Steel head]

He is also using copper plated not jacketed bullets, dont know shit about them but I would think they
would be equivalent to shooting lead bullets.

They do behave more like lead than jacketed.

 

[918v]

He is also using copper plated not jacketed bullets, dont know shit about them but I would think they
would be equivalent to shooting lead bullets.

not really.

lead bullets have much lower coefficient of friction because they are lubed. They are also long for their weight because of the lube grooves. In the 9mm they take up a lot more internal volume.

Some plated bullets are plated thick and can be run hard. Others are thin plated and should be run medium.

 

[Cascade Hemi]

He’s not .070” longer than max coal.

Sort of. Not .070 greater than SAAMI max but .070 longer than the max for the load data. Pretty much all load data, min and max, is for the specified bullet. Copper washed or plated 115gr is normally 1.100. I guess my post was sloppily worded but the max COAL for the data's accuracy is what is specified. Either way, OP is under the minimum safe pressure.

 

[Pwoens]

Black soot on the outside of the case is an indication of too low pressure - not dangerous, but you're getting brass and the chamber unnecessarily dirty. Easy remedy is to use a bit heavier charge weight or shorten COAL which will bring the chamber pressure up.


View attachment 7505098

Using mixed brass will cause the COAL, chamber pressure and velocities to vary quite bit, which explains why some of the brass don't have black soot on the outside.

Thank you! I did pull my original lid data from hodgdon site but maybe I read it wrong? I’ll adjust COL to 1.10 and increase powder to 5.2gr, then test it.

 

[Pwoens]

Sort of. Not .070 greater than SAAMI max but .070 longer than the max for the load data. Pretty much all load data, min and max, is for the specified bullet. Copper washed or plated 115gr is normally 1.100. I guess my post was sloppily worded but the max COAL for the data's accuracy is what is specified. Either way, OP is under the minimum safe pressure.

completely makes sense. I’ve got probably 500 rounds loaded at this point. In the old days of USPSA shoots we’d have rabbit fart loads similar to this concept. Wondering if folks feel the current loads are safe enough to shoot given they may be .07 too long and .02gr too low? I’ve gone through about 200 rounds so far.

 

[nightman89]

completely makes sense. I’ve got probably 500 rounds loaded at this point. In the old days of USPSA shoots we’d have rabbit fart loads similar to this concept. Wondering if folks feel the current loads are safe enough to shoot given they may be .07 too long and .02gr too low? I’ve gone through about 200 rounds so far.

If you wanted to keep the "rabbit fart" load, maybe do a seating depth test with the remaining rounds to see if you can get 5g to work reliably. Do lengths of 1.16, 1.14, 1.12, 1.10 (just for example) and shoot 5 or so rounds at each depth. Might be able to increase the pressure enough to prevent blowback without having to pull a bunch of bullets and re-charge the rounds. Just a thought.

 

[LimaKilo]

Wondering if folks feel the current loads are safe enough to shoot

I'd say these are perfectly safe shoot, but it's a good idea to check the barrel for excessive carbon residue in the chamber and perhaps clean the pistol a bit more often than you would otherwise.

Thank you!

You're welcome!

 

[Mr Tibbs]

First - never thought I’d be reloading 9mm, but thanks to the current landscape 9mm is now a part of my routine

load is as follows:
115gr RN copper plated
Powder is CFE pistol at 5.0gr
Primers are a mix of brands
Brass is range brass fully processed
Die set is Lee Deluxe
Press is Dillon 650
Oal is 1.170
Weapon is shadow systems m918 elite

Situation is that one side of a discharged brass is covered in black from the discharge. The other side of the brass is not. Is this a non-issue or does it tell me that I’m needing to make adjustments?

View attachment 7504970View attachment 7504971View attachment 7504969

Here are a few tips that may help you, one use the same brand of primers, two use the same brand of brass, 9MM brass is made in most parts of the world, not all brass has the same internal powder capacity . Also various brands could differ in case mouth thickness and case head thickness.

 

[47guy]

Here are a few tips that may help you, one use the same brand of primers, two use the same brand of brass, 9MM brass is made in most parts of the world, not all brass has the same internal powder capacity . Also various brands could differ in case mouth thickness and case head thickness.

what does any of this have to do with running to light of a charge? none of what your saying will help the fact that the charge is to light and not sealing the case in the chamber.

 

[Mr Tibbs]

Well 47guy these few tips that i offered are good for consistency of his loads, if the OP is using mixed headstamps (range pick up brass) there are many variables to be considered.

 

[47guy]

Well 47guy these few tips that i offered are good for consistency of his loads, if the OP is using mixed headstamps (range pick up brass) there are many variables to be considered.

well this is range pick up brass...same load 2 5 shot groups at 25yds from 2 different guns the dots are 2”...so obviously the variables don’t make much of a difference..the op asked why he was getting so much blow back on his cases not about consistency in brass or variables.

 

[Mr Tibbs]

well this is range pick up brass...same load 2 5 shot groups at 25yds from 2 different guns the dots are 2”...so obviously the variables don’t make much of a difference..the op asked why he was getting so much blow back on his cases not about consistency in brass or variables.

View attachment 7512383

One can take a horse to water, but you cant make him drink !

 

[aviumvenator]

Could he just adjust the seating depth and reseat the bullets?

 

[47guy]

Could he just adjust the seating depth and reseat the bullets?

yes that would increase the pressure a little but he is still right at book minimum so adding a couple 1/10s and seating at 1.150 is what i would suggest...remember to light of a charge can cause big problems too.

 

[47guy]

One can take a horse to water, but you cant make him drink !

LMAO...you win!

 

[Shoots 700's]

I wouldmrun the seating depth about 1.125 and bump it out to 5.5 grains. It’ll be dirty until you get the pressure up. Cfepistol is designed for a more powerful type load.