The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

HH1 wrote:I reload for .38 / 357 mag, .308 and .45-70 gov. I am purposely NOT reloading for my SGC 9mm for several reasons 1. I don't want to void the warrantee. 2. the savings using FMJ bullets aren't worth my time and effort (around 60p saving per 100 rounds). 3. I don't need or want to use lead rounds in this rifle.

If you do start reloading 9mm, please remember that 9mm cases head-space on the front of the case and if you make the mistake of using a heavy (roll) crimp you seriously risk damaging your rifle.

I can't use FMJ at the range, if that's the only reasonable option then it isn't worth me buying one because I'd hardly ever get to use it.

In the brief reading I've done (not enough to consider reloading 9mm) it suggested it should be taper crimped not roll crimped.

Reloading 9mm is very cost effective

Alsapro will ship bullets to the UK it, worked out to just under £7 per hundred delivered for 3000. A big group by could work out even cheaper'
Powder and primers works out to about another £4 per hundred so it costs me about £11 to reload.
Cases were free I picked up loads from other 9mm shooters who did not want it.
The lee factory crimp die is a taper crimp die and also fully resizes completed round so crimp not an issue.
And for mags sports shooter .de is very cheep

DanTheMan wrote:

pir wrote: I've heard of factory lead rounds and seen them available in the US but not found any in the UK and apparently using lead only bullets makes the barrel and any compensator or brake you have on the barrel lead up very quickly and need frequent cleaning.

Correct, the flash hiders fill with lead so every 6 months or so I have to drill mine out, I actually had one machined for me with a larger diameter bore to shoot for longer between cleaning. You know when it's clogged as the rounds start being deflected.

I had ther same issue with mine so I started using FMJ or Copper washed bullets..sorted !!

I currently use these

http://www.blackrifle.co.uk/Copper-Plat ... rn-123.htm

pir wrote:

Mikaveli wrote:

I've heard of factory lead rounds and seen them available in the US but not found any in the UK and apparently using lead only bullets makes the barrel and any compensator or brake you have on the barrel lead up very quickly and need frequent cleaning.

Surely a muzzle brake, flash hider or compensator will always have a larger bore than the actually barrel so how does lead from the bullet contact the bore of the muzzle device?.......all the brakes and flash hiders on my rifles are larger than the actual barrel bore size.

snayperskaya wrote:Surely a muzzle brake, flash hider or compensator will always have a larger bore than the actually barrel so how does lead from the bullet contact the bore of the muzzle device?.......all the brakes and flash hiders on my rifles are larger than the actual barrel bore size.

A bullet moving fast enough (the rule of thumb I've heard is it gets really bad beyond~ 1000fps) some lead is removed from the bullet as it travels down the barrel since lead is soft, this is a reason for copper plated and FMJ bullets where the lead never contacts the bore. Not all of that lead stays in the barrel, some of it is thrown out the bore along with the bullet and the gases and carbon and other crud from the round being fired. All that crud comes out in a much wider cone than the line the bullet travels in and impacts whatever is there... which in this case would be a muzzle brake or moderator, etc. The lead, carbon, etc, builds up over time. The inside of my moderator gets nasty after a while even with .22LR lead rounds.

pir wrote:I can't use FMJ at the range, if that's the only reasonable option then it isn't worth me buying one because I'd hardly ever get to use it.

After further discussions my local RFD sells copper plated 9mm rounds and copper plated rounds are ok with the range! FMJ may also be ok if they are under the velocity and energy limits, which is not what I previously understood to be the case (I thought I'd been told that FMJ was never allowed, even if under the limits)... so I guess it's variation time.

Any one using the 45ACP version?

mag41uk wrote:Any one using the 45ACP version?

... no but I have handled one at McAvoy Guns. S/H for sale at £1600.

As this thread has gathered considerable input from actual users of this weapon, can somebody please enlighten me from a practical perspective.

I have fired one of these, but as a left hander, it was unpleasant to say the least. I am aware that the controls can now be specified for a L/H bias, but what about the blast from the ejection port for a left hander?

Ballistol wrote:As this thread has gathered considerable input from actual users of this weapon, can somebody please enlighten me from a practical perspective.

I have fired one of these, but as a left hander, it was unpleasant to say the least. I am aware that the controls can now be specified for a L/H bias, but what about the blast from the ejection port for a left hander?

I have tried one as a left-hander (without the controls for a lefty but still using it (though lefty controls are ultimately what drove me to the VZ MARS)) and ejection was fine. Maybe a brass deflector would not amiss if you bought one though (alternately wait for the 9mm VZ MARS, it's coming and if Zillberbak and some other user's were to go on, someone at the CSA plant being ill put a halt to it coming for now).

I only mention waiting for the 9mm MARS as the big ejection port on a VZ makes it very lefty friendly from my experience. That or get the 9mm lever release with left-hand controls (it seems you have to get in touch with SGC to do that though).