Dirty 9s

[Lee B]

Hi folks,

I'm after some info with regards problems with reloading 9mm pistol rounds, unfortunately I don't have access to books written in English, English speaking reloaders and find a lot of contradictory stuff on the web.

I've been away from reloading since pistols were banned in the UK and I declined the offer of a carbine licence. I shoot a SIG Sauer P226 X6 and am getting build ups of greasy black deposits around the feed ramp and adjacent part of the slide, the pistol is also not cycling as well as it does with factory ammo.

Using Vectan BA09, either CCI or Winchester small pistol primers. I've recently changed from a 124 grain FMJ to a 115 grain FMJ and dropped the powder charge from 5.2 grains to 4.8 grains.

A 4.8 grain charge will throw a 124 grain bullet just fine but won't do the same with the lighter one, the gun is getting really filthy and not always ejecting cleanly, I've tried tighter and lighter crimps and changing the OAL currently at 1.145 up and down a bit, a Spanish guy at the club says they should be between 27 and 28mm OAL, tried that but it's no better.

Any suggestions gratefully received.

[saddler]

My first thoughts would be that the powder is not up to the job...I'd look around to see what other makes or types are available.

[waterford103]

Surely when you drop the bullet weight you INCREASE the powder weight . With a lighter bullet there is more case volume so you need more prpellant to establish full pressure and proper burn.

[dodgyrog]

My first thoughts would be that the powder is not up to the job...I'd look around to see what other makes or types are available.

BA9 always was a good choice of powder for 9mm rounds in the (good old) pistol days.

[saddler]

My first thoughts would be that the powder is not up to the job...I'd look around to see what other makes or types are available.

BA9 always was a good choice of powder for 9mm rounds in the (good old) pistol days.

Aye - but the problem seems to stem from the powder, or lack of it!

As that Aussie-sheila noted, the drop in bullet weight was also accompanied by a drop in powder charge - the opposite should have been the case...

Got any BA9 load data kicking around from your olde days of using it? (English would be best, as most folk don't read Latin)

[Lee B]

Thanks for the comments guys, I must be getting daft in my dotage

Or am I? I'm sure, admittedly from memory, that the heavier bullets, such as a 200+ grain .44 have a much bigger powder charge than a 9mm or a 38 my logic therefore was to slightly reduce the powder with the lighter bullet.

I'd tried 5.7 grains of BA09 with a 124 grain FMJ, worked lovely but with a big recoil too, I was attributing the muck to a wrong crimp or a bullet seated too shallow. I shall stop being such a wuss and revert to a bit more powder and see how it shoots on Tuesday.

[bradaz11]

http://www.vectan.fr/UK/reloading-charg ... =munitions

4.5 start to 5.6gr max for a 115gr fmj

if you go lighter you need more powder....

you shouldnt compare to different calibers, esp 44 as my understanding is some designs put more weight outside of the case, giving you more or less case volume...

[Lee B]

Sorted - many thanks, I was getting it all backwards, those tables prove it too, bigger bullet, less powder.

As regards choice of powder, we generally get two choices in these parts, take it or leave it :( I visited the GunShop in Redovan on Saturday to buy some powder, the guy had none, should be in at the end of the month he said.

[Sim G]

I've always found Vectan powders to be dirty. When shooting 9mm, I favoured fast powders such as Bullseye and especially Red Dot in 9mm. That quick, initial pressure spike just seemed to work slides better.

And, are you over oiling the rails? Too much oil, too dirty a powder, it's going to sludge up. Run it dry and see what it does. And, when did you last change the recoil spring....?

[Lee B]

Thanks for the comments Sim, the main problems occurred recently when I dropped the powder charge a bit for a lighter bullet, I've gone back to the 5.1 grain charge and I'll see how they go tomorrow.
It's difficult getting powder here, dunno why, and choice is limited to whatever the Armeria has in stock, I'll try some different places, if the higher powder charge doesn't cure things I'll look at the recoil spring.
I do put a bit of oil on the rails, might go back to grease!