[Arnisandyz]

Had some FTEs with bought reloads on my SC9. 124g cast lead, I think they were flat pont or semi-wadcutter. In addition to that, they shot a lot softer than the box of CCI Blazers I had, so i don't know if its a combination of feeding due to the shorter OAL or because the round was lacking juice to function properly. Somebody told me that the charge was probably reduced slightly to avoid excessive leading. Reloading my own, I've used FMJ round nose with no problem. I'm finding my gun to like slightly hotter loads.

Something you might want to think about is getting a Lee handpress (its only $20 and uses standard dies that you already have) to experiment with some loads at the range. Buy a variety of bullet types and see which reloads function the best in your gun.

By the way, somebody suggested that I seat the bullet slightly higher with less crimp so when the round gets chambered the bullet actually gets fully seated by the chamber its being fired in. Has anyone heard of this before or is this guy full of BS? My setup is working fine and I don't really want to change it, but is it better to do it this way (as far as reliability or accuracy)?

Sorry, didn't mean to start a new thread! This was in relpy to "Reloading for XD-9..." can a mod please move it?

Thanks

 

[Snake-eater 1]

In addition to that, they shot a lot softer than the box of CCI Blazers I had,

By the way, somebody suggested that I seat the bullet slightly higher with less crimp so when the round gets chambered the bullet actually gets fully seated by the chamber its being fired in. Has anyone heard of this before or is this guy full of BS? My setup is working fine and I don't really want to change it, but is it better to do it this way (as far as reliability or accuracy)?



Thanks

Blazers are typically loaded "hotter" that most other "target" ammo.

As far as loading long and letting the chamber seat the bullet, what total B.S. More likely, you'll get setback from the bullet hitting the feedramp, it's amount you can't control, and it will BLOW UP :!: Now, sometimes it's useful to load long, but with a full crimp. I do this with my .40 reloads, it reduces pressure a bit, but mainly it enables reliable feeding with the bullet I'm using. The OAL is NOT so long that the bullet hits the rifling, nor do the cartridges bind in the magazine.

 

[mullanman]

Never, ever buy someone elses reloads.


Many kabooms have happened that way. Do you really want to try someone elses loads in your gun??? Safety first.

 

[Hawaii-5-O]

Fully agree with Mullanman and Snake-eater.

If you're going to use reloaded ammo, make sure that you did the reloading.

Always know:
1. Powder type and grains loaded.
2. Primer type.
3. Bullet type, hardness and weight.
4. Always do Quality Control and check OAL and cartridge diameters.

I've found flaws in the case where it was slightly out of round (even after sizing) and wouldn't feed into the chamber properly after loading. Slight bulge that's undetectable by eye unless you use a caliper. If used it wouldn't go into battery. For 9mm Luger anything greater than 0.380 inch diameter at the case mouth will jamb in the chamber.

Leading can be controled by using Lyman #2 alloy or equivalent BHN 15, and a good lubricant.

What powders are you using? How are you controlling the charge?

I've only used round nose, truncated cone or round nose flat point casted lead bullets. Not sure of using wadcutters. Has anyone used wadcutters? Do they feed well?

Good reference manual for reloading is Lyman 48th Edition Reloading Handbook. It will tell you everything and more!

Good Luck!
KN

 

[Arnisandyz]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I was reloading on a Lee1000 but right now its not operational so I've been loading on a single stage. Its time consuming, but I do find myself being more careful as I'm involved in every step on each individual round.

I think I'm going to pull the remaining reloads i bought and reload them to my own specs. Is it ok to reuse the components? Pull the bullet with a bullet puller, replace the powder and reseat or do I need to resize the case again? The manufacturer was "Bull-X Remanufactured Ammunition" so even though I didn't buy them from some guy down the street, after what you guys have said, I don't feel comfortable with them and they don't funtion reliably in my gun anyways.

Thanks.

 

[Hawaii-5-O]

Arnisandyz,

I wouldn't reuse the powder since you don't know what type it is. I've unloaded bullets that I made mistakes on with no problems. If your sizer has a deprimer, Do Not resize. Pushing an unfired primer from the inside may just set it off.
I do my reloading on a Lee 1000. Just run the primed case under the auto powder measure. This will load powder and flare the mouth of the case for the bullet. Just watch your OAL. That Lyman manual will tell you the correct OAL for each type of bullet.
Trick I've used to ensure that cartridge has no problems fitting into the chamber is to remove your barrel from your pistol then pop your cartridges in. Should slip in fully and easily. If it jams, don't use it.

Have Fun and be Safe!
KN

 

[barrysuperhawk]

<snip> The manufacturer was "Bull-X Remanufactured Ammunition" so even though I didn't buy them from some guy down the street, after what you guys have said, I don't feel comfortable with them and they don't funtion reliably in my gun anyways.

Thanks.

Bull-X used to be right up the street from me, and I have shot literally thousands of rounds from them, they "were" a quality reloader. IIRC alot of their loads were on the mild side, but all very accurate. The actual lead bullets they produced were all first rate. Plenty hard and neatly lubed.

 

[Arnisandyz]

When I bought the reloads it seemed like a good deal, I didn't know about WWB or CCI at WalMart. I don't mean to talk bad about Bull-X. I've shot a bunch of Bull-X remanufactured stuff through other guns with no problems, they just don't work very well in my SC. I'm almost 99% convinced its due to the strong recoil spring in the sub-compact. I think I might try down-loading some samples and seeing what the limit is, how low of a charge I can go before getting extraction problems.