Anyone here load for it?

One of my best friends is getting ready to reload for it (his wife's open gun is almost done) and he is, well quite frankly, scared shitless to load for it.

The gunsmith recommended using Viht 3N38, and told him to research on the Brian Enos forum for load data. He has read anywhere between 7 grains all the way up to 10 grains, with most loadings people are using being a compressed load. All data points to the charge filling up the case completely. He bought a competition seating die, but is still a bit leery of loading for it. He plans on starting at 6 grains, and doing load development using a chrony, stopping as soon as he hits major power factor.

Any other words of wisdom or experience pertaining to loading 9mm Major? I think he will be fine starting at 6 and working up, but he needs a bit of moral support to get it done

EZ

There's two schools of thought. One you mention was suggested by a smith who knew his shit. Vihtavouri 3N38 is absolutely the way to go, especially for compensators. Gas holds muzzle down.

Then the dark side and a popular combination is a 124 grain bullet powered with Accurate # 7 loaded long or Vihtavouri N320.

Solo 1000, HS-6 and Silhouette were also popular powders.


*STUPID*

I shoot competitively backed by a sponsor. We shoot independently, not as a team but we function as a team with a team captain. We are building USPSA guns whenever the variance gets back from BATFE for receivers, brand South Fork Arms LLC. Owner is Jason Perkins and he's the guy who calls the shots on our 3 man team. When pistols were in conceptual stage I mentioned 9.....
and that's as far as I got. Jason's been there, done it and not going that route again. 9mm Major done wrong is hard on brass and hard on guns. Back in the early days of IPSC, PF was a bit higher than now. Jason said his guns were good for a season and sold for good reason. More than a few making 9mm major PF deemed the guns unfit for competition within one season.

Jason is a fan of .38 super comp for making major, new Star Line brass is expensive.

Using a good jacketed bullet and 3N38 stays within SAAMI pressure limits, doesn't distort brass like a 124 grain load would making PF so your friend will be able to load brass several times and won't beat the gun up quite as bad.

I've loaded 3N38 with a Hornady 147 grain bullet and got 1150 fps, ten feet from muzzle to chronograph.

Regards,

dc.

Thanks, good to know that he is on the right path. He was going to go .38 Super but with the cost of brass he decided to go 9 Major, and the smiths building the gun said it was ok to do (Shuey/Limcat). He is just being a bit paranoid.

Brass costs are the reason most go 9mm major. That was the attraction for me, that and I'd already done my load testing across a chronograph.

I had tested using a non-moly, jacketed bullet. Being compensated I would've moly coated, dumped half a grain past max or gone maybe to 3N37 if case capacity became an issue and very likely could've been. Moly of course, confusing the load equation. Moly sure keeps my barrel clean.

Yeah he is quite the cheap bastard, and due to his job he has probably 100k+ 9mm brass. He used to have an old Tripp .38 Super but sold it due to not wanting to buy brass.

I know he is going to be using a 124, he picked up some Montana Golds, and has some of the Xtreme extra plated 124's to work up with.

MG 124 JHPs and Longshot or HS-6 is the way to go.  If you can find it, SP-2 is also a good choice.  You can use the different Vhit powders like 3N37/38 or N350/105, but they are expensive and can be hard to find.  Thats why I stick with Longshot, in addition to good accuracy and excellent numbers over the chrono.

Seat the bullets long, 1.150 or so and you will be fine.

Medium weight bullets and slow powders are the way to make major.

I am running a 5.5 inch KKM barrel with no holes in a STI 2011 frame.  I use both STI and SVI mags.

N320 and Solo 1000 are totally inappropriate for Major 9.

I'm sorry, but inappropriate and 9mm major are synonymous with " the dark side " and I believe was labeled * stupid * to my way of doing things. If you're familiar with the early days of IPSC and " Columbia Conference" you'd be familiar with lot's of " inappropriate " loadings.
Welcome to my backyard.

Just so happens to be more " inappropriate loadings " for 9mm major than appropriate ones by a margin of 20 to 1. So it is appropriate to visit " inappropriate loadings, " unfortunately.

Ramped barrels and full support chambers are must haves for 9mm major guns.

Regards,


dc.

HS-6 is an old standard and works well if a bit dirty.  The BEST 9Major advice will come from the site BrianEnos.com because there are far more people actually loading for it over there.  

OP: you did not mention WHAT gun will be used.  

If the gun is a SV/STI 2011 (a heavily modified 1911) then the OAL for 9 major is totally different - so long in fact that the ammo you make won't even fit in the magazine or chamber of other 9mm guns.  

If the gun is NOT a 2011, then use the max OAL of about 1.160" A long OAL reduces pressure as much as possible and usually feeds better too.

Another critical factor is GOOD BRASS.  New is ideal, but expensive.  1x fired is typically used.  

ONLY 124 grn bullets win.  Forget the 147s - NO ONE who is competitive uses thoes (they will kick like a mule and really slow you down - WAY down - like last place slow).

It is being built off a 2011 frame. Should be done within the next few weeks.

He decided on the 124's for sure and was planning on loading them long as well, the smith told him to make sure to load them long as well.