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Sturm · May 28, 2005, 11:58 PM

One thing worth considering about the 9mm. If you start loading high performance defense type loads, factory equivelant will cost you about $20 for a box of 20-25 rounds and it still won't match what you can do at the reloading bench. Powder selection and OAL are very key issues. You don't want to try this with Bullseye or W-231 and an OAL at 1.095". Ball powders slower than HS-6 with very low flash signatures and a good 124 gr. JHP loaded to 1.142" or 29mm as recommended by companies like Vihta Vuori (and others from Europe) who also make excellent powders to achieve the results, i.e. 3N37 N340, or N350 and you are likely to build loads the factory can't touch. Some with 100% load density to boot and no worries about bullet setback. AA#7 was developed for this very purpose!

Want something truly exotic? How about a supersonic 147 gr. XTP at 1200 FPS. Hold on Boys! this is right from the latest VV handbook using the new competition powder 3N38 and loaded as it must be at 1.142", pressure is under 32,000 PSI (CIP) or under 34,000 PSI by the SAAMI Piezoelectric transducer system. I don't like 147 gr JHP's for the 9mm ordinarily and it seems that only Cor-Bon ever had the correct solution to prevent overpenetration until the latest generation of 147s arrived, load it it super-sonic and it will expand reliably and will not overpenetrate.

.45 ACP +P and .40 S&W can be bought from Federal, SPEER, or Remington, as effective as it needs to be for defense loads. 9mm can not. There are powders when incorporated to longer and proper OALs that will make your handloads outperform factory +P without venturing into +P pressure at over 35,000 PSI.

Hopefully, I haven't carried this too far, but it does illustrate that for defense purposes, 9mm is the one that must be reloaded. Forty and .45 +P will get it done from a factory box. Also worth mentioning; I never buy FMJ bullets, I mainly shoot the Remington 124 gr. JHP, their standard JHP. It only costs pennies more when you buy them in quantities of 1000 or more in bulk and unlike FMJ, there is no exposed lead at the bullet base. IDPA, Plinking at tin cans, or even if you are licensed to kill Gophers by the United Nations, they work and airborne lead is reduced. If you are like me, I just load up to 1250 FPS or better and use them as defense loads. No wonder bullets required!

May 28, 2005, 11:58 PM	#11
Sturm Junior member Join Date: March 2, 2005 Location: Central Texas Posts: 584	One thing worth considering about the 9mm. If you start loading high performance defense type loads, factory equivelant will cost you about $20 for a box of 20-25 rounds and it still won't match what you can do at the reloading bench. Powder selection and OAL are very key issues. You don't want to try this with Bullseye or W-231 and an OAL at 1.095". Ball powders slower than HS-6 with very low flash signatures and a good 124 gr. JHP loaded to 1.142" or 29mm as recommended by companies like Vihta Vuori (and others from Europe) who also make excellent powders to achieve the results, i.e. 3N37 N340, or N350 and you are likely to build loads the factory can't touch. Some with 100% load density to boot and no worries about bullet setback. AA#7 was developed for this very purpose! Want something truly exotic? How about a supersonic 147 gr. XTP at 1200 FPS. Hold on Boys! this is right from the latest VV handbook using the new competition powder 3N38 and loaded as it must be at 1.142", pressure is under 32,000 PSI (CIP) or under 34,000 PSI by the SAAMI Piezoelectric transducer system. I don't like 147 gr JHP's for the 9mm ordinarily and it seems that only Cor-Bon ever had the correct solution to prevent overpenetration until the latest generation of 147s arrived, load it it super-sonic and it will expand reliably and will not overpenetrate. .45 ACP +P and .40 S&W can be bought from Federal, SPEER, or Remington, as effective as it needs to be for defense loads. 9mm can not. There are powders when incorporated to longer and proper OALs that will make your handloads outperform factory +P without venturing into +P pressure at over 35,000 PSI. Hopefully, I haven't carried this too far, but it does illustrate that for defense purposes, 9mm is the one that must be reloaded. Forty and .45 +P will get it done from a factory box. Also worth mentioning; I never buy FMJ bullets, I mainly shoot the Remington 124 gr. JHP, their standard JHP. It only costs pennies more when you buy them in quantities of 1000 or more in bulk and unlike FMJ, there is no exposed lead at the bullet base. IDPA, Plinking at tin cans, or even if you are licensed to kill Gophers by the United Nations, they work and airborne lead is reduced. If you are like me, I just load up to 1250 FPS or better and use them as defense loads. No wonder bullets required!