Reloading the 9mm Luger

[aramp78]

I currently reload my rifle cartridges. I have never done any pistol cartridges and am considering getting a Lee Pro 1000 and giving it a try. Any lookouts that I need to be aware of when loading pistol vs. rifle?

I am concerned that 9mm ammo will get harder and harder to find and also get more expensive. My son and I both recetnly got 9mm handguns and we like to shoot. We can easity go through 200 rounds of 9mm on a Saturday morning so I am thinking hard about reloading.

I currently have two Ruger No. 1s and 2 Ruger MKII rifles. I have a 77/22 and a MarkII Bull barrell so I am a Ruger fan. I also have a GP100 recently acquired which I have not reloaded for. The two 9mm pisotols are not Rugers.

Thanks for any comments.

 

[RedFalconBill]

I bought a Pro-1000 after I got home from Desert Shield/Desert Storm and have loaded tens of thousands of home on it, most of them 9x19 and .45 ACP.

The Pro-1000 is a good press, but it has quirks.

It needs a smooth motion, ie do not try and go too fast.
The auto primer feed works by gravity, so when you get below, say 20-25 primers, it will not feed them.
Have extra primer trays filled before you begin, so you can swtich and not have powder spill out.
You might need to adjust the z-bar to feed the cases smoothly from the case feeder.
Remember to rotate the case feeder, other wise you will run out very quickly.
The case slider might stick on the stem on the shell plate carrier. Some carnuba wax on the sildes of the stem cure that.
The powder measure works best with ball powders.
It only has three stations, not four. If you decide that you want to crimp after steating the bullets, you will need a hand press or a spare single stage.


When I work to press, I can get well over 350-400 rounds per hour in 9x19

 

[Divernhunter]

Just get dies for your press you already have or buy a Dillon if you think you need(or want) a progressive unit.
I load pistol rounds with a RCBS Jr and also have a Rockchucker.

 

[marlin1881]

I've got a RockChucker for my rifle loads, and a progressive for high-volume pistol loads. For the 9mm, buy the 115gr or 124gr FMJ bullets in bulk and load them with a medium burn-rate powder. You can lean towards a faster powder, but watch your loads carefully. I load 124gr as I've seen better accuracy. I use Hodgdon Titegroup powder.

Some guys load 147gr bullets, but you have to move towards a slower powder (AA #7, PowerPistol, etc.), otherwise you won't get enough velocity to twist them fast enough to stabilize the bullet. Titegroup won't do it, and I've got some nice targets with keyholes to prove this. :roll:

I've recently experimented with Hodgdon Longshot powder, and I now consider it one of the best powders for 9mm. Loading density, pressure curve, burn rate, and velocity, are perfect for either 124gr or 147gr bullets. Very accurate.

Marlin

 

[1ruger]

I load a lot of 9mm loads using my Dillon SDB.
I usually load in lots of about 1,000 round at a time.
For 9mm I load 125gr and 147gr cast bullets and 124gr FMJ bullets.

My favorite 9mm loads are as follows:

125gr cast bullet
4.1gr Winchester 231 powder
OAL 1.150"
Winchester SP or Wolf SP primer
Mixed range pickup brass
I get about 1,000 fps from my pistols and decent accuracy
This is a "mild" load but will cycle all my pistols
About 75% of my 9mm reloads are this combo.

147gr cast bullet
3.7gr Winchester 231 powder
OAL 1.155"
Winchester SP or Wolf SP primer
Mixed range pickup brass
I get about 850 fps from my pistols and it gives good accuracy.

124gr Winchester FMJ bullet
4.3gr Winchester 231 powder
OAL 1.160"
Winchester SP or Wolf SP primer
Mixed range pickup brass
I get about 1,050 fps from my pistols and very good accuracy

 

[aramp78]

Thanks for all the feedback. I think I will get one of the progressive presses for the 9mm. I am doing fine with the basic RCBS basic press for my four rifle cartridges for which I reload, but I don't think I am patient enough to do the amount of 9mm I plan on doing.

Thanks again.

 

[Jumping Frog]

am considering getting a Lee Pro 1000 and giving it a try.

For the difference in money, I'd recommend getting the Lee Loadmaster instead of the Lee Pro-1000. The Pro-1000 kit retails for about $140 vs $206 for the Loadmaster. For the price difference you are getting a substantially stronger press and 5 stations instead of 3.

 

[marlin1881]

I've had the Lee Loadmaster for probably 15 years, and it does work well. But, I'll state a disclaimer, in that you need to be mechanically inclined to keep it running. It's not tough, but you need to really understand it. Otherwise, you can break lots of stuff and be down while waiting for parts. I reload 5 different pistol calibers with it.