9mm OAL ?

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DocHolladay

New member
Question on OAL with 9mm Luger. I’m loading 124gr Rainier plated RN with 5.3gr Ramshot Silhouette. The WP load data states an OAL of 1.160. SAAMI max is 1.169. They are going bang fine but I’m having magazine loading issues. My Glock CA neutered 10 round mag will only hold 8. The rounds get stuck on the third round in my Kahr PM9 6 and 7 round magazines. Right now I’m hand loading each round and checking each each round with the calipers. No rounds are over 1.160. I’m thinking loading a different bullet that allows a shorter OAL. I like plated and I like 124-147gr for practice. Any ideas/suggestions welcomed. TIA.


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I had a similar problem with my Glock 19 when I first started shooting my reloads through it. Long story short, I did it the hard way and loaded a few at 1.157, a few at 1.154, and some more at 1.151 (approximate lengths, nothing in reloading is exact, as I'm sure you know). I settled on 1.151 (some end up being a bit shorter than 1.150 of course), and have had almost no issues since. I humbly suggest you try a similar approach to find what works for your gun.
 
Just seat the bullets deeper. You're load is not at maximum so you can seat them 0.010" deeper and that should solve your problem. Let us know if that length works.
 
Will a stack of factory rounds cause the same problem? If not, that's your benchmark, which means what everyone else has indicated, you've got to shorten your round. Which also means you should back off on your powder load, at least as you are testing your revised OAL. Personally, I never load above mid-point and have found good flexibility with OAL as a result.

I also think you are on to something with regards to your bullet type. If you load a factory HP whose OAL approximates your RN, that tells you something about how the magazine may be hindering the bullet shape. (I lean more to the OAL issue than the bullet shape though.) I would not run out and purchase new bullets until you settle the issue. You'd just be chasing an answer and spending money needlessly. And even then, exhaust your supply by adjusting your OAL and then decide if you need/want to change the bullet type or can live with a shortened OAL.

Be safe.
 
I've had to go shorter than min oal before to have a particular load chamber in one pistol. I had to go about .01 shorter. I was nowhere near max load anyway. They shot fine, and I've put thousands of that load downrange. I did finally sell that pistol, and subsequently started loading back to min oal. I didn't have to, but I also bumped up powder charge to approximate SD ammo levels.

Long story short, you'll be fine to seat deeper if you aren't pushing near max load.
 
I load plated 124 flatpoints. I have it dialed to also do 124 Gold Dots without fussing. But shorter will work. FP will work better.
 
I rarely load max loads in any of my guns but my CZ75B has the shortest leade that I have ever experienced with any gun. I load mine to 1.096 inch overall length with Berry's 124 grain plated bullets.
As long as your loaded ammo will drop into the chamber of your barrel and turn freely (plunk test) you should be fine. I had to keep seating deeper until it passed the "plunk test". That is where I left it and I have had no problems with the 1180 fps loads.
 
You didn't mention it for sure, but are the handloads too long for the magazine? If you aren't loading near max. just seat the bullet deeper..
 
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