9mm reloading failures

W

williams_19

Regular
Rating - 100%
2   0   0
Location
Alberta
Hi I am new to reloading so my knowledge is very basic from what I have learned so far. I am shooting a Ruger SR9. Reloading with 124gr FMJ. My problems occur at the range while shooting in 3 ways.
1. fail to eject fired shell
2. jam between the slide failing to chamber another round
3. Firing pin hits, but does not fire. Stick the same bullet back in and it always fires the second time. ( First time there is a firing pin mark on the primer)

One of these occur at least once in every 10 rounds if not more. All new shells I buy I have no issues at all so I know it is not my gun. Has anyone had similar issues? I have tried using different grains of powder and brand types, but I still have had the same issues. Only thing I can think of is picking up my fired shells and possibly picking up someones else's casings once in a while if that would effect this? Any help or solutions to try would be great!
 
You are not giving much information on your load so here are some guesses:
- Primer are not seated properly - fully to the bottom of the primer pocket : this will cause misfire.
- wrong powder type
- powered charge is not sufficient
- OAL is too long

Put your load specifications along with components used here, so we can help you out better.
Have you fired factory ammo in this gun to make sure it function properly ? Are you using a good reloading manual ?

Hope this help..but you need to provide more info...:ninja:
 
Janeau said:
You are not giving much information on your load so here are some guesses:
- Primer are not seated properly - fully to the bottom of the primer pocket : this will cause misfire.
- wrong powder type
- powered charge is not sufficient
- OAL is too long

Put your load specifications along with components used here, so we can help you out better.
Have you fired factory ammo in this gun to make sure it function properly ? Are you using a good reloading manual ?

Hope this help..but you need to provide more info...:ninja:
Click to expand...

Primers I make sure are flush with the bottom of the casing, but I am new so its possible that the pressure I am applying isn't the same every time. I checked my overall length when I set up my dies and it is right on with the factory ammo.
Im using an older speer reloading book my grandpa has always used.
I only had two types of powder to choose from which were Unique and Winchester 231.
Unique in the book calls 4.5gr max load and 4.1gr min. I have loaded at 4.3 and 4.5 and still had the same issues.
I just reloaded a few with the winchester powder at 4.0gr (max 4.3 and min was 3.8)

Using factory ammo such as AE,winchester or bellot I have had maybe 2 jams in about 100 rounds, and a few where the gun failed to go into battery but that was a common issue with the gun that occurs very rarely on me. Since I started reloading my own ammo I have just been running into frequent failures.
 
when I set up my dies
Click to expand...

Are you using a post sizer/crimp die?

I had a match grade 1911 that would give all kinds of issues with hand loads if they were not post sized.

It would shoot factory fine.

What pistol is it btw?
 
TACTICAL111 said:
Are you using a post sizer/crimp die?

I had a match grade 1911 that would give all kinds of issues with hand loads if they were not post sized.

It would shoot factory fine.

What pistol is it btw?
Click to expand...

As for dies I have 3. One to eject the primer, on to resize the opening a bit so the bullet sits in it better and then the final die to load the bullet. Not sure what exactly a post sizer or crimp is? It is a Ruger SR9
 
Not sure what exactly a post sizer or crimp is
Click to expand...

Exactly what it sounds like, it sizes the round after your done seating the bullet. It's a separate die and extra step. It assures that every round will fit in any standard pistol of that caliber.
 
TACTICAL111 said:
Exactly what it sounds like, it sizes the round after your done seating the bullet. It's a separate die and extra step. It assures that every round will fit in any standard pistol of that caliber.
Click to expand...

Okay so that is a necessary step I should be doing as well? I will have to look into getting that die then
 
TACTICAL111 said:
Exactly what it sounds like, it sizes the round after your done seating the bullet. It's a separate die and extra step. It assures that every round will fit in any standard pistol of that caliber.
Click to expand...

What he said haha...

When i started loading i had the same problem..my OAL was tooo short! FTF FTE

and hit primers but no BANG. I readjusted my OAL and booom works like a charm

GOOD LUCK
 
OK you haven't said what bullet you're loading, so based on the information you've given I'm guessing you're loading a 147gn bullet, otherwise 4.0gr Unique is pretty light.

From the Speer manual 14ed:
bullet min max
115gn = 5.6 - 6.3
124gn = 5.2 - 5.8
147gn = 3.8 - 4.3 (1.130 COAL for GDHP or FN)
 
FWIW I haven't had any problems reloading 9mm without a crimp, just make sure the COAL is right after seating. Post sizer die is not a necessary step, but not without merrit.
 
Check out the Alliant Powder's Reloader's Guide for max loads and OAL for Unique. Sounds like it may be a little undercharged.

Also check the OAL to what it says in the guide/book. It might be different than your factory rounds.

Good Luck! :D
 
I have used 4.0 grains of unique in the exact same gun as you're using, and the charge is weak as hell. The SR9 has a very strong spring and Im guessing your load is too weak to cycle it properly. You didn't mention bullet, so that makes a difference though. The bullet I use is cast at 123 Grains. And this was with Magnum primers.

My usual load is 4.0 grains of Bullseye, which is an ultra fast powder and with that load, recoil is stout and the casings literally fly all the way over past the safe line sometimes :D

You don't really need a crimp die (its nice to have though) as your regular bullet seating die should be able to set a slight crimp.

FTF with an actual striker mark on the primer might indicate a primer not seated right. Did you try shooting the same cartridge again?
 
1- Use more powder!

2- take the barrel out of the gun and be sure the rounds drop into the chamber and fall out relatively easily and that they seat all the way. i sued to load for that same gun and the chamber is not exceptionally tight. Just use minimal belling of the case to seat the bullet.

3- your fail to fires when you are getting light strikes are likely because your OAL is too long. This would happen to me on my cz75 with loads that were fine in my glock. If the bullet was not fully chambering and the gun fails to go into battery I would get light strikes. What was happening was the bullet was jammingbinto the rifling not allowing the slide to close all the way. You would know this is happening because it will be slightly harder to rack the slide to eject that round that didnt fire.
 
i don't know how old your manual is, but my speer no 11 ( 1991) shows 4.6 to 5.0 of 231 for a 124 tmj bullet- also ck your scale to make sure you're getting all of that charge- some measures will throw "light" - i use 5 grains of 231 myself in my uzi, which has a MUCH heavier bolt and spring than any pistol- i found that light loads aren't enough to trip the sear-
 
Odd - I would've thought COAL would not effect functioning unless the bullet was way too far out. (Feeding is an exception and pushing the bullet way too far in would raise pressure, of course.) After all, the 9mm seats on the neck. How far the bullet sticks out beyond that should not influence reliable firing - provided it is not so far out as to keep the round from chambering. As a simple check, take the barrel out of the gun and run a loaded round - briefly, thankyou - through the base of a candle flame to build up some soot on the bullet. Now push it into the chamber with your thumb until it stops. Pull it out and see if there are rifling marks on the bullet. If so, it is certainly too long. If not, the COAL is probably OK. Again, check that against your reloading manual.

Other things to check:

Are you using CCI pistol primers? If they are rifle primers, they're made of harder metal and will generally not function well in handguns.

How old are the components and how have they been stored? Sometimes they'll last practically forever; sometimes not.

Run your thumb over the base of the primed cases. The primers should be flush with the bottom of the case. If they are sticking out, even enough to just be felt, they are not fully home and this can cause misfires.

As to post-sizing, I've loaded thousands upon thousands of 9mm without that and never had a problem. None were from a Ruger, of course, but... In any case, crimping a straight rimless cartridge is always dodgy. The round seats on the front of the case; too much crimping can mess with that.

For 9mm, as you say, the first die should resize it back to standard dimensions and, if you wish, decap. The second bells the mouth just a touch, enough to make inserting the bullet easier. The third pushes the bullet into the primed and powdered case and puts what should be a very mild crimp, generally just enough to take the bell off from the second die. The best way to check is by using calipers or a micrometer and compare your loaded neck diameter with industry specs from your loading manual.

Pix of a once-tried misfire primer would be interesting to see.
 
Thanks guys I will see how it goes! BTW I am using 124gr bullets, CCI small pistol primers, however my powder is a bit older it was my grandpas so im sure it has a few years on it. I will be looking at newer reloading charts and trying to get some new powder soon as I go out of town. I appreciate all the replies though! Really helps having a good community of people always willing to help.
 
I shoot an sr9 as well , I load with 231 and weights -115JHP,124FMJ,147TMJ and I have to load max charge for each with this gun. It simply will not function correctly with any less, I shoot 4.1 with the 147gr (1.125 oal) and will get 920fps out of it ,if I drop it down to even 4.0 the action will not stay open on the last round . I load from the lyman manual. SR9 has a tight spring !
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom