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Reloading for minimal recoil
Warbirds
Member Posts: 16,832 ✭✭✭✭
I want a very light recoil 9mm load.
Just interested in light recoil, 115grain 9mm hardball. I have worked down to 5.8 grains of Power Pistol, considering going down to 5.4.
I also have Bullseye, Unique, Green Dot, Blue Dot, probably a few others laying around.
Should I keep working with Power Pistol until I get where I want to move to another powder?
Will experimenting with OAL impact felt recoil?
Just interested in light recoil, 115grain 9mm hardball. I have worked down to 5.8 grains of Power Pistol, considering going down to 5.4.
I also have Bullseye, Unique, Green Dot, Blue Dot, probably a few others laying around.
Should I keep working with Power Pistol until I get where I want to move to another powder?
Will experimenting with OAL impact felt recoil?
Comments
Stick with published load data.
If you experiment long enough, you will find every gun has its own spot relative to the powder and bullet combination you are using to cycle reliably.
Some pistols such as SIG 225, Glocks, and especially Lugers like near max loads to work.
CZ 75 and Berretta 92 can cycle reliably with light loads, but this is not conclusive as mentioned earlier to each pistol has its own spot.
..and lets not forget the people who tune their individual pistols with different springs etc.
Hope this helps.
Loading too light makes semi's unreliable, and if using a polymer, lightweight gun; you may never achieve the level of unrecoil you seek.
OAL tweeks offer minimal gas pressure relief and could lead to low pull numbers and plugged bores. The rounds may not chamber in an auto.
More details of your goal will help guide the suggestions.
I've also loaded 100gr 380 auto bullets in 9mm (both are .355"), load data is available for it.
I want a very light recoil 9mm load.
Just interested in light recoil, 115grain 9mm hardball. I have worked down to 5.8 grains of Power Pistol, considering going down to 5.4.
I also have Bullseye, Unique, Green Dot, Blue Dot, probably a few others laying around.
Should I keep working with Power Pistol until I get where I want to move to another powder?
Will experimenting with OAL impact felt recoil?
I doubt OAL will effect felt recoil it will effect pressure.
I would try a lighter bullet too maybe a 100 or 90 gr .355 bullet.
One thing about reducing loads is you want the bulkiest powder you can get. The one thing you don't want to happen is detonation with a reduced load. My goto powder for 9mm and 45 is AA#5 but if I was trying to do what you are I would go with AA#2.
What are you trying to accomplish?
I developed a load for a Ruger P85 eons ago.
It is/was a Bulletworks 125 grain Cone Nose Bevel Base over 4.0 grains of 231 with an oal 1.125".
The Ruger liked this load without any adjustments.
Tried the same load in a 92F and if it ejected them, they fell at the shooters feet. The trouble was that 4.0 grains was the MAX load.
Semi-autos can be 'tuned' by replacing the recoil spring.
Felt recoil can sometimes be reduced by some modifications to the gun. Here are a few that I have used: (1) Add some weight to the gun. Sometime there is room for some strips of sheet lead on the inside of the grip panels. (2) Buy, or make, some custom grip panels that are thicker and spread the recoil over more of your hand. Thicker panels can be dug out a bit to add lead also.(3) Switch to rubber grips if the gun has wood or plastic.
Newtonian physics (Newton's three laws of motion) states:First Law = An object will remain at rest or remain in motion until acted upon by another force. aka Inertia.
Second Law = Defines what happens to an object when acted upon by a force. aka Force equals Mass times Acceleration [ F = m x a ].
Third Law = Explains that for every force, there is an equal and opposite force (reaction).The heavier and faster the projectile, greater the force (Second Law).
That force then acts against the pistol (First Law).
Then the pistol recoils equivilently, based upon the projectiles force (Third Law).
As you can see, the sum of the mass forced out of the barrel (projectile, un-burnt powder, and gas) times the acceleration of the mass provides a force [ F = m x a ] that equals the reaction force (Recoil) of the pistol... Force = Force.
Increasing the projectile's mass or muzzle velocity (BTW... Acceleration is derived from Velocity...) in turn increases the pistols recoil.
Reducing either the muzzle velocity or bullet mass directly reduces the recoil.
To get a quick response on reduced felt recoil... Work on one variable at a time.
I'd reduce the bullet weight first. Besides, you'll get more projectiles for the same total weight purchased.
Then start reducing powder charge, to ultimately get recoil down to where you want it, and still allow the pistol to function.
lead lined gloves?
Ros
I wouldn't go below recommended loading data. You may not get a squib the first or second or even the 10th shot, but you will eventually. And if you're in the middle of a magazine shooting rapid fire when it happens, you got a big problem
Trust me, I have seen a bullet lodged in a barrel from to light of reloads. And it didn't happen at the first or second shot either. It happened as the barrel got a little bit fouled
If you're looking for something with a lighter recoil, instead of going down below recommended Reloading Data, I would recommend getting a smaller caliber that you can handle
Buying another firearm is cheaper than replacing a blown up firearm and medical bills
But if you are hell-bent at making a light recoil 9mm round. Lighter than what's recommended by the known safe loading data, make sure you take a cleaning kit with you every time you shoot it. And then clean it out every 2 or 3 magazines.
But even still, I wouldn't recommend you try it. It's just not safe. That is why there are books out there that have SAFE loading data for you to follow
Power Pistol-
it says 5.8 grains should give a fill ratio of only 74%.
1018 ft/s (4" bbl) and 18,303 PSI
5.4 grains would only have a fill ratio of 69%.
not even going to entertain that idea.
for reference, it says a full charge of this powder would be 7.6 grains, 97% fill ratio, 1317 ft/s and 33,900 PSI.
it's good for hot loads. mild loads result in too low of a fill ratio.
Unique-
if you go down to a fill ratio of 95%, that is 6.0 grains, 1236 ft/s and 30,650 PSI.
still too hot powder for what you want.
Bullseye-
you will find that only 5.6 grains fills the case 86% but the pressure is already maxed out at 34,350 PSI.
seems to be the completely wrong powder for a 9mm cartridge.
Green Dot-
5.1 grains, 93% fill ratio, 1195 ft/s at 33,980 PSI.
not as bad as Bullseye but still not good.
Power Pistol or Unique would be much more appropriate than Green Dot for hot loads in a 9mm.
Blue Dot-
7.9 grains, 98% fill ratio, 1043 ft/s at 20,100 PSI.
this is the best choice from what you have to work with, if it doesn't turn out to be too weak.
you are going to have to figure out what speed of 115 grain bullet will cycle your action reliably. I don't know what that is so here is a list of the more common powders suggested by the program, with low velocities and pressures, for when you know what you need.
these all fill the cartridge to 98% when your seating depth is 0.105"
velocity is for a 4" barrel.
Alliant Herco, 6.0 gr, 1150 ft/s, 25,000 PSI
VV 3N38, 7.9 gr, 1096 ft/s, 22,400 PSI
Alliant Blue Dot, 7.9 gr, 1043 ft/s, 20,100 PSI
Alliant 2400, 9.2 gr, 1043 ft/s, 19,700 PSI
VV N105, 7.5 gr, 1006 ft/s, 17,000 PSI
Accurate 4100, 10.0 gr, 972 ft/s, 17,800 PSI
Accurate 5744, 9.2 gr, 895 ft/s, 16,600 PSI
Hogdon H110, 10.3 gr, 860 ft/s, 13,000 PSI
Winchester 296, 10.4 gr, 857 ft/s, 13,300 PSI
Hogdon Lil'Gun, 10.0 gr, 847 ft/s, 13,200 PSI
VV N110, 8.2 gr, 786 ft/s, 10,800 PSI
IMR 4227, 8.8 gr, 779 ft/s, 11,800 PSI
of course being a computer program, and using a slightly different bullet from what you have, these can only be used as suggestions on where to start looking for an answer. consult the official reloading manuals and don't go above or below recommended loadings.