Powder burns on one side of 9MM spent casings

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Powder burns on one side of 9MM spent casings

Post by carnut »

Just started reloading 9MM and have a question on dirty powder burns on one side of my spent casings. Can't figure if its my powder, low pressure, OAL, light crimp..

-Shooting a Springfield XDS 9MM 3.3 inch barrel
-Bullet is Xtream 124 gr RN copper plated
-Casings are mixed range pickup
-Powder is 4.0 gr of Titegroup
-Sellier & Bellot SP primers (4,4 SP Boxer)
-COAL of 1.150 in
-Soft crimp to protect plating.

I started off testing 5 different loads starting at 3.7 gr working up +0.1 gr to 4.1 gr (Hodgdon's MAX load). The 4.0 and 4.1's shot well so settled on the 4.0 as the go to load. Xtream says to use FMJ load data and you can push the bullets up to 1200 fps. I like to stay around 1000 fps that's why the 4.0 gr choice. All five loads shot dirty w/powder burns is this normal for Titegroup...what's a better choice ?
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Re: Powder burns on one side of 9MM spent casings

Post by GasGuzzler »

Tough to tell without marking the case but I wonder if it's on the ejection side of the brass....

I don't have data in front of me and it seems today there's huge differences in recommended loads. I'm guessing you don't have a chronograph to test against published data?
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Re: Powder burns on one side of 9MM spent casings

Post by 62chevy »

I suspect either a chamber out of round or the chamber isn't clean enough. That should give you something to look for.
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Re: Powder burns on one side of 9MM spent casings

Post by daboone »

Most of the time the exterior of my brass has powder blacking on it it is due to low charge weights. But you say you're at or near max for the bullet weight. So I'm not going to recommend increasing the charge. I'd sure like to know if the factory stuff you shot caused this to occur?
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Re: Powder burns on one side of 9MM spent casings

Post by carnut »

Thanks, for replies, I have some homework to do. Never noticed any black marking on factory loads, but really never paid much attention till I started reloading 9mm . Also going to see if it's on the extractor side and then try some loads through another gun.
Funny thing is if I look at Hodgdon's data for a 125 gr FMJ a similar bullet to the 124 gr Xtream plated the min load is 4.1 at 1069 fps up to4.1 4.4 at 1136. That puts my 4.0 Titegroup below min. To me it seams the 9mm data is more scattered than the rifle stuff I'm used to. I'll Update this post as I play around with some things...
(edited 4.1 out corrected to 4.4 ..carnut)
Last edited by carnut on 14 Feb 2016 15:15, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Powder burns on one side of 9MM spent casings

Post by 62chevy »

Load Info

Our Copper Plated Bullets can be run at mid-range jacketed velocities or higher end lead velocities. We recommend keeping velocities to less than 1500 FPS (Feet Per Second) and using only a light taper crimp

Any velocities over 1200 FPS we recommend either our Heavy Plate Concave Base or Hollow Point products for superior accuracy. We recommend keeping velocities to less than 1500 FPS (Feet Per Second) and using only a light taper crimp

All of our Hard Cast Lead Bullets are approximately 18 on Brinell, our Cowboy lead bullets are approximately 15 on Brinell.
Keep in mind plating is softer than copper jackets are. But you could need more powder.


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Re: Powder burns on one side of 9MM spent casings

Post by carnut »

Update...
1- Added 0.2 gr and Loaded up 10 rounds of 4.2 gr which is low end for Hodgdon's 125 gr FMJ RN. Seems to lessen the powder marks.
2- Tested the 4.0 loads in my CZ P01 and powder marks were there but hardly noticeable.
3- It looks like the XDS may have a sloppy chamber, the marks are at 09:00 o'clock and the extractor is located at 03:00 o'clock. Maybe the extractor is pulling, or cocking the casing towards 3:00 and creating a slight gap at the 09:00 side of the chamber.
4-Fired a few factory (Blazer 155 gr bullet) rounds in the XDS and almost no powder markings, but those rounds felt hot and snappy on a small gun compared to my loads. Really don't like them.

Summing up I going to ignore the powder marks, add 0.2 gr Titegroup using Hodgdon's low end load of 4.2 gr for 125 gr FMJ bullets, on the 124 gr plated Xtream's. Give good results with both of the 9mm's.
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Re: Powder burns on one side of 9MM spent casings

Post by GasGuzzler »

Add a little more and see. Then again, there's a lot more things to mind than sooty brass. Do they shoot well?
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Re: Powder burns on one side of 9MM spent casings

Post by carnut »

UPDATE.. Been about 5 weeks and I now have this settled. I worked out a final range load that I am well pleased with and it seems to have reduced the powder marking issue. Compared to other casings I pick up at the range mine are not abnormal.
I've settled on using two Xtream Plated bullets, the 124 gr RN and the 124 gr HP. I use 4.1 gr of TiteGroup with both bullets, seat the RN to 1.150 COAL and the HP to 1.070, tightened up my crimp just a bit to where it's not damaging or impressing on the copper plating, but it's tight. Gone through about 100 rounds each in the XDS 3.3 and the CZ P01, both like the rounds. The feeding, shot feel, reliability & accuracy are where I want them..
One thing I noticed with reloading as part of an overall shooting hobby is you never seem to want to stop experimenting. At least now I have a good go-to load when some of the experimental stuff disappoints..
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Re: Powder burns on one side of 9MM spent casings

Post by r1200r »

I've had the same issue with my 9mm reloads in a S&W Pro 5", since they shot fine I never did much. Thanks for posting your fix.
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