Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association
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  1. #1
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    Default Load check - 40S&W and Power Pistol

    I loaded up a batch of 40S&W with Power Pistol and 180 gr LFP bullets. Federal SP primer, at 1.125" I made several batches from 5.8 gr up to 6.4.

    My chronograph results seem to show these running a bit fast. The 5.8 load averaged 941 fps (and Lyman said these should run at 873!), and the 6.0 gr was 973. Do these seem too hot for loading 40S&W? My hottest load of 6.4 gr averaged 1015, which is less than the factory Aguila 180 FMJ load I measured as well.

    I measured the powder and OAL very carefully on these loads, and I know my equipment and technique are good since my 45 and 357 loads are fine, and the numbers match up well. Could the powder or primer combination be off? I will probably go for lower loads next time I make these up, but I am curious, since I started at their minimum suggested load, and it seems like I'm running hot.

    Thanks

  2. #2
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    Jan 2008
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    South Central, Pennsylvania
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    Default Re: Load check - 40S&W and Power Pistol

    My loading information source, "The Reloader's Handbook" Calls for a range of 5.7gr. to a MAX of 6.9gr. of Power Pistol in the .40 S&W. I've experimented with PwrPstl in my .40 S&W and my 10mm for some time. My primary load in the .40 was 6.6gr. of PwrPstl under a 180gr Lead Flat Point, with a CCI 500SP/FED SP primer. Fired upwards of 1,500 of them through my Glock 22, (with a Lone Wolf barrel) and they were spicy, but I never had any signs of overpressure, or a dangerous condition. They were definitely "warm" loads, but no signs of danger. Good Luck !

    ~~Springfield
    Last edited by Springfield45; January 18th, 2010 at 04:35 AM.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
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    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    (Philadelphia County)
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    Default Re: Load check - 40S&W and Power Pistol

    Quote Originally Posted by ShrinkMD View Post
    I loaded up a batch of 40S&W with Power Pistol and 180 gr LFP bullets. Federal SP primer, at 1.125" I made several batches from 5.8 gr up to 6.4.

    My chronograph results seem to show these running a bit fast. The 5.8 load averaged 941 fps (and Lyman said these should run at 873!), and the 6.0 gr was 973. Do these seem too hot for loading 40S&W? My hottest load of 6.4 gr averaged 1015, which is less than the factory Aguila 180 FMJ load I measured as well.

    I measured the powder and OAL very carefully on these loads, and I know my equipment and technique are good since my 45 and 357 loads are fine, and the numbers match up well. Could the powder or primer combination be off? I will probably go for lower loads next time I make these up, but I am curious, since I started at their minimum suggested load, and it seems like I'm running hot.

    Thanks
    Your barrel and/or the bearing surface of the cast boolits may be vastly different from the test barrel, action and projectiles used by Lyman. I'm hardly an expert but the fact that you ask the question says you know the answer. Pressure and velocity are indeed related. Without other means to check pressures, and unless your gun is very differrent from Lyman's test setup, I think your plan of action to go conservative makes an awful lot of sense.

    On a related question, how do you work up your handgun loads? I don't have a chrony (yet anyway) so I just bump up within the published range (usually by 0.2 grains at a time) going for best groups and always watching for pressure signs.
    Last edited by Philadelphia; January 18th, 2010 at 10:45 AM.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
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    Chambersburg PA (Pure Appalachia), Pennsylvania
    (Franklin County)
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    Default Re: Load check - 40S&W and Power Pistol

    Quote Originally Posted by Philadelphia View Post
    Your barrel and/or the bearing surface of the cast boolits may be vastly different from the test barrel, action and projectiles used by Lyman. I'm hardly an expert but the fact that you ask the question says you know the answer. Pressure and velocity are indeed related. Without other means to check pressures, and unless your gun is very differrent from Lyman's test setup, I think your plan of action to go conservative makes an awful lot of sense.

    On a related question, how do you work up your handgun loads? I don't have a chrony (yet anyway) so I just bump up within the published range (usually by 0.2 grains at a time) going for best groups and always watching for pressure signs.
    Your observation on the differences between a shooters empirical evidence and Lyman's published data seem to me to be spot on. Good advice: "go conservative"..

    As for working up a load without a chronograph, which I have done for thirty-five years, it was crucial to pay strict heed to felt recoil and pressure signs on primer and case. Ejection patterns were also noted, as were accuracy and consistency. It left a bit more to "guesswork", but I figured then, if it is a good enough method for Elmer (Keith, that is) it was good enough for me.

    Semiconductors and diodes and digital technology have borught the price of chronographs down in the past decade to about 20 or 30 percent of a new pistol. "Way back when", it was 300% to 500% the price of a new 45. Then, they were bulky, unhandy affairs which had power requirements way, way beyond a simple 9v battery.

    Flash
    "The life unexamined is not worth living." ....... Socrates

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