Oal

[Buckylou]

How do you figure out OAL for the 9mm Luger, do you go by the manual?

[d4xycrq]

You reloading, Lou? If so, the bullet you select will likely appear in a reloading manual. Perhaps online if you dig. The cartridge overall length will be stated in the listing for your particular bullet. That's the COAL you should aspire to.

Am I getting close to answering your question?

Ray

[mrat]

How do you figure out OAL for the 9mm Luger, do you go by the manual?

Yes. How were you planning to do it?

[ROCK-IT3]

Yes. How were you planning to do it?

You start with the manual, but load a dummy round (no powder) to the listed OAL, and then do a plunk test in your particular chamber. Remove the barrel, drop the dummy round in the chamber, and make sure it seats fully against the chamber shoulder but still spins freely, meaning that the bullet has not contacted the rifling. Some pistol brands have less "free space" between the shoulder and the rifling. Loading too long and contacting the rifling is a leading cause of over-pressure. From there, you can tweak longer or shorter as needed.

[Yoder]

I measured a factory round that i knew worked reliably in my gun and used that for my OAL. I verified it with my reloading manuals also. If you switch bullet weights or profiles you need to make sure to check your manual to make sure it's a safe length.

[mrat]

You start with the manual, but load a dummy round (no powder) to the listed OAL, and then do a plunk test in your particular chamber. Remove the barrel, drop the dummy round in the chamber, and make sure it seats fully against the chamber shoulder but still spins freely, meaning that the bullet has not contacted the rifling. Some pistol brands have less "free space" between the shoulder and the rifling. Loading too long and contacting the rifling is a leading cause of over-pressure. From there, you can tweak longer or shorter as needed.

Was the OP planning on using the plunk test? I wanted to know what HIS plan was. Does he know how to strip his firearm to get to the barrel? What all does he know about reloading before he jumps in feet-first? A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing. What exactly is he trying to achieve; plinking rounds or 9mm super magnum? Thank you for explaining how you check and Yoder's way works also. OP needs to read and reread a lot more written info, before getting into parts and ingredients. That being said, continue to ask as many questions as you have. Reloading is not something to experiment with when uninformed.

[Twoboxer]

How do you figure out OAL for the 9mm Luger, do you go by the manual?

In a way. yes you go by the manual. But you have to ensure your pistol will feed cartridges with the bullet profile you are using at <= that OAL. (Yoder's way works quite well btw.)

Otherwise, best way is to make two dummy rounds (no primer/powder) at slightly less than the "book" OAL (to allow for a small variation), put them in a mag, and manually feed/eject both perhaps a couple of times. If they do not feed well, make them shorter and try again until they feed.

Note that the "book" gives test results for powder charges at the listed OAL. Using a shorter than listed OAL will increase pressure. You can safely ignore small reductions (0.010 or less), but if you have to go much shorter than book work up your load carefully and observe a lower max charge than shown.

[Buckylou]

Yes I know how to do the plunk test and strip the gun, I reloaded for my 7mm mag and 25-06 rifle and used hornady’s oal gage, but wanted to know how everyone finds the oal for handguns specifically the 9mm Luger