Please note that in this webpage, I am only relating my personal experience with the firearms and equipment that I own and that I am not making any loading recommendations.
If you use the loading data here, you do so at your own risk.
Reloading the 9 mm Luger Cartridge
For reloaders the limited case capacity of the 9 x 19 mm restricts the choice of powders to the denser faster burning types especially with heavier bullets.
9 mm Luger Subsonic Loads
I have tried a number of different bullet weights and loads in my Walther P1 and it has been my experience that lightweight 95 grain bullets deliver poor accuracy in that gun. 115 grain jacketed hollow points and round nose full metal jacketed bullets will group okay
but I seem to get better results with heavier 125-130 grain bullets.
A few years ago I purchased a large quantity of 130 grain 0.355" full metal jacketed bullets very cheaply.
While this particular bullet design is typically used in the 38 Super cartridge, it works quite well in my Walther pistol with the following load.
| 9mm Luger |
| Bullet | 0.355" dia. 130 grain FMJ |
| Powder | 4.6 grains Alliant Bullseye |
| Primer | Winchester SP |
| Firearm | Walther P1 |
| Barrel Length | 4.8 inches |
| Avg Muzzle Velocity | 1062 feet per second |
This is a mild accurate load which reliably cycles the action of my P1 pistol.
| 9mm Luger |
| Bullet | 0.356" dia. 125 grain Lead Flat point Lee 358-125-RF |
| Powder | 4.6 grains Ramshot True Blue |
| Primer | CCI 550 |
| Firearm | Walther P1 |
| Barrel Length | 4.8 inches |
| Avg Muzzle Velocity | 906 feet per second |
| Standard Deviation | 18.0 feet per second |
4.6 grains of Ramshot True Blue will fill a Lee 0.30 CC scoop.
I used magnum primers because I have so many of them.
9 x 18 mm Makarov
As a matter of practice, I have always tried to scrounge brass cases to reload rather than buying them outright.
For the must part I have been successful in this which has kept my reloading costs down.
However, when I first started loading for 9mm Makarov, I did order some Starline brass since reloadable makarov cases were and still are rarely discarded at the range. Anyone who shoots a semiauto pistol knows that almost inevitably some of the ejected cases will be lost, never to be seen again.
Fortunately, it is a pretty simple matter to make 9 x 18 mm Makarov cases out of the far more common 9 x 19 mm Luger cases.
Using a set of Lee pistol dies in 9 mm Makarov and a Lee case trimmer for 9mm Makarov I do the following;
- First I resize and deprime the fired 9mm Luger cases with the Makarov sizing die.
- I then bell the case mouth with the powder through expanding die so that the case trimmer pilot will fit inside.
- The cases are cut to length using the case trimmer a cordless drill. I clamp the pilot/cutter in a vise and the Lock stud is held in the drill.
- With the case still held in the lock stud, I use a jewelers file to remove the burr left by the case trimmer.
Cast bullets seem to work very well in 9mm Makarov and are what I use for the most part.
The primer is the most expensive component used in the following load.
| 9mm Makarov |
| Bullet | 0.365" dia. 95 grain LRN Lee 365-95-1R Unsized coated in Lee Alox |
| Powder | 2.9 grains Alliant Green Dot or 2.9 grains Alliant Bullseye |
| Primer | Winchester Small Pistol |
| Firearm | Hungarian FEG PA-63 |
| Barrel Length | 3.8 inches |
| Avg Muzzle Velocity | 850 feet per second |
38 Special
| 38 Special |
| Bullet | 0.358" dia. 158 grain Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
| Powder | 3.4 grains Alliant Bullseye |
| Primer | Win SP |
| Cartridge Case | S&B |
| Firearm | Rossi Model 88 |
| Barrel Length | 3.0 inches |
| Avg Muzzle Velocity | 661 feet per second |
| 38 Special |
| Bullet | 0.358" dia. 125 grain Lead Flat point Lee 358-125-RF |
| Powder | 4.7 grains Accurate #2 Improved |
| Primer | CCI 550 |
| Cartridge Case | S&B |
| Firearm | Ruger GP100 |
| Barrel Length | 4.0 inches |
| Avg Muzzle Velocity | 952 feet per second |
The standard deviation of this load's muzzle velocity is 14 feet per second.
I used magnum primers for this load because I had a limited quantity of regular small pistol primers and quite a lot of magnum primers which I had purchased cheaply.
The 2005 Accurate powder manual lists a maximum charge for of 5.3 grains of Accurate #2 for 38 Special with a 125 grain jacketed bullet and Federal 500 primer.
45 ACP
| 45 ACP |
| Bullet | 0.452" dia. 230 grain Full Metal Jacket |
| Powder | 5.0 grains Alliant Bullseye |
| Primer | Federal 150 |
| Cartridge Case | WCC |
| Cartridge Overall Length | 1.225" |
| Firearm | RIA 1911 |
| Barrel Length | 5.0 inches |
| Avg Muzzle Velocity | 736 feet per second |
| 45 ACP |
| Bullet | 0.452" dia. 230 grain Lead RN Lee C452-228-1R |
| Powder | 4.8 grains Alliant Bullseye |
| Primer | Federal 150 |
| Cartridge Case | WCC |
| Cartridge Overall Length | 1.225" |
| Firearm | RIA 1911 |
| Barrel Length | 5.0 inches |
| Avg Muzzle Velocity | 818 feet per second |
| 45 ACP |
| Bullet | 0.452" dia. 230 grain Lead RN Lee C452-228-1R |
| Powder | 6.6 grains Ramshot True Blue |
| Primer | CCI 300 |
| Cartridge Case | WCC |
| Cartridge Overall Length | 1.225" |
| Firearm | RIA 1911 |
| Barrel Length | 5.0 inches |
| Avg Muzzle Velocity | 799 feet per second |
7.62 x 25 mm Tokarev
| 7.62 Tokarev |
| Bullet | 0.309" dia. 120 grain Lead RN Lee C309-120-R |
| Powder | 5.0 grains Alliant Herco |
| Primer | Remington 5 1/2 |
| Cartridge Case | Reformed 223 Remington |
| Firearm | CZ 52 |
| Barrel Length | 4.7 inches |
| Avg Muzzle Velocity | 1161 feet per second |
| 7.62 Tokarev |
| Bullet | 0.308" dia. IMI 110 grain Jacketed Soft Point |
| Powder | 4.5 grains Accurate #2 Improved |
| Primer | CCI 550 |
| Cartridge Case | GFI 7.63 Mauser |
| Firearm | CZ 52 |
| Barrel Length | 4.7 inches |
| Avg Muzzle Velocity | 1118 feet per second |
Revolver And Pistol Cartridge Dimensions
| Name | Bullet Dia. | Head Dia. | Rim Dia. | Max Case Len. | Max Ctg. OAL | Alt. Name |
| 7.62 Tokarev | 0.308" | 0.380" | 0.390" | 0.970" | 1.350" | 30 Tokarev, 7.62 x 25mm |
| 380 Auto | 0.355" | 0.373" | 0.374" | 0.680" | 0.984" | 9 x 17, 9mm Browning Short |
| 9 mm Luger | 0.355" | 0.392" | 0.393" | 0.754" | 1.169" | 9 x 19 NATO, 9mm Parabellum |
| 9 mm Ultra | 0.355" | 0.386" | 0.366" | 0.720" | 1.03" | 9 x 18 Police |
| 9mm Steyr | 0.355" | 0.380" | 0.381" | 0.910" | 1.300" | |
| 9mm Glisenti | 0.355" | 0.392" | 0.393" | 0.750" | 1.150" | |
| 38 Super | 0.355" | 0.383" | 0.405" | 0.900" | 1.280" | |
| 38 S&W | 0.359" | 0.386" | 0.433" | 0.780" | 1.200" | 38 Colt New Police |
| 38 Special | 0.357" | 0.379" | 0.440" | 1.115" | 1.550 " | |
| 357 Magnum | 0.357" | 0.379" | 0.440" | 1.290" | 1.590 " | |
| 9 mm Makarov | 0.363" | 0.389" | 0.396" | 0.710" | 0.970" | 9 x 18 mm |
| 45ACP | 0.452" | 0.476" | 0.476" | 0.898" | 1.170" | |
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