Best powder for 9 mm PCC?

[Kaldor]

Actually, not with all powders. My N-320 1050 fps from a 5” 1911 gains nothing from the 16” barrel. I am sure it’s faster somewhere in the barrel, but not after 16”. It takes a slower powder.

I see the same thing with 9mm 147s and TiteGroup. 980 from a 5" barrel but about a 1000 from a 10.5. However, 115s over CFE Pistol is a huge jump, more than 200 fps if I remember right.

 

[n2omike]

Powder and bullet depends on the application. If subsonic is the goal, 147 grain shines. If low recoil is the goal, lighter bullets are nice.

If you are using a typical AR15 style recoil operated PCC, using a .308 buffer spring is a huge improvement in how the gun feels/operates. The 5.56 spring often used (PSA etc) is too soft, and you feel the bolt bottom out with every shot. .308 spring is a huge improvement. Much smoother.

As for powder, faster powders generally work better in recoil operated PCC's. Stuff like HS6 will scorch cases worse than typical powders such as HP38/W231.

3.8 grains of HP38 is nice under a 147 grain bullet. Is comfortable in a pistol and still subsonic in a 10.5" barrel PCC.

 

[Charlie98]

Actually, not with all powders. My N-320 1050 fps from a 5” 1911 gains nothing from the 16” barrel. I am sure it’s faster somewhere in the barrel, but not after 16”. It takes a slower powder to gain velocity from the 16” tube.

That was kind of my thought as well.

A lot of you are recommending BE-86. I've experimented with BE-86 in 9mm, with 124grn bullets... I actually hit a velocity threshold in my shorter barreled Kahr pistols with BE-86, where more powder added nearly zero to velocity, and the load dirtied up. I abandoned BE-86 after that... for my purposes it wasn't a good solution, but I'll bet it would work well in a longer barrel where the slower powder would have time to work. Ditto SportPistol, or any other powder in the 'Unique or slower' burn range.

 

[Walkalong]

Many powders will hit a little or no gain spot, time to back off.

 

[JJFitch]

Actually, not with all powders. My N-320 1050 fps from a 5” 1911 gains nothing from the 16” barrel. I am sure it’s faster
somewhere in the barrel, but not after 16”. It takes a slower powder to gain velocity from the 16” tube.

Pretty sure W. Auto-Comp is much slower than VN-320!

Smiles,

 

[JJFitch]

Powder and bullet depends on the application. If subsonic is the goal, 147 grain shines. If low recoil is the goal, lighter bullets are nice.

If you are using a typical AR15 style recoil operated PCC, using a .308 buffer spring is a huge improvement in how the gun feels/operates. The 5.56 spring often used (PSA etc) is too soft, and you feel the bolt bottom out with every shot. .308 spring is a huge improvement. Much smoother.

As for powder, faster powders generally work better in recoil operated PCC's. Stuff like HS6 will scorch cases worse than typical powders such as HP38/W231.

3.8 grains of HP38 is nice under a 147 grain bullet. Is comfortable in a pistol and still subsonic in a 10.5" barrel PCC.

How do you make Minor Power Factor with W231/HP38 and 147 grain, 9mm? One of the problems getting excited about 9mm 40 years ago was making P/F with available powders and not split cases due to over pressure!

Smiles,

 

[IALoder]

I just use good ‘ol HP38 for everything.

124 Berry's plated RN with 4.2 HP-38 is 1050fps in a 4.4" P226 and 4.1" VP9, 1180fps in my Ruger PC Carbine. Shoots great out of all of them!

 

[JJFitch]

Yes, but you are not implying that the powder charge which gives you 1050fps is the same for PCC and pistol are you?

Nope!

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

FYI: Lyman's 48th has 9mm Rifle data for the Ruger 16-1/4" PCC.


Probably in the 50th, too.

 

[N555]

I used as much AA9 that will fit under a 124gr bullet and was getting over 1,500fps out of an 8 inch barrel.

 

[kalielkslayer]

My LGS owner called me Friday and said my PCC has been shipped. Been waiting 9 months for this.

Following this thread.

 

[herkyguy]

Have experimented quite a bit with my Sig MPX, 13.5” barrel.

only powder with significant gains in velocity has been AA#7, generally getting 1250 fps with 124 grain bullets and 1150 fps with 147 grain bullets. All of my loads are usually .5 grains under max loads as I’ve got little interest in pushing too far.

of note, AA#7 consistently gives standard deviations of less than 20, all other powders were less consistent.

unrelated, but 4.0 grains 800x with 147 grain bullets tops out around 900 fps, which at first I was disappointed. But almost zero recoil and no flash has its benefits…

 

[Buck13]

Have experimented quite a bit with my Sig MPX, 13.5” barrel.

only powder with significant gains in velocity has been AA#7, generally getting 1250 fps with 124 grain bullets and 1150 fps with 147 grain bullets.

Yes, #7 has significantly heavier charges than any other powder I've noticed in published data, so it stands to reason that this translates to more gas produced and more potential in a longer barrel. I definitely plan to save the one pound I have for PCC use.