Are my loads safe for Luger use.

[ithacaartist]

Originally Posted by boogieman

Thanks RHUFF. I will pick up a couple boxes 115gr RN and try that first. I was under the impression that the Luger favored the slightly heavier bullet.

IIRC, the early military loads were 124 gr./ truncated cone. Winchester white box is available in both projectile weights, and both will function just fine in the 9mm Lugers I have. The 115 gr. is the currently recommended starting place.

One way to check for excess energy in your pistol is the masking tape test. A piece is applied to the top, rear flat of the frame just below the rear toggle. If your ammo has too much oomph, the protruding "duck bill" of the rear toggle will cut/squish the tape, leaving a visible mark. There may already some bluing loss from previous times this has happened. You can tune your loads down until the mark almost disappears, or you can tune them up until a mark is just barely made. this assists in calculating the max load the gun will handle without damaging itself with every shot. Tune loads down from there to dial in accuracy. Win. 231 and Unique are a couple of powders that many like, as they present an appropriate burn rate for cycling a Luger.