Confused about powder and burn rates

unspellable · 08-02-2010, 10:04 PM

You have several springs to consider. The main two that give trouble are the recoil spring and the magazine spring. Magazine springs usually give trouble in after market magazines where the spring is not to spec. Vintage magazines are more likely to give trouble if the lips have been bashed around over the years. Recoil springs give trouble because they have been tinkered with or replaced by "gunsmiths" who had no idea what they were doing. First step is to count coils and see if you have the correct number. Springs that have been mucked up or replaced usually have the wrong number of turns.

Powder burn rate will have absolutely NO effect on functioning. Sieger will say it does, but that's because he counts accuracy as part of functioning. I don't, I consider proper functioning to be reliable operation and accuracy as a separate issue. Loading to the correct velocity for the bullet in hand does affect functioning. (Not the "hot" loads street "wisdom" says, the Luger wants middle of the road loads.)

One other point if you are hand loading. The SAAMI specs for OAL for the 9 mm call for a maximum OAL that is actually the minimum as Georg originally intended. Seat the bullet so the OAL is a tad on the long side. Sieger has the number, I don't have it to hand at the moment.

08-02-2010, 10:04 PM	#10
unspellable User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Iowa Posts: 769 Thanks: 0 Thanked 20 Times in 12 Posts	You have several springs to consider. The main two that give trouble are the recoil spring and the magazine spring. Magazine springs usually give trouble in after market magazines where the spring is not to spec. Vintage magazines are more likely to give trouble if the lips have been bashed around over the years. Recoil springs give trouble because they have been tinkered with or replaced by "gunsmiths" who had no idea what they were doing. First step is to count coils and see if you have the correct number. Springs that have been mucked up or replaced usually have the wrong number of turns. Powder burn rate will have absolutely NO effect on functioning. Sieger will say it does, but that's because he counts accuracy as part of functioning. I don't, I consider proper functioning to be reliable operation and accuracy as a separate issue. Loading to the correct velocity for the bullet in hand does affect functioning. (Not the "hot" loads street "wisdom" says, the Luger wants middle of the road loads.) One other point if you are hand loading. The SAAMI specs for OAL for the 9 mm call for a maximum OAL that is actually the minimum as Georg originally intended. Seat the bullet so the OAL is a tad on the long side. Sieger has the number, I don't have it to hand at the moment.