Reloading 9MM ARX?

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  • Mark K

    Active Member
    Sep 29, 2013
    280
    Colorado Springs, CO
    I'm surprised I don't see a thread about this. Anybody have experience reloading 9mm Inceptor ARX bullets into brass cases?

    I've been casually reloading for a couple years now, and wanted to try these. Here's the load data:

    https://www.inceptorammo.com/wp-con...RX355-65-9mm-Luger-65-Grains-ARX-Inceptor.pdf

    My first batch was using 5.1 grains of HP-38 powder. No crimp, just barely tapered to specs. COL was 1.169", because that's what I'd been using with normal FMJ bullets; I didn't notice that Inceptor recommends 1.155". So the cartridges were a bit on the long side.

    Horrible results. They fed well, but every other round with my Sig P229 failed to eject; mostly stovepipes.

    With my G19 and P290RS, every single round was a stovepipe.

    So... Too little powder, or too-long a COL?

    I've made up a second batch with 5.4 grains of HP-38, and COL of 1.155". We'll see how these do...
     

    Doobie

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 23, 2013
    1,777
    Earth
    Why did you increase amount of powder when you decreased OAL? Change ONE thing at a time so you know what was the cause. Also, I believe that decreasing OAL increases pressure to begin with...adding more powder will also increase pressure from my understanding.
     

    Mark K

    Active Member
    Sep 29, 2013
    280
    Colorado Springs, CO
    Yeah, you're right. 5.4 grains (with 1.155" COL) puts the rounds into low +P territory, which wouldn't be unsafe with these guns.

    The "why" was I saw a video test on reloading these, and the guy found that the data for HP-38 was on the weak side even with 5.2 grains and 1.155" COL; which certainly confirmed my experience with 5.1 grains -- he didn't get good ejection with a G19 until 5.6 grains:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_u8u15U7S0

    But yeah, I probably need to pull the bullets, and go back to 5.1 grains... but with the correct 1.155" COL. Change one variable at a time... and impatience is NOT a virtue with reloading...
     

    Mark K

    Active Member
    Sep 29, 2013
    280
    Colorado Springs, CO
    Update: Instead of pulling the ARX bullets, I decided to make a batch of new ones -- 5.1 grains, with the recommended 1.155" OAL.

    Just as miserable as the first batch with 1.169" -- worked pretty well in my P229, every other round a FTE in my G19, and every single round FTE in my P290RS.

    Then I fired about 100 rounds of 5.4 grains, with 1.155" OAL as recommended. Again, with HP-38 powder, that's supposed to be starting charge for +P.

    Flawless in the P229. Almost good with the G19; a couple of FTEs. But just as miserable in the P290RS.

    As it happened, I'd bought some commercial NovX 9mm ammo, with the same 65-gr bullets. With the stainless steel/aluminum cases. Those worked perfectly through all the guns. So at least I know the commercial stuff is good...

    Oh, the problem is hopefully not my reloading skills. I also fired about 150 rounds of 9mm reloads that I'd done, with 115-gr hollow-points and fairly light charges. No problems.
     

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