9mm Luger & green dot

[bikerbeans]

Hi All,
 
I load 9mm luger for 3 gun shoots and plinking using either range pickup or previously fired used brass.  It is a hodge-podge of headstamps and I am careful to remove the overseas stuff that looks like brass but is steel on the inside.  I know from weighing the brass the empty weights vary quite abit and one can assume that the case capacities also vary a bit.  I have handled the problem to date by loading on the light side, just enough to cycle the hand guns, and haven't had a problem until now. I  bought a new can of Green Dot from a large gun seller and loaded light 38 spc, no problems at all.  Then I loaded my favorite 9mm slug, LRN 125 grain, COL 1.155", win sp primer, strong taper crimp.  I used 3.7 grains of Green Dot dropped by my Dillon 550.  Repeated weight checks indicated the Green Dot dropped as consistent a weight as any pistol powder I have ever loaded. 
 
Now the fun part.  When fired in 2 different 9MM pistols the recoil and muzzle blast varies tremendously.  Some primers show overpressure issues while others look fine.  I pulled a bunch a bullets and weighed the powder to verify the charge and it is 3.7 grains.  The crimp is holding and I do not have bullet set back.  I guess my question is this powder that sensitive to slight changes in case volume?  It sure appears that way too me.  I have used bullseye, 700 X and Unique with the same hodge podge of 9mm brass and never had a problem.
Maybe save the Green Dot for shotshells?
 
BB

[Graybeard]

I've probably loaded more green dot than any other shotshell powder with the possible exception of 700X but don't recall ever using it for handgun loading. My go to for 9mm is Bullseye.

I will say that once a whole lotta years ago when I was using range pickup brass I picked up a couple or three S&W headstamp 44 magnum cases. I loaded them same as all the rest with 24.0 grains of W296. When I did my normal case exam under a bright light those S&W cases all had more powder apparently so I dumped them and dropped the charges again. Comparison showed they still were more full than the rest. I dumped the charges looked to see if there was contamination in the hulls (there wasn't) then weighed the charges and went ahead and loaded them.

BAD MOVE!

I blew up a TC Contender barrel with that first one. It blew the top out of the chamber. Now how much pressure that took I have no clue but there was no barrel obstruction. I had been shooting metal silhouettes and had hit the one prior to the gun blowing up on me.

So yes from personal experience I can tell you that mixing cases as you are doing can lead to excessive pressures and ruined guns.

[mcwoodduck]

I use green dot in my 45ACP loads.
I have tried to limit the amount of poweders I have on hand and can buy in bulk to maximize savings.
I load green dot as if some how I double charge it will over fill the case.  A freind once used as small of a powder charge as possibel to make a load as cheap as possible and like Gray beard took the top off of a Colt Clone SAA when he double charged a case by accident.

[bikerbeans]

I emailed the manufacturer (Alliant) regarding Green Dot and the 9mm luger.  Their response indicated they no longer test all their powder for every possible application.  In this case Green Dot is primarioy tested for shotgun loads.  They did not answer my question about recent changes in the formulation of Green Dot.   I will follow their lead and just use this powder for shotshells in the future.
 
BB

[mcwoodduck]

A lot of my loads came from the Allient reloading manual that they used to give away.
I had two and sent one to another member. 
Hit me back on this and I will do some research into 9mm loads with the green dot, and send you where I got the loads.