9mm with Unique powder

[Hawaiiglock]

I recently got into reloading, local sources for components are lacking but I was able to find a shop that has plenty of Unique (25 bucks per pound, but that's the cost of living in Hawaii). I can order bullets and brass on the net so that's not an issue.

I ordered a few manuals, 2 were on back order so all I have at this time is Lyman's 49th edition. It doesn't have a load listed for 9mm 115 gr FMJ, so I decided to load a few different test rounds, 4.5 gr, 4.7 gr, and 4.9 gr. The 4.5 gr wouldn't cycle through my Glock 26, the 4.7 cycled but sent every empty case back at my head (my girlfriend shot a few rounds and ended up with a burnt boob, she's not very happy with me:rofl:), and the 4.9 gr was ok but still had weak ejection. What is a good powder load with Unique to have a strong round with a decent ejection pattern?

Another question I have is why do a majority of reloading manuals lack a lot of information on popular loads like 9mm and 45 acp?

[WiskyT]

Go to Alliant's website. Unique is a great powder for 9mm. Unfortunately some manuals offer very light data that doesn't cycle guns. Then, the same manual will often have hot loads in other calibers. Alliant, which has the same data as Speer (both owned by ATK) shows 5.8 as a max for a 124. This is a great load that runs 1250fps out of my G17. So, Alliant has good data for 9mm with Unique. Check the 115 load offered by them and reduce their load, which is max, by 10% and try it out.

[fotog54]

try 5.8, I use it my glock with 115 grn poly coated bullets. It is going to look like it there is just enough space for the bullet!

[fredj338]

Unique is a great 9mm powder but you have to get it off it's knees, especially w/ smaller 9mm & stronger springs. I would consider 5.5gr a bare min for the G26 for FMJ, not plated. Speer says 5.6gr starting, 6.3gr max. It will run better closer to 6gr. Not sure qhat manuals you are talking about but all mine have plenty fo data for both. They are probably the two most loaded rounds on the planet.

[MSgt Dotson]

A friend and I made many thousand rounds of 9x19 with 115 FMJ and 5.5 gr of Unique; all functioned flawlessly in a variety of pistols.

[dhgeyer]

A friend and I made many thousand rounds of 9x19 with 115 FMJ and 5.5 gr of Unique; all functioned flawlessly in a variety of pistols.

I load 6.2 grains of Unique under any 115 grain bullet in 9mm. I don't own a chronograph, but had the opportunity to chronograph that load (happened to be 115 Gold Dots) out of a 5" barrel with conventional rifling. They averaged around 1244 f/s. They cycled well and ejected emphatically, and showed no excessive pressure signs.

[Ceapea]

5.2gr Unique, 115gr bullet, 1.125" OAL or 124gr @ 1.150".
Works great in my G34, G19 and a 9mm 1911.