Breaking in CM9 with Reloads?

[drewtaylor21]

Hi everyone!

Just joined the forum after having lurked for a month or so....Proud owner of a new CM9 that I bought myself as a Christmas gift "from the wifey." Gotta love picking out your own gifts! haha

Anyway, I've been working on the break-in process and have just been racking and dry firing for about a week after initial cleaning and prep. No rounds fired yet.

My question for you all is what is the consensus on using reloaded FMJ to get through the 200 round suggested break in process? I can't find 9mm factory ammo ANYWHERE and I'm dying to shoot this little gun, but obviously don't want to cause any potential damage using a reload. Assuming everything is done correctly with the loaded round though, wouldn't it be just as good as a factory round for breaking in the gun?

Just wanted to get some other opinions! Thanks for the help!

[drewtaylor21]

Hornady 124 grain FMJ in case anyone is curious...

[warbird1]

Just be aware that reloaded ammo can void your warranty.

[drewtaylor21]

Thanks Warbird. Curious if anyone out there has actually been through the break in with reloads and if it made any difference in their opinion?

[wyntrout]

It's best if you use reputable factory ammo, so you don't have any question about the ammo being at fault. If you have problems, how will you be sure it wasn't some out of tolerance reloads... too strong, too weak, too long, too short, or any combination of shortcomings. We see all kinds of these problems. You want to break the pistol in with uniformly consistent ammo... new ammo.

Wynn:)

[Ikeo74]

Here is my second opinion. Everyone should get a second opinion. If you are an experianced reloader or your ammo is loaded by an experianced reloader, there is no reason why you can not use reloads for your break in process. Keep in mind that the loads need to be at least medium loads because minimun loads will not cycle a new gun with reliability. So try 25 and if they all cycle the gun without any FTF or FTE, you should be good to go for the 200 round break-in.

Disclaimer, if you are buying reloads from an unknown source, stick with factory ammo as stated by previous posters. Don't use +P or +P+ ammo for break-in.

[Flincher]

Welcome from North Dakota

[DeeDubya]

The first round through my PM40 was a reload from 1996, followed by many more. No failures. 155gr Rainier plated, 6gr ww231. I wouldn't suggest shooting lead bullet reloads in a new gun. You would most likely have a leading problem in a new barrel.

[drewtaylor21]

Thanks for the help everyone! Wynn, I agree with what you're saying about not knowing if the ammo is at fault or the gun if there are malfunctions, and being that I'm still relatively new to reloading, I'm not sure I want to take that risk with a new gun. The only problem is I can't find factory ammo anywhere (at least not at a price I'm willing to pay), so I guess I'll just have to wait a bit to get this gun broken in.

[Ikeo74]

Drew, how long have you been reloading and how many of those reloads have been fired in other guns? If you have a 9mm load established that you are using in a different handgun, then give us the info on the load. What bullet with weight, powder with amount of grains in the charge,
measurement of overall cartridge length when completed. Maybe we can tell you if it is a safe load. Have you had any failures with the ammo you have already loaded? Give us some history of your reloading experiance.

[drewtaylor21]

Ikeo,

I've only reloaded 38 special so far, so no 9mm rounds reloaded yet, which is another reason I am wary about starting my cm9 with reloaded rounds. I go by the book, so I would think it would be fine, but it does leave me a bit uncertain about the idea.

The recipe I was looking at was for Hornady 124 grain FMJ. My book calls for 4.8 to 6.6 grains (thinking 5.7 is a good happy medium...1000 fps). C.O.L 1.150"

[Ikeo74]

Ikeo,

I've only reloaded 38 special so far, so no 9mm rounds reloaded yet, which is another reason I am wary about starting my cm9 with reloaded rounds. I go by the book, so I would think it would be fine, but it does leave me a bit uncertain about the idea.

The recipe I was looking at was for Hornady 124 grain FMJ. My book calls for 4.8 to 6.6 grains (thinking 5.7 is a good happy medium...1000 fps). C.O.L 1.150"
I can't tell if this load is good, without knowing what powder you are using. I would also like to know what reloading book you are getting the information from. Do the 124 gr full metal jacket bullets have a flat nose?

[drewtaylor21]

blue dot powder, 124 grain FMJ round nose, and the book is just a 9mm luger book (The Complete Reloading Manual for the 9mm Luger - it's compiled info from bullet and powder makers)

[muggsy]

I would have no problem breaking in my pistol with my reloads, but I'd shy away from using anyone else's reloads. Since I didn't have any 9mm brass when I broke in my CM9 I used PMC 124 gr FMJ rounds. I burned through 500 of them and that gave me a good supply of brass for reloading. All of my practicing is done with reloads, but I carry Speer Gold Dot ammo. My reloads shoot to about the same point of impact.

[Bawanna]

I'd use reloads if you trust yourself. Just know that if you do have issues the ammo could be a factor.

If you don't have issues you got no worries.

I used reloads in my PM45 and had some boggles, found they were just a tad long, I had some factory and it worked fine so I just adjusted my loads and all was well.

Unless your way over charged and even then I don't think your gonna damage the gun, it just won't function properly if you got something else off, length, too light a load etc.

I'd go for it myself. If you can score any factory at all, try it if you have an issue.

[JFootin]

Welcome to the forum, drewtaylor21! :) There is a wealth of valuable information in the New Member Area (http://kahrtalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=56) and the Kahr-Tech (http://kahrtalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=27) sections of the forum.

And welcome to the CM9 Owners Club! :D Our official symbol is the wide grin smily because we are so happy with our purchase that we can't wipe the smiles off our faces!

Here is your club badge.
http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee486/John_England/Smilies/BigSmily.jpg

[drewtaylor21]

My very own CM9 club badge! I've now arrived :)

Part of the reason I chose this gun was all of you guys and your input (like I said, I've been lurking for a while now), so a big THANK YOU to everyone out there!

[Ikeo74]

Ikeo,

I've only reloaded 38 special so far, so no 9mm rounds reloaded yet, which is another reason I am wary about starting my cm9 with reloaded rounds. I go by the book, so I would think it would be fine, but it does leave me a bit uncertain about the idea.

The recipe I was looking at was for Hornady 124 grain FMJ. My book calls for 4.8 to 6.6 grains (thinking 5.7 is a good happy medium...1000 fps). C.O.L 1.150"

Looking at a Hornady reloading manual 3rd edition and it says mim load is 6.0 blue dot @ 900 FPS. That will not cycle a new Kahr consistantly. I think according to this book it takes 6.7 gr to reach 1000 FPS. and I would try 6.5 for a median load to start with. They have newer books than mine, maybe someone else can jump in here with the newest charge data. This book shows a range of blue dot from 6.0 to max load of 7.7. I think the newer books show smaller charges.

[wyntrout]

I still say do ONE thing at a time. I would make sure the pistol functions reliably with factory ammo, eliminating one BIG variable... or big VARIABLE, especially with you just starting out in reloading... in essence... experimenting.

Wynn:D

[drewtaylor21]

do the different editions of books change the recommended charges so much? 6.5-7.7 seems awfully high to me. My book has a copyright date of 2011 and the hornady section is supposed to be taken from their 9mm luger reloading data. Either way, I tend to think you are right that a new Kahr would cycle better towards the upper end of the recommended range

[RRP]

The only problem is I can't find factory ammo anywhere (at least not at a price I'm willing to pay), so I guess I'll just have to wait a bit to get this gun broken in.

If you're near me, I'll give you a box to get started. What state do you hail from?

[Tilos]

Hi everyone!

Just joined the forum after having lurked for a month or so....Proud owner of a new CM9 that I bought myself as a Christmas gift "from the wifey." Gotta love picking out your own gifts! haha

Anyway, I've been working on the break-in process and have just been racking and dry firing for about a week after initial cleaning and prep. No rounds fired yet.

My question for you all is what is the consensus on using reloaded FMJ to get through the 200 round suggested break in process? I can't find 9mm factory ammo ANYWHERE and I'm dying to shoot this little gun, but obviously don't want to cause any potential damage using a reload. Assuming everything is done correctly with the loaded round though, wouldn't it be just as good as a factory round for breaking in the gun?

Just wanted to get some other opinions! Thanks for the help!

I have reload data for both 115/125 FMJ that I shoot thru my PM9 and CW9 that use common popular components.
These loads were developed to shoot point of aim, top of front sight at defense distances.
I can pm the info if you are interested as I don't like to post loading info.

[Ikeo74]

Do you have a place to shoot the gun without going to the range? If you have access to a safe area to shoot. You could make up 5 or10 rounds ant try it, providing you have all the other components like cases, primers and the bullets.

If you make up any be sure to do the drop in test to see if they seat in your barrel when removed from the gun. Drop it (a completed round) in to the barrel to see if it seats all the way, then turn the barrel over and it should freely drop out. They must pass this test before trying to shoot them.

[drewtaylor21]

Thanks Wynn, that's my plan. Hope to find some factory rounds somewhere in the next couple weeks, get the gun broken in and then try some reloads through it once things are running smoothly.

[drewtaylor21]

If you're near me, I'll give you a box to get started. What state do you hail from?
RRP -

Thanks for the offer. I'm in SLC Utah. Unless you happen to be in the same city I'd say dont' worry about it, as I'm hopeful that I'll be able to locate some factory stuff relatively soon

[drewtaylor21]

Do you have a place to shoot the gun without going to the range? If you have access to a safe area to shoot. You could make up 5 or10 rounds ant try it, providing you have all the other components like cases, primers and the bullets.

If you make up any be sure to do the drop in test to see if they seat in your barrel when removed from the gun. Drop it (a completed round) in to the barrel to see if it seats all the way, then turn the barrel over and it should freely drop out. They must pass this test before trying to shoot them.
Ikeo,

Yes, I sometimes shoot out in the desert here, although it's a little cold for shooting lately. I'm glad you brought up the drop-in test....I was contemplating getting a lyman case gauge in 9mm luger to do the same thing, based on a youtube recommendation from Hickok45, but I suppose it's easy enough to just drop the reloaded round into the barrel. Same basic idea, right?

[Ikeo74]

Ikeo,

Yes, I sometimes shoot out in the desert here, although it's a little cold for shooting lately. I'm glad you brought up the drop-in test....I was contemplating getting a lyman case gauge in 9mm luger to do the same thing, based on a youtube recommendation from Hickok45, but I suppose it's easy enough to just drop the reloaded round into the barrel. Same basic idea, right?
Right. It does the same thing without buying the guage and is gun specific. Good luck, from talking with you on these posts I think you are going to do very well in your reloading and are doing everything right.

[drewtaylor21]

thank you sir! I'm reading as much as I can, but it's always helpful to get input from other reloaders, so I appreciate your help

[Geobob]

Hello, DrewTaylor, and welcome from Missouri to a really great forum. Good people and info here!

Best wishes for a safe, prosperous New Year to you and yours.

[wyntrout]

Save at least one factory bullet in each caliber and size for comparison and initial setup of your dies. You can preset your seating die depth and all with a factory load and and be in the ballpark, then adjust as needed for crimp and O.A.L. And drop-in testing before slamming one into the chamber is a GOOD idea!

Wynn:)

[MW surveyor]

The first 50 rounds through my CW9 were factory FMJs. Every round since (more than 2,500) have been my reloads using 125 grain Lead (round nose, truncated cone or what ever). No problems with leading at all.

You may want to go to the Alliant web site to see what they recommend for your Blue Dot Powder in 9 mm.