Most of my life I have shot .45s, .22s, .380s and .38/.357s. All but the .38/.357s have been in semi-automatics weapons. Just recently a bought a M&P 9mm Pro with the main reason being the attractive prices on the 9mm ammo, both 115 grain and 124 grain. I usually buy Remington, Winchester and Federal to shoot at the range. When I go to clean by gun, I'm amazed at how dirty it is. There are plenty of thick black deposits of soot and powder inside the gun and I can't every remember that being the case with other calibers so I started thinking, maybe that's why 9mm is less expensive that the others, the manufactures can get by using cheaper powder. I mean you would think .380s would be cheaper as they use less powder and the bullet is smaller so there has to be some reason behind his. Has anyone else noticed this or am I the only one? Let me know. Thanks, Jim
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Is 9mm powder dirtier than other calibers
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There is no such thing as "9mm powder".
CaptRon956
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WWB, Remington UMC, Federal American Eagle are what I consider "cheap range ammo" and they are a bit more sooty than preminum ammo. Monarch brand ammo from the Academy is decent range ammo but its among the dirtiest.
I'm not a saleman for Freedom Munitions, I get nothing out of it for mentioning them but, it is the cleanest burning, most accurate 9mm ammo I've tried in my Shield 9. And I stock up in bulk. (free shipping for first time buyers).
I'm not a saleman for Freedom Munitions, I get nothing out of it for mentioning them but, it is the cleanest burning, most accurate 9mm ammo I've tried in my Shield 9. And I stock up in bulk. (free shipping for first time buyers).
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RV4driver
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The bullet is the projectile that is propelled by the expansion of gasses from the burning powder.
The powder in a 9mm case can be any of numerous brands and types. Some powders are "dirtier" than others, but many times, the dirtiness is caused by powder not completely burning, and leaving residue in the gun. You will find that some powders burn at a less than ideal speed for your gun...barrel length, bore diameter, etc. I use the same powder in 9mm, 45acp, and .38/357. Powder is not usually caliber specific. Your dirty gun is not due to it's shooting 9mm rounds.
The powder in a 9mm case can be any of numerous brands and types. Some powders are "dirtier" than others, but many times, the dirtiness is caused by powder not completely burning, and leaving residue in the gun. You will find that some powders burn at a less than ideal speed for your gun...barrel length, bore diameter, etc. I use the same powder in 9mm, 45acp, and .38/357. Powder is not usually caliber specific. Your dirty gun is not due to it's shooting 9mm rounds.
I should have been more clear in my reply. I don't know why you have noticed more powder fouling from 9mm ammo. I have not experienced this, and I do not know what the cause might be, as there is not a particular powder used only for loading this, or any other caliber.
I have seen 38 special cases that were a lot or as dirty as my
9mm factory cases.
Just a matter of ammo, gun fit etc. etc............
As long as they don't fail................
I care less on how dirty they get.
9mm factory cases.
Just a matter of ammo, gun fit etc. etc............
As long as they don't fail................
I care less on how dirty they get.
LoboGunLeather
US Veteran
As others have pointed out, there are dozens of powders suitable for loading 9mm Parabellum ammunition. There are also powders made for ammunition manufacturers that are not offered to the public for reloading purposes. Each ammo manufacturer decides what powder and charge to use for each cartridge they offer.
Another possible factor is the design of the pistol. Some are more prone to capture residual gases and residue than others. You may just have to adapt to a different cleaning regimen for your new 9mm pistol.
Another possible factor is the design of the pistol. Some are more prone to capture residual gases and residue than others. You may just have to adapt to a different cleaning regimen for your new 9mm pistol.
LoboGunLeather, maybe you are right and this gun captures more residue than my other guns. I know that the manufacturers use different powders but one of the points I was trying to make is that since the 9mm is the most popular cartridge and currently the least expensive (.22 being an exception if you can find them), maybe to cut expenses they have gone with a cheaper powder to be competitive and to try to capture market share. Just a thought. It all works but the cleanest I've found is 124gr. Lawman by Speer but I don't that very much. Regards, Jim
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CaptRon956
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For the Shield 9 I recommend Freedom munitions 9mm 124 gr. RN new
Once you tried this ammo and then go back to WWB 115 gr FMJ's for example you'll immediately notice how weak the Winchester feels in comparrison.
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CaptRon956, thanks for the recommendation. I've been mostly using Winchester or Remington 124 gr when I can and you're right, they definitely feel stronger than the 115's. In checking Freedom Munitions there is not much of a price difference anyway. While I'm at it, I may get some .45 ammo too, especially since shipping is free on the first order. Regards, Jim
CaptRon956
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Yeah thats the thing, free shipping on the first order so order as much as you humanly can!
Just make sure there is someone home who can sign for the UPS man when they deliver..
Biggfoot44
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As noted , there are no caliber specific powders, and additionally factories have access to non-canister powders. All factories adjust the charges and/ or blend the powders to at minimum to be be within pressure specs, and can vary from lot to lot. Sometimes factories also adjust for other factors such as muzzle flash or sootiness. This tends to be more common in more expensive ammo intended for LE or premimum SD ammo. If you don't care for a particular lot of ammo , try a different brand or Lot number.as noted , if it shoots acceptably at a decent price , just clean the gun.
And 9mm ammo is inexpensive because of economies of scale, not so much small differences in what the components would cost us purchased in small quanities.
And 9mm ammo is inexpensive because of economies of scale, not so much small differences in what the components would cost us purchased in small quanities.
Some powders are very clean....
You can find cheap, dirty ammo in most any caliber. I've been loading my coated 9mm bullets with Accurate #7. Extraordinarily clean combination that should be at least as good with jacketed bullets. All dirt isn't equal. Some is gummy and hard to remove. Some is sooty and just wipes right off. Reloading would allow you to make the combinations that work best for you.
Also, if .380 were used by the army and everybody else did too it would be cheaper. They don't make or sell nearly as much .380 as other types. Somebody was complaining about 10mm ammo the other day. Same deal.
You can find cheap, dirty ammo in most any caliber. I've been loading my coated 9mm bullets with Accurate #7. Extraordinarily clean combination that should be at least as good with jacketed bullets. All dirt isn't equal. Some is gummy and hard to remove. Some is sooty and just wipes right off. Reloading would allow you to make the combinations that work best for you.
Also, if .380 were used by the army and everybody else did too it would be cheaper. They don't make or sell nearly as much .380 as other types. Somebody was complaining about 10mm ammo the other day. Same deal.
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MichiganScott
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I've never been able to understand this whole discussion about one powder/ammunition being dirtier than any other powder/ammunition.
Don't you still have to clean them regardless of powder/ammunition used?
Don't you still have to clean them regardless of powder/ammunition used?
ModernRifle
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I don't always clean several of my guns after every shooting session. On the ranch, I'll pop a few here and there. Last time I cleaned my Kimber Ultra, it had gone 14 months (YES!) without being cleaned. Dirty Powder, gunks it up faster. This Kimber is my EDC, and I expect it to work. It does work, and why use dirty powder.
CTG_COLLECTOR
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One thing to remember is that we're slowly recovering from the Obamanation's run on guns and ammo. Many of the big ammo manufacturers have been trying to conserve powders and precious metals during their major ramp-up of trying to put products on the shelves for us consumers. I'm sure that ammo makers have been blending their powders and are not top quality, especially in their "economy" lines of ammo. Thus people should expect more unburnt powder and more soot from the powder being currently used.
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