Last week I was having a good time learning to load my first auto pistol cartridge.  Once I got the issue with the case neck tension or lack thereof in some instances, I was able to get that right by using the pour through die after everyone here told me about it.  Thanks by the way for that.  I loaded 19 rounds 9MM 115 Grain FMJ bullet Winchester case & 4.2 grains of TiteGroup & CCI Small Pistol  No 500 primers.  I was expecting to meet four goals with this first batch.


1.  The round is safe to fire.
2.  The round fires
3.  The round hits what I am aiming at.
4.  The round cycles the action.

I met all four goals eventually.  My hand is in tact and my two 9mm pistols are still in the same shape they were before this afternoon, so that proved the rounds safe to fire & actually fired.  I did not notice any substantial difference in my poor marksmanship, however that commie paper man size target caught all the ronds in his belly.  When it gets to cycling the action is where I found trouble.  The rounds cycled the Keltec P11 slide, however they did not cycle the S&W 5906 slide.  Every round fired in the 5906, but none would cycle the slide.  The P11 on the other hand was actually pleasant to shoot.  Usually it likes to muzzle flip and provides a snappy recoil.  I am going back to the drawing board and changing a couple of things in components.  I am going to find different small pistol primers.  The CCIs failed to fire on the first trigger pull at least three times.  These same batch of primers pulled the same stunt with my .38 SPL loads.  I am also going to increase the charge in the casing which will still be well under the recommended maximum loadings.

For 9mm CCI is the only primer I've ever used, never had a dud.

What are you using to seat your primers? I use a Lee Priming tool. They work great for me so much so that I've worn out 4
since I started loading in '86. (That's 1986 ). The hand primer gives me more feel than a press mounted one. Especially if
I'm loading for bulk. Match type 308 loads I'll use my press mounted one if I'm using CCI primers.

Sounds like you are getting there.  I remember the first time I made some 9mm I thought the gun was going to blow up in my hand.  I would increase the charges slightly.  I doubt it's a primer issues.  You either have a box of primers that was exposed to extreme moisture or there is something wrong with the way they are seated.  My 9mm loads are actually 3.3 grains of titegroup.  I'm using 147 gr bullets though.  They cycle in all my guns and my friends guns who have tried it.

Enjoy!

The small pistol CCI primers are the only ones not detonating on the first trigger pull.  I am using a Lee Hand Primer tool for priming.  I am pretty sure that I am seating the primer as far as I can, but I will use the advise a couple of responses up of lining the finished bullets up and looking to see that the primes are seated a little below flush.  Does anyone know why these cycled the P11 and not the 5906?

Priming operation is likely the problem.  

Seat primer until it touches down and then a little further giving it a little bit of "crush".  With a decent priming tool, you can feel that little bit of crush, followed by stiffening resistance.  You'll know when to stop.

Not cycling the action could be several things but most likely a spring that's stiffer on the S&W than the other pistol.  Is yours a light load (for that powder type)?  Be careful with that as an assumption.  You don't want to increase powder charge if powder charge is not the problem.  Make sure it is not a problem with cartridges fitting the chamber, a magazine issue, etc.

Get a piece of glass or something equally flat and smooth and set the cartridges on it primer down. If they rock at all, you have high primers.

The S&W pistols have very stiff recoil springs. I own 3 of them including a 5906 and they all take considerably more force to push the slide back than any other type of auto pistol I've handled. That's probably why it won't cycle. Either go up with the charge if you can or buy a lighter spring for it.

My book shows 4.3gr for a start load with titegroup, 4.8gr Max