AA#9 and Nosler 150 grain HP

[Ramjet]

Loaded up some AA#9 with a Nosler 150 grain HP.
16.0 grains
CCI300
Starline brass new

Glock Model 40 with a KKM 7" bbl
Accuracy was good
Average velocity 1540 FPS

Contender Carbine MGM 18" bbl bull barrel
Excellent accuracy
1810 FPS average velocity

I did not get an opportunity to chronograph with the revolvers or the 1911 but will add to this when I do that this week.

I was certainly impressed with the accuracy of this load and the velocity is crazy fast. Not sure the bullets will hold up well on deer size game but broadside shot I bet it will do some damage to the CNS.

[Bongo Boy]

Did you see any issues with the Starline brass and that load?  I've loaded a lot of 10mm with Starline and have found I have to be a bit careful at the high end--it seems to be very soft stuff. In some cases, the brass was pretty much ruined--and pass-thru resizing didn't do anything to make it look any better.

[woods_walker]

Did you see any issues with the Starline brass and that load?  I've loaded a lot of 10mm with Starline and have found I have to be a bit careful at the high end--it seems to be very soft stuff. In some cases, the brass was pretty much ruined--and pass-thru resizing didn't do anything to make it look any better.

I didn't notice this thread until this morning.
I read this post with interest because of your statements about your brass. I am totally surprised at your description of the brass. I wonder what is a factor in your shooting and loading regimen that is causing this.
In my experience, Starline is not considered "soft" brass. Quite the contrary, it is considered to be very durable, and tends to resist work hardening longer than most other brands. In fact, many top gunsmiths and ammo manufacturers use Starline brass due to its quality.

From a personal standpoint, I have been shooting Starline in the 10mm since about 2003. The average lifespan, based on my tools and loads, is for my brass to be retired at a total of 7 firings per case. For the record, I only shoot original Norma spec loads in my 10mm and a couple recipes that I developed. In other words, everything I shoot is top-end. And after using Jarvis barrels, and Storm Lake barrels, and Barsto barrels, and more... I'm back to using stock barrels in my 10's.

Have you spoken to Starline about this? They take their reputation seriously, and welcome interaction with their customers. If you are not happy with one of their products, Starline will bend over backwards to change your opinion. They are top-notch if you give them a chance.

Would you care to describe the way your brass is being ruined? If you can post pictures it would be even more revealing. Sometimes a different set of eyes looking at a situation will uncover something that one pair missed.

[sqlbullet]

There have been a number or threads here about starline brass being on the soft side.  This is on purpose on the part of starline, as brass gets harder as it is loaded and fired multiple times, until it becomes brittle and splits.  Soft brass will take longer to split.

Swampfox was an advocate of loading starline with max loads on the second loading of the brass for specifically this reason.  The first round work hardened the brass, in his opinion, just the right amount.  While I don't have a problem with this philosophy, it can be a pain to implement and keep brass sorted by firing.

I have never had an issue with a book loading in 10mm brass.  I have seen the occasional swell of the brass, but if it "smiles" I chuck it in the recycle bin.  13¢ is not worth fingers or eyesight.

If you are going to experiment with over-book loads, then I would suggest you follow Swampfox advice and segregate brass from Starline that has been fired once previously for that purpose.

[woods_walker]

There have been a number or threads here about starline brass being on the soft side.  This is on purpose on the part of starline, as brass gets harder as it is loaded and fired multiple times, until it becomes brittle and splits.  Soft brass will take longer to split.

Swampfox was an advocate of loading starline with max loads on the second loading of the brass for specifically this reason.  The first round work hardened the brass, in his opinion, just the right amount.  While I don't have a problem with this philosophy, it can be a pain to implement and keep brass sorted by firing.

I have never had an issue with a book loading in 10mm brass.  I have seen the occasional swell of the brass, but if it "smiles" I chuck it in the recycle bin.  13¢ is not worth fingers or eyesight.

If you are going to experiment with over-book loads, then I would suggest you follow Swampfox advice and segregate brass from Starline that has been fired once previously for that purpose.

I wasn't aware of Starline brass being "soft". I have never seen a change in their quality based on my use. Bongo Boy stated that he was having issues with Starline brass being soft. He stated nothing about neck splits, Glocksmiles, or anything else. I am curious as to his meaning because I run all my loads at the original design standard for the 10mm- top velocity by load formulas published in the various load books. And yet, I do not have the problems he describes.

[sqlbullet]

This is NOT a ding on their quality.  Not saying defecting soft (looking at you federal).  But their brass is well reputed as reloader friendly not just due to the value in price and availability in bulk, but because it is not as work hardened out of the gate.

References to this phenomenon at our forum:

http://10mm-firearms.com/reloading-10mm-ammo/alliant-be-86-pressure-rises-in-colder-weather/msg80951/#msg80951
http://10mm-firearms.com/reloading-10mm-ammo/benchrst-builds-a-pressure-trace-ii-10mm-platform-(pic-heavy)/msg67385/#msg67385
http://10mm-firearms.com/reloading-10mm-ammo/starline-brass-question-asked-and-answered/msg6605/#msg6605
http://10mm-firearms.com/reloading-10mm-ammo/10mm-brass-6598/msg71404/#msg71404

The third link above is especially interesting as it includes a message from starline that effectively says:  We don't work to make our brass soft for reloaders, but we do have specific guidelines for how we think brass should behave.

[Duck of Death]

"QUOTE"
Did you see any issues with the Starline brass and that load?  I've loaded a lot of 10mm with Starline and have found I have to be a bit careful at the high end--it seems to be very soft stuff.

Well--my load is 14.5 #9/180 gr. cast out of a Storm Lake barrel in a G29, I'm coming to the end of usefulness of 300 SL cases (100  left) & those have been loaded 47 times.

SOFT STUFF-NOT!!!

[woods_walker]

"QUOTE"
Did you see any issues with the Starline brass and that load?  I've loaded a lot of 10mm with Starline and have found I have to be a bit careful at the high end--it seems to be very soft stuff.

Well--my load is 14.5 #9/180 gr. cast out of a Storm Lake barrel in a G29, I'm coming to the end of usefulness of 300 SL cases (100  left) & those have been loaded 47 times.

SOFT STUFF-NOT!!!

Oh, you noticed that, did you?  LOL

[sqlbullet]

Oh jeeez...I just got back on the forum after a few days away and realized I missed a "NOT" in my earlier post.

I am NOT, repeat NOT, making a dig at starline brass when I say they are a bit softer than others.  I view this as a huge plus.  It is, hands down my go-to brass.

[wintys]

"QUOTE"
Did you see any issues with the Starline brass and that load?  I've loaded a lot of 10mm with Starline and have found I have to be a bit careful at the high end--it seems to be very soft stuff.

Well--my load is 14.5 #9/180 gr. cast out of a Storm Lake barrel in a G29, I'm coming to the end of usefulness of 300 SL cases (100  left) & those have been loaded 47 times.

SOFT STUFF-NOT!!!

I'm new to this forum and 10mm but not new to reloading, in one of my loading manuals it says 14.9 of Accurate #9 was Max with 180gr XTP for 1250 fps, I worked up from 13.2 to 14.0 at 1336 ave fps with a stock glock-40 10mm ..
I backed down to 13.8 with what I thought was a easy to shoot 1300 fps and very accurate load with no pressure signs that I could recognize... I was told in a nice way that I was way over the limits; that the manual could have been a miss print??  What do you say???

[The_Shadow]

Well Accurate #9 has undergone several formula changes over the years.  It does a good job with the newer formulations