From: burge@qdeck.com (Bill Burge)
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Re: Major 9 loading data.
Date: 5 Jan 93 23:16:01 GMT
Organization: Quarterdeck Office Systems, Santa Monica CA

In article <1993Jan4.225237.15449@unislc.uucp> unislc@unislc.slc.unisys.com (Ted Belliston) writes:
#In article <C04sFr.BBG@news.cso.uiuc.edu> cbl@uihepa.hep.uiuc.edu (Chris Luchini) writes:
##
##Someone posted a while back the Acurate Arms recomendataion for starting
##loads for Major 9 (Otherwise known as 9x21). If anyone has that
#                    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
#
#                         NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#
##data, could you please send me a copy? thanks.
##*1110 W. Green/Urbana IL 61801/217-333-0505/cbl@uihepa.hep.uiuc.edu 
##
#
#There is a wildcat called a Major 9, shot by a a few IPSC shooters, but it is 
#not a 9x21.  The Major 9 uses a 9X19 pistol case (not a 9x21 case), and uses
#a bullet weight of 162 gns.  The Major 9 load seating depth also exceeds SAAMI
#specs for a 9x19 cartrige.  A Major 9 is ABSOLUTLY NOT TO BE SHOT IN A 9x19
#firearm.  There are some gunsmiths who will build a custom gun for the Major 9
#with an extra strong (fully supported chamber).  Sorry I don't have any data
#on the major 9, but I can ask a guy I now, who shoots in our local USPSA chaper.
#This is the only guy in our club who dares to shoot the Major 9.
#
#I do have some useful data on loading the 9x21 though.  Just email me a reply.
#The data I use is for a EAA 9x21 with a fully supported chamber.  Most factory
#standard 9x21's still shoot under major though.  You need a stronger 9x21 to
#survive the punishment a 9x21 at major pressures.  EAA makes several 9X21 
#offerings that do quite nicely.


I shoot 9Major.  My gun was built by Jim Boland.  I use the 
162gr bullet loaded to 38Super (from here on refered to as 
the 38Stupid) over all length (OAL).  The gun is perfectly 
safe.  I have been using for 4 years and some of my brass 
has made Major 8 to 10 times.

It is my opinion that the 9x21 is a kludge to get around the
9Major rule.  I find it hard to believe that 2mm of brass can
add 5,000CUP to a case design.  You yourself indicate that the
9x21 requires a gun to be reinforced for continued Major use.

The concept of the 9Major was that the 38Stupid was a straight
walled, semi-rimmed case that fed poorly from a slanted magazine
into a straight walled chamber.  When used in a tapered chamber
(to facilitate feeding) the case buldged at the base and fowling
build-up at the rear of the chamber, again caused feeding
problems.  The solution would be a tapered case in a tapered
chamber.  The 9mm had similar pressure ratings (some say
identical) except that the short case would not allow the use of
the heavier bullets.  Then Boland (and a couple of others)
thought:  "Hey, why not put most of the lead OUTSIDE of the
case!"  The 38Stupid forced you to use a lot of the capacity of
the case to be filled with lead.  If you seated the heavy bullet
in the 9mm to the same length as the 38Stupid, you got a similar
powder chamber.  Then throat the barrel a little long and use
38Stupid magazines.

What gave the 9Major its bad reputation was the attempts to use
the 135gr bullets.  The "seat 'em long" approach cannot be used
in the shorter bullets.  Thus we end up with larger volumns of
powder to push the lighter bullets faster AND a smaller powder
chamber to burn it in.

I have made Major with 130gr bullets.  I have had 130gr bullets
up to 190PF (you can do the math) but this is unpleasant to
shoot.  The muzzle blast is exterme and the headache that goes
with it, likewise.  With the 162gr bullets, the gun is a champ.
With the 162gr bullet, I make major with 6.3gr of W-W 540 in a
Federal or PMC case and a Federal primer.  DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME.

Please feel free to call on me for 9Major info at any time.  
Private or public.

Bill	burge@qdeck.com

	"You might want to take a step back, this is 9Major."
		-RO to the crowd