Best AA powder for the 9mm

[BJung]

I plan to use AA2 for my 9-120/122gr target loads. Future loads I plan to assemble is 9-115/124 GD loads. I'd like something a bit more stout but in the intermediate range. While AA7 was made for the 9mm, has anyone used AA5 and had better results than AA7?

 

[egd]

I haven't used 7 but 5 works pretty good. I had a load worked up during the last big shortage, but don't remember it now. I use WSF now.

 

[Nick_C_S]

Just to start, I don't load a lot of 9mm. For me, it's a utilitarian cartrige (conceal carry) and has no recreational use. Plus, factory ammo is (was?) fairly cheep, so I have a lot of it. But I've been loading for 36 years and have a lot of experience in general with AA propellants (save AA#9).

I assume "120/122gr target loads" is a lead slug. If so, you might want to try AA5. Your burns with the slower powder may not be as consistent, but the pressure curve will be more gradual, which bodes well for lead. Leading problems are common with 9mm.

AA5 should work really well for 115 GDHP's, and fairly well with 124 GDHP's. I have loaded 124 GDHP's with AA5. Yielded 1049 f/s though my Khar CW9 (3.7" bbl? I think) - which is 1f/s more than Speer's non+P factory offering. I wasn't comfortable with further increases in charge weight. This is well short of Speer's +P offering; which yields 1133 f/s in the same gun (the ammo I carry).

I had better results with Power Pistol. It's a tad slower and a lot more energetic than AA5. Great stuff that Power Pistol.

I like heavy bullets, so I never worked up 115's for high performance (emulating defense ammo). But I suspect AA5 would do well here.

Yes, I believe AA7 was "made for 9mm," but I think it was for carbines (i.e. Uzi's). Barrel length changes everything. I've never loaded 9mm w/ AA7. If I did, I'd only be for heavy bullets (147's) and/or long barrels. Not likely to happen. Now if I had a 357 Sig, that'd be a different story .

 

[lordmorgul]

I’ve used AA5 with 115, 124, and 147 gr jacketed and plated bullets. I haven’t tried AA2 in 9mm yet but have compared AA2 and AA5 in 380ACP and they can both be used effectively. It is a challenge metering smaller amounts of fine powders and risk of not detecting double charge increases with less case full percentage; AA2 is a much smaller grain charge for 9mm and the powder is finer (and apparently higher density too) itself both making case fill lower. AA7 has a similar grain charge as AA5, and I haven’t seen the powder in person to know if it’s finer or not. I’ve been planning to try AA7 in several loads but haven’t found any to buy so holding off.


Andrew - Lancaster, CA
NRA Life Member, CRPA member, Calguns.net contributor, CGF / SAF / FPC / CCRKBA / GOA / NAGR / NRA-ILA contributor, USCCA member - Support your defenders!

 

[jag2]

Yep, #5 but I found Winchester Autocomp almost identical and it is frequently easier to find. I also like #5 in .38 special, just seems crisper than HP38/231.

 

[74A95]

I've used a lot of #7 in 9mm. It provides high speed and excellent accuracy with 115-147 grain bullet weights.

 

[zeke]

Have used a fair amount of AA-7 for max velocity with 124/147 grains. Used up a lb of AA-5 for standard/warm 115 gn fmj, where it worked very well. Never directly compared the 2 for your load purpose. Used standard sp primers with AA-5 and mag primers for AA-7.

 

[BJung]

The first time I used AA5, I found it very dirty and left specs of granules even. Will AA5 burn well at the high end and not be so dirty for a 9mm load?

 

[zeke]

The ball powders i have tried and use in rifle/pistol all seem to work better on the upper end loads. Never tried them in lower end loads. AA7 leaves particles behind, but is fairly clean burning.

Am now using hp-38 for target 9mm loads, largely because it works so well for so many calibers.

rem brass, fed 100 primer, win 115 fmj fb, 1.157 col, BHP
6.0 gns aa5 = 1080 fps poor accuracy
6.5 gns aa5 = 1180 fps, very good accuracy
6.7 gns aa5 = 1205 fps, average to poor accuracy

 

[BJung]

Thanks for your load data Zeke. I'll compare it to other loads and might work around this.

 

[lordmorgul]

AA2 and AA5 both leave significant soot on barrel end and light lenses for me in both mild and fairly hot loads, but I don’t really worry about that as it wipes off easily. They are very efficient burning powders and burn completely in short barrels (a necessary characteristic of low muzzle flash powder). I previously tried Win231 in my 4” service pistols and found it had really bad flash with hot sparks (unburnt powder exciting barrel). So yeah I would expect to see some dirty left behind but it’s good “clean” carbon soot and not really an issue for function. I don’t subscribe to the clean it before and after approach; my pistols are still dirty from many months ago and I’m certain they’ll run just fine, just get a couple drops of oil in critical spots and put away.


Andrew - Lancaster, CA
NRA Life Member, CRPA member, Calguns.net contributor, CGF / SAF / FPC / CCRKBA / GOA / NAGR / NRA-ILA contributor, USCCA member - Support your defenders!