Starting Reloading 9x23 Largo

[DinklebergFM]

Just getting into reloading and have a decent setup purchased from a mutual friend getting out of the game. Managed to score just shy of a thousand Spanish surplus rounds, but want to be able to reuse and replenish my stock as time goes.

Does anyone have any experience with this particular round or am I on the cutting edge of development in our community? Plan is to make subs for a suppressor host. Any input or advice would be welcome!

 

[Wabatuckian]

You, sir, are indeed on the cutting edge. I shall be watching your progress with great interest.

 

[Creedmoor]

I gotta ask, what is the reason you picked 9x23 to go 9mm subsonic with?

And are you positive your surplus rounds are boxer primed?

Edit,
With going subsonic I would pick the heavyist ( Spanglish) bullets you can find to start with.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Just getting into reloading and have a decent setup purchased from a mutual friend getting out of the game. Managed to score just shy of a thousand Spanish surplus rounds, but want to be able to reuse and replenish my stock as time goes.

Does anyone have any experience with this particular round or am I on the cutting edge of development in our community? Plan is to make subs for a suppressor host. Any input or advice would be welcome!

I've reloaded 9mm Largo, but I don't have any experience with subsonic. Basically I used 9mm Luger data and dies and just used the Largo OAL specs. Since Largo is a lower pressure round than 9x19, the extra case length allows the 9x19 data to work. Make sure your surplus rounds are boxer primed though. I'm thinking some may have been Berdan primed. I bought new brass from Starline.

 

[DinklebergFM]

I gotta ask, what is the reason you picked 9x23 to go 9mm subsonic with?

And are you positive your surplus rounds are boxer primed?

They 100% aren’t. They never made 9x23 in boxer priming. The good news is this will be for testing functionality for the firearm and getting load data on these military issue loads. From there the goal is replication using star line brass.

As for subsonic it’s more of entertainment for myself as well as having an interesting and unique piece eventually. They’re pretty close to subs with all the load data I’ve managed to piece together.

 

[Creedmoor]

Do you mean they never made 9x23 Surplus boxer ammo?

 

[DinklebergFM]

Do you mean they never made 9x23 Surplus boxer ammo?

Correct, Spain never made any boxer primed largo as far as my research has dug up. After I fire some off I’ll verify in case the lords light has struck my ammo.

 

[Creedmoor]

Correct, Spain never made any boxer primed largo as far as my research has dug up. After I fire some off I’ll verify in case the lords light has struck my ammo.

I was gonna say, Ive never seen any. But you never know if guys like The Old Western Scrounger had a run of it made, 30 years ago and you stumble on some.
One of my brothers on occasion shoot 9x23 Winchester.

The road you're taking should be fun, have fun and post what you find.

 

[DinklebergFM]

I was gonna say, Ive never seen any. But you never know if guys like The Old Western Scrounger had a run of it made, 30 years ago and you stumble on some.
One of my brothers on occasion shoot 9x23 Winchester.

The road you're taking should be fun, have fun and post what you find.

I’ve seen some individuals have had some luck at converting Berdan to boxer with a drill press. If I can save the ammo and tool it out might be worth the effort. Worse case I’ll just sell them for brass value.

Fingers crossed and thanks for the encouragement.

 

[Creedmoor]

I’ve seen some individuals have had some luck at converting Berdan to boxer with a drill press. If I can save the ammo and tool it out might be worth the effort. Worse case I’ll just sell them for brass value.

Fingers crossed and thanks for the encouragement.

Lots of videos of it being done, but for me if I can simply order them online, thats what I do.
I've never done it myself. Years back I took a bunch of 45-70 & 45-90 cases from LG to sm rifle. But that was as easy as pressing them in. There was a bpcr shooter that was selling the bushings. I never felt it was worthwhile.

 

[Creedmoor]

I've reloaded 9mm Largo, but I don't have any experience with subsonic. Basically I used 9mm Luger data and dies and just used the Largo OAL specs. Since Largo is a lower pressure round than 9x19, the extra case length allows the 9x19 data to work. Make sure your surplus rounds are boxer primed though. I'm thinking some may have been Berdan primed. I bought new brass from Starline.

What powder/s did you try and did you get satisfactory results?

 

[DinklebergFM]

Lots of videos of it being done, but for me if I can simply order them online, thats what I do.
I've never done it myself. Years back I took a bunch of 45-70 & 45-90 cases from LG to sm rifle. But that was as easy as pressing them in. There was a bpcr shooter that was selling the bushings. I never felt it was worthwhile.

Savings of a couple hundred for new brass is worth the experiment IMO. Hopefully seem less transition.

 

[Creedmoor]

Savings of a couple hundred for new brass is worth the experiment IMO. Hopefully seem less transition.

And again, please post your process and results.

 

[SSE]

I have a Star and an Astra in largo but do not shoot them much. If I get a hankering to I just use 9x19 brass and seat the bullet out to create a longer load that fires. I have had good luck with cast swc's.

 

[DinklebergFM]

I have a Star and an Astra in largo but do not shoot them much. If I get a hankering to I just use 9x19 brass and seat the bullet out to create a longer load that fires. I have had good luck with cast swc's.

Color me curious as this seems inherently dangerous? These rounds headspace off the case mouth which is definitely still short in 9x19 brass.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

What powder/s did you try and did you get satisfactory results?

I just used Tite Group with 9mm Luger data (for the powder charge) and it worked great. I never chronographed them though.

 

[Creedmoor]

Color me curious as this seems inherently dangerous? These rounds headspace off the case mouth which is definitely still short in 9x19 brass.

Rimless are held in place with the extractor. It has always worked in 22 rimfire firearms. Short, long or long rifle the rim just acts like an extractor.

 

[Colt556]

I have a Colt 1911 in 9x23 Winchester that has 38 Super and 9mm barrels as well.
Back in the day when Largo was pennies a round we’d shoot it in 38 Super guns. Also had several old Stars but alas they are all gone.
Don’t have any information to share on reloading though so I guess this is a wasted post. Good luck though and I’ll be watching your progress. I’d like another Star if I found one cheap.

 

[Creedmoor]

I have a Colt 1911 in 9x23 Winchester that has 38 Super and 9mm barrels as well.
Back in the day when Largo was pennies a round we’d shoot it in 38 Super guns. Also had several old Stars but alas they are all gone.
Don’t have any information to share on reloading though so I guess this is a wasted post. Good luck though and I’ll be watching your progress. I’d like another Star if I found one cheap.

I shoot 40 in 10mm and 380 in 9x18 Ultra/Police and others without switching barrels all the time.

 

[Colt556]

I shoot 40 in 10mm and 380 in 9x18 Ultra/Police and others without switching barrels all the time.

I’ve thought about the 40 in my G20 and 40 but never did it. My 610s have moon clips. I had a Walther 9x18 Ultra back in the day, nice pistol.
The Colt came with the Super barrel, I think, and AllenM fit the 9mm so it’s no problem to swap easily enough. I wouldn’t shoot different calibers like that in a gun I liked.
I know where there a Star 9mm Largo I might have to look into now.