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dfwbiofuels
03-08-2011, 06:41 PM
I'm new the forum here and equally new to casting lead boolits. Thanks for all the great info here.

I'm so new to casting lead that I haven't cast one lead round yet.

The reason I'm interested is OBVIOUSLY because of the savings. Secondarily I'm interested in potential for gains in accuracy because I can control factors and put more effort into quality than some mass produced gun show supplier might be willing to.

I recently got into reloading. I'm shooting about 300 rounds per month and on New Years Day, I attended a gun show in Ft Worth where I bought 230gn "hard cast" lead bullets. 1000ct for about $75. I didn't get out of February and I had already reloaded 500 rounds so this is going faster than I thought.

So now I'm sitting on about 3000 pcs of cleaned brass, plenty of primers and powder.

A few of my friends have begun dabbling in lead casting. So I ordered two Lee 2-cavity molds. One each of TL230 RN and TL200 SWC. Along with a Lee resizing die and liquid Alox. Small investment so far.

I've been scrounging around for sources of lead. A family member gave me about 34lbs of lead sinkers from a torn up casting net. Not a bad start.

My goal is to cast enough bullets that I don't have to go out and buy them. I'm not planning on shooting any other caliber besides 45ACP because that's all I shoot in enough quantity to matter to me.

I'm currently using 4.7gr of 700x powder and I'm happy so far with the performance. Any lack of accuracy in my shooting is more about the Indian and less about the Arrow at this point.

So I want to get started. I'd like to get up the learning curve and start casting fairly soon. I hope to have a stockpile of 3000 bullets by the end of May which may be a bit ambitious.

What would you guys recommend I do from here to get started? I'm certain I'll need a hardness tester and melting pot. What other hardware do I need to get started making boolits for 45ACP? What about resources online for learning the basics of reliable lead boolit casting?

With 4.7gr of 700x, 230gr bullets should be traveling at 860fps at a pressure of 16,100CUP.

Thanks for your all the help. I look forward to learning more from you guys over the years.

AnthonyB
03-08-2011, 07:10 PM
A cheap hotplate and a small stainless steel pot from Wal-Mart will work great to get you started. You'll need a Lyman, RCBS, or Rowell ladle; and a bottle of Bullplate lube is highly recommended but not required. Forget the hardness tester; you won't need it.
3K by end of May is easy if you can devote just a couple hours each weekend.
Tony

fredj338
03-08-2011, 07:19 PM
I'm bottom pour pot guy, it just seems easier to me. A hardness tester is nioce, but not really needed to make good bullets for the 45acp. I prefer the non TL bullet styles, I hear too many accuracy & leading gripes, so I have always stayed w/ conventional grooves, they can still be tumble lubed.
A thought on your powder choice. 700X meters poorly compared to some other spherical or ball types. If you want to try something a bit better IMO, try WST. Very clean w/ low smoke & lead bullets, superb accuracy as well.

mpmarty
03-08-2011, 07:24 PM
Welcome to the addiction.

35remington
03-08-2011, 07:33 PM
Your estimate as to velocity is fairly close to what I get.

Using the 230-2R, 4.6 of 700X gets a hair over 820 fps, so I'd put 4.7 grains at around 830 fps using the same wildly mixed brass I used to get the average velocity in my 5 inch 1911's.

It gets a bit less velocity than the same charge weight of Red Dot, but only by about 20 fps or so.

masscaster
03-08-2011, 07:40 PM
Hi dfwbiofuels,
Welcome to the site!!
There's alot of info to be had here on the site.
The only thing i've come across from reading your post, other than shooting Tumble Lube boolits is the Lead Sinkers you plan on using for Boolit Casting. What's the alloy?
Alot of sinkers are cast from scrap that sometimes contains materials that can be harmful to your gun. Zinc is just one of several metals.
I'll never cast anything without knowing the base of the metal, i.e. wheel weights, sheet lead, plumbers pipe et cetera.
Use caution!!
Enjoy & Good Luck,
Jeff

noylj
03-08-2011, 07:40 PM
For myself, the hardest thing is finding cheap lead. Everybody I ask is only selling to scrap yards.
You can cast over an open flame with an iron pot.
I prefer a Lee electrical pot.
You will need leather gloves.
Please, try your as-cast bullets before you size them.
Cast 100-500 bullets, put them in a casserole pan or chafing pan (there are disposable aluminum ones, but you can use one for years).
Pour a little of your tumble lube in the pan (you will probably start with Lee Liquid Alox since you have it).
Shuffle the bullets around, like shuffling dominoes, until all the bullets have a shiny/wet look. The bullets do not have to be an amber/brown and should just have a slick look.
Pour the bullets out onto aluminum foil or wax paper and allow to dry for 24 hours.
Put bullets into a box, so they don't collect dust waiting to be loaded.
I never worry about the bullets being tacky, since they are in a closed container until loaded and the loaded rounds go into a closed container. If you don't use too much LLA, it will not build up on your seating die. Even with excess LLA when I first started, the excess lube was simply pushed up and the area the bullet hit during seating only had maybe a mil of lube build up.
Some "improvements" on the technique would be to add an equal amount of Mineral spirits to the Alox before pouring on the bullets (50% less likely to use too much LLA), warming the bullets up first in a warm oven (200-250F), and warming the LLA up first in hot water or popping the LLA bottle in a cup of water and then into the microwave for a minute.
I find that as-cast and LLA-lubed bullets work great. The only negative I have is that I shoot indoors and, unless I have a fan at my back, the smoke from the LLA irritates my breathing a little.
I plan to make up a batch of 45/45/10 next time (I am still working through about 2k already lubed bullets, so it will be a few more months).

songdog53
03-08-2011, 08:07 PM
Welcome to the addiction of casting....course will lead to more reloading...hence more shooting. Isn't it a wonderful addiction.

oldhickory
03-08-2011, 08:16 PM
.45 ACP is easy to get along with, you'll do fine.

MtGun44
03-08-2011, 08:21 PM
Welcome!

Forget the hardness tester, buy a taper crimp die and TC as a separate operation. The
.45 ACP will be happy with any old alloy you come up with as long as it isn't too hard.
Stick with WWs or 50% WW-50% Pb plus a touch of tin and you'll be fine. Save your
money, hardness is WAY out there in the future as to an actual "need".

Unless you have an XD, save alloy; use the 200 swc, setting LOA to just touch the rifling with
the shoulder (tiny marks on the shoulder) and enough TC so that the case mouth is just
turned into the lead maybe 1/3 thickness. An example round should drop flush into the
dismounted barrel, or take no more than a slight finger tip push to fully chamber. For most
chambers, about .025 to about 0.065" of shoulder out of the case, but use your dismounted
bbl as a gauge.

Bill

Doby45
03-08-2011, 08:25 PM
Using Alox be prepared for smoke..

x101airborne
03-08-2011, 08:32 PM
Well, everything in moderation. You did good getting two molds. Take your time and do your research on alloys. Most sinkers I have come in contact with were pure lead, so not a bad place to start. I always try to mix at Lyman #2 alloy. This gives me a place to start and try for. Lots of information on using #2 alloy. A standard, if you will. You can water quench for magnum handgun / rifle, air cool for special loadings. (38 special, 44 special) The thing to learn is how to clean your lead, how to get good fillout, what temp to run, how much tin to add, etc... Mistakes are remelted, So dont be afraid.

*Paladin*
03-08-2011, 08:35 PM
My success so far with .45 ACP has been with my Lee 228gr RN, casted w/ 50/50 pure to WW alloy over 4.6 gr of Titegroup (in the interest of CYA, work your loads up from book minimum). I tumble lube with Alox (because I am new to this as well, and don't have a Lubrisizer). I size them to .452 and I have run them through my Colt and Les Baer 1911's. Very accurate and no leading in either gun.

.45 is easy to cast. My first night of casting I had a good bit of rejects because I didn't realize how important mold temp is. By the 2nd night of casting, I was getting good bullets. I also shoot these bullets in my .45 Colt Ruger Bisley, and they shoot great. In fact, better than any other bullet I've tried in that gun to this point. I got lucky with that one! I had never had much luck with that Ruger in the accuracy dept, so it spent very little time out of the house. Now, I really enjoy shooting it!

canyon-ghost
03-08-2011, 08:45 PM
To accelerate your learning curve, you may want to read the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook. It also comes in the Lyman Master Casting Kit. I use the kit and have for 10 years, I love it. The book is a good read with load data too.

Ron

arjacobson
03-08-2011, 08:47 PM
45's are my favorite round so I cast bunches of these. I like the lee 230 truncated mold for 45. I also use 50/50 ww to pure lead. I have sized mine in the past but now load them as cast. If you delve farther into this and start smelting get yourself a crawdad/fish fryer setup with a propane tank. They work excellent. Just read everything you can on this forum and don't be afraid to ask questions.. MOST of the members here are very helpful..:smile: welcome to the world of casting!!

Cherokee
03-08-2011, 09:00 PM
Welcome to reloading & casting. If you ever see KEAD brand cast bullets for sale, they are good. He is located in Coppell but does not do retail any more. When I lived there, I used a lot of his bullets, good stuff then. Just go slow - and you have already learned that mould temp is very important, not just alloy temp. I started with a hot plate, ladle and small iron pot 40 years ago, still have them but use them differently now. Getting wheel weights was always a problem for me in Coppell/Grapevine area. You will never have enough. You already have some good advice and well wishes, come back if you need some help.

plainsman456
03-08-2011, 11:43 PM
Welcome,I have not been here long myself.
Take the time to read the posts here everyone at some time had a problem that you will run in to and the answers are here.
I will second the LYMAN reloading book for cast Boolits,there is a wealth of information in there.

Piedmont
03-09-2011, 01:10 AM
I too would forget the hardness tester and instead would but a lubrisizer and a .452" sizing die, though some guns may do better at .451". Actually .45 ACP is one of those calibers that does really well with commercial cast bullets. They lead a little for me (unlike my homecast) but not a lot and they shoot well. If the commercial cast are cheap enough that isn't a bad way to go.

If you are going to cast I would forgo the liquid alox and tumble lube bullets. They make a mess of your sizing dies and magazines and everything else they touch.

The biggest problem in casting is getting a lead supply. I you can get a big supply of that, then full speed ahead. I'm trending to smaller calibers because they don't use as much lead.

Recluse
03-09-2011, 01:48 AM
.45ACP is probably the easiest, most forgiving caliber to cast for.

I've got a couple of lubesizers and a range of sizing dies, but I find myself more often than not tumble-lubing both of the .452 boolits I cast--which both happen to come from Lee dies. One is a TL design (TL230RN), and the other is in my top five all-time favorite boolit list: the Lee 200SWC.

I often tumble-lube that SWC boolit with the 45/45/10 blend. No mess, no fuss, very little smoke, clean bore, no leading and you can do a lot of boolits pretty quick.

With straight LLA, I had sticky boolits and gummed up seating dies. With the 45/45/10, I have none of those issues whatsoever--plus, the boolits dry very quickly. You can ostensibly cast, lube, size, lube, load and shoot in the same day without working up too much of a sweat.

Since .45ACP is a big, fat slow mover, hardness is nowhere even near critical. Fit to bore is the most critical component to consider, so a micrometer wouldn't be a bad investment. Just don't waste your money on the Hornady micrometer. Pure junk and it only measures in thousandths, making it a C-clamp micrometer.

:coffee:

dfwbiofuels
03-09-2011, 06:43 PM
.45ACP is probably the easiest, most forgiving caliber to cast for.

I've got a couple of lubesizers and a range of sizing dies, but I find myself more often than not tumble-lubing both of the .452 boolits I cast--which both happen to come from Lee dies. One is a TL design (TL230RN), and the other is in my top five all-time favorite boolit list: the Lee 200SWC.

Those are the two I bought, both in the TL variant.


I often tumble-lube that SWC boolit with the 45/45/10 blend. No mess, no fuss, very little smoke, clean bore, no leading and you can do a lot of boolits pretty quick.

With straight LLA, I had sticky boolits and gummed up seating dies. With the 45/45/10, I have none of those issues whatsoever--plus, the boolits dry very quickly. You can ostensibly cast, lube, size, lube, load and shoot in the same day without working up too much of a sweat.

Great tip on the 45/45/10. Now I just have to figure out what that is.


Since .45ACP is a big, fat slow mover, hardness is nowhere even near critical. Fit to bore is the most critical component to consider, so a micrometer wouldn't be a bad investment. Just don't waste your money on the Hornady micrometer. Pure junk and it only measures in thousandths, making it a C-clamp micrometer.

What would be your ideal mix of materials to make an adequate BHN alloy?

fishnbob
03-09-2011, 07:26 PM
The 45/45/10 is a mix of Johnson's Paste Wax(45), 45% Lee Liquid Alox and 10% Mineral Spirits. There is a post by Recluse, IIRC, here somewhere, probably in the Boolit Lube section.

mpmarty
03-09-2011, 08:01 PM
Dont waste your money on lubrisizers. Tumble lube and use a LEE push through sizer if you absolutely insist on a sizing operation. My three 1911s all do fine with as cast tumble lubed boolits. I use a 50/50 mixture of LLA and JPW and the bores shine like mirrors.

dfwbiofuels
03-09-2011, 08:18 PM
Dont waste your money on lubrisizers. Tumble lube and use a LEE push through sizer if you absolutely insist on a sizing operation. My three 1911s all do fine with as cast tumble lubed boolits. I use a 50/50 mixture of LLA and JPW and the bores shine like mirrors.

I found the sticky thread on the LLA mix of 45/45/10. Looks like a pain but might be time well spent.

I don't see myself buying a lubrisizer. That kind of investment is a bit too steep. I'd rather buy commercially cast bullets if it costs that much to start up.

Tinbullet
03-09-2011, 11:41 PM
I have a Lyman 45HP mold that i'll make you a deal on! God bless the Lone Star state!

noylj
03-10-2011, 02:11 AM
All I have used lately is LLA with as-cast bullets. My magazines and guns are NOT crudded up at all. I generally shoot over 3k rounds before I even think about cleaning one of my .45s. I have cleaned the barrels enough to know that the LLA is working. I do brush off the feed ramp and breech every 500 or so rounds.
My seating die has maybe 0.001" of lube over the area the bullet contacts during seating. Even back when I was loading brown bullets, the seating die was never an issue. I do see where a seating stem that has a hollow in the center would be a good idea.
I figure in about 6 months I will need to make some more bullets and I plan to use Recluse's formula.
My recommendation for about 10 years or so has been to try your as-cast and LLA tumble-lubed bullets first before you ever worry about sizing and buying sizing equipment. Still amazed at people who size their bullets and never try the as-cast bullets.
Sizing, in my experience, does not produce a more accurate bullet.

dfwbiofuels
03-12-2011, 10:48 AM
Thanks all for the encouragement and feedback. Yesterday I called on a new friend and asked if he would be willing to show me the ropes. He was actually in the backyard casting lead already and said come on over.

He showed me how he does it and already had a pot nice and warm. I donned the requisite protective gear and he put the mold in my hands. We were working with a brand new Lee rifle bullet mold so it took several castings before we started throwing bullets worth keeping. He showed me what he looks for when evaluating a bullet for remelt or the keeper bin.

Then he generously loaned me a Lee 10lb pot and some linotype lead to add to my 35lb collection of sinkers.

I took it all home, cleared out a work area, set up the gear, and plugged in. Within 20 minutes, I was casting. Rejects but hey, I was casting. The molds were brand new so I had to clean them vigorously and season them with carbon.

After the 10th throw, the bullets started to look right. So I kept on. With the two molds, I cast about 130 SWC's and 200 RN. The 200gr mold was yielding 218 gr weight boolits and the 230gr RN mold was yielding 238 gr weight boolits.

The 45 molds were much easier to work with than the rifle molds I was learning on earlier in the day.

dfwbiofuels
03-12-2011, 11:12 AM
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee169/tunemaker7/Reloading/IMG_1796.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee169/tunemaker7/Reloading/IMG_1797.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee169/tunemaker7/Reloading/IMG_1798.jpghttp://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee169/tunemaker7/Reloading/IMG_1799.jpg

*Paladin*
03-12-2011, 11:14 AM
Those look like some nice boolits!

*Paladin*
03-12-2011, 11:19 AM
Thanks all for the encouragement and feedback. Yesterday I called on a new friend and asked if he would be willing to show me the ropes. He was actually in the backyard casting lead already and said come on over.

He showed me how he does it and already had a pot nice and warm. I donned the requisite protective gear and he put the mold in my hands. We were working with a brand new Lee rifle bullet mold so it took several castings before we started throwing bullets worth keeping. He showed me what he looks for when evaluating a bullet for remelt or the keeper bin.

Then he generously loaned me a Lee 10lb pot and some linotype lead to add to my 35lb collection of sinkers.

I took it all home, cleared out a work area, set up the gear, and plugged in. Within 20 minutes, I was casting. Rejects but hey, I was casting. The molds were brand new so I had to clean them vigorously and season them with carbon.

After the 10th throw, the bullets started to look right. So I kept on. With the two molds, I cast about 130 SWC's and 200 RN. The 200gr mold was yielding 218 gr weight boolits and the 230gr RN mold was yielding 238 gr weight boolits.

The 45 molds were much easier to work with than the rifle molds I was learning on earlier in the day.

Once the mold warms up, the good boolits start dropping. I recently got a hot plate to pre-heat the mold and the difference is night and day. Now, with a pre-heated mold, I'm getting good bullets right from the start. In my limited experience in casting so far, the biggest lesson I've learned here is it's all about mold temp.

dfwbiofuels
03-12-2011, 11:29 AM
Once the mold warms up, the good boolits start dropping. I recently got a hot plate to pre-heat the mold and the difference is night and day. Now, with a pre-heated mold, I'm getting good bullets right from the start. In my limited experience in casting so far, the biggest lesson I've learned here is it's all about mold temp.

Thanks Steve. Yep. I learned that cold molds don't cast very nice boolits. So I'm warming up the mold by setting it carefully on top of the pot.

45r
03-12-2011, 03:56 PM
looks like your off to a good start.I like unique myself in the 45acp with cast.That powder works well in most any handgun.I use it with the rcbs 201 keith.I like to HT my boolits.

noylj
03-13-2011, 05:16 PM
A couple of points.
If you are using aluminum molds, you can heat the mold up by dipping a corner in the melt.
When you first turn on the pot, rest the mold(s) on the edge of the pot to heat up.
If you are using aluminum molds, they heat and cool very fast. I find that I need to up the pot temperature by about 100F
Get a thermometer for the pot.

dfwbiofuels
03-16-2011, 07:44 PM
Here's the update.

I lubed, resized, and relubed the cast bullets. I allowed them to dry and loaded them up in freshly cleaned brass with LP primers and 4.7gr of 700x powder.

I experienced no problems with the round nose bullets. I didn't really get to gauge accuracy but more importantly function in my two 45ACP handguns: XDM and 1911 Kimber CDPII.

The problems occurred with the SWC in the XDM. I might have been in a hurry when I was setting the depth on these rounds. In the plastic carry case, the SWC's were definitely shorter overall as compared to the RN. The function problem was the XDM would chamber the SWC round but when the firing pin fell, the bullet didn't fire. Inspection of the bullet revealed a light pin strike. Put the same round in again and it would fire. In the 1911, there were no such issues.

My question is this, what should the max case length be for the RN and the SWC rounds. I was referencing the Hodgden chart but it looks like the COL may not apply with this shape.

What's the target OL for a 45 round using bullets cast from a Lee TL230RN and the TL200SWC?

iammarkjones
03-16-2011, 09:02 PM
I am no expert and mean no disrespect but I was under the impression that a 45acp rests on the case mouth in the chamber? Perhaps one of the sages here can answer with certainty. If the case mouth is indeed where the case rests it may be a functional issue with the weapons firing pin.

35remington
03-16-2011, 09:30 PM
Target OAL for the Lee 230-2R TL is around 1.265" to duplicate ball OAL.

Can't say about the other bullet.

The most common situation in the 45 ACP, at least in the 1911 platform, is to headspace on either the case mouth or, if the bullet has full caliber bearing surface a little ahead of the case mouth, on the origin of the rifling.

Either can work, but shouldered bullets should have, and the gun should allow, a slight amount of bullet shoulder beyond the case mouth (the 230 2R runs kinda close to that limit as the shoulder just barely protrudes at the proper OAL).

Extractor headspacing is rare in the 1911, even with short cases and long chambers. No matter what anyone says to the contrary.

HangFireW8
03-16-2011, 09:55 PM
When loading truncated cones in .45ACP, put it side by side with a standard 230gr RN j-bullet. Find the spot on the RN that has the same width as the meplat of the T/C.

Now, load the T/C so that the meplat ends up in the same place as the corresponding diameter of the RN. That means you'll have a bit shorter COAL.

If your 45 feeds well at all, it should feed the T/C. Not all do.

-HF

MtGun44
03-16-2011, 11:38 PM
XD drags the empty case hard over the next round in the magazine, catching the
case on the SWC shoulder. AFAIK, nobody has been successful in getting SWCs to
work in XDs and XDms. RN or TC will work fine, no shoulder to catch on.

For me, this is an absolute guarantee that I will not own an XD or XDm. My brother
has two and I was kind of warming to them when this hit the fan. On my personal
lifetime S*** list now because I load LOTS of SWC .45 ACP for my many other .45 ACPs
and am not going to make up special ammo for one problem child.

It is easy to fix if you don't mind using a TC or RN design, but I am unwilling to accomodate.

Bill

neilin
03-17-2011, 12:43 AM
Welcome!

Forget the hardness tester, buy a taper crimp die and TC as a separate operation. The
.45 ACP will be happy with any old alloy you come up with as long as it isn't too hard.
Stick with WWs or 50% WW-50% Pb plus a touch of tin and you'll be fine. Save your
money, hardness is WAY out there in the future as to an actual "need".

Unless you have an XD, save alloy; use the 200 swc, setting LOA to just touch the rifling with
the shoulder (tiny marks on the shoulder) and enough TC so that the case mouth is just
turned into the lead maybe 1/3 thickness. An example round should drop flush into the
dismounted barrel, or take no more than a slight finger tip push to fully chamber. For most
chambers, about .025 to about 0.065" of shoulder out of the case, but use your dismounted
bbl as a gauge.

Bill
RCBS makes a 3 die set with the seater having a taper crimp. I have not tried it, but was wondering if you have, and if so, do you still prefer doing the taper crimping as a fourth separate operation? Is one better over the other? Thank you!

NSP64
03-17-2011, 12:58 AM
Welcome. dfwbiofuel.
The 45acp is great with cast. Mine doesnt like SWC design either, so I feed it TC boolits. Sounds like you've a handle on the basics.
You can use a hotplate, stainless steel pot and a dipper, for a cheap setup.
DO NOT USE ALUMINUM, it will weaken and cause a mess at the least, savere burns likely.

dfwbiofuels
04-04-2011, 11:57 AM
Thanks for all the great feedback. Here's some updates. I'm definitely addicted.

I placed an order with a guy on the forum here for type lead. Since I don't have a plentiful, free source of lead, I decided to start with the two boxes of type lead for $80 each.

Last week... Using a fresh bottle of propane, turkey fryer burner, and a cheap cast iron pot, I melted down the type lead, fluxed, and poured into an ingot mold. I discovered that I need 3 ingot molds, not just one. But hey, I'm just getting started.

So I melted down about 40 lbs of type lead into ingots. I mixed in some of my sinkers and voila! Ingots ready to go. I made sure to flux and skim off the trash and stir really well before pouring out.

Last night I sat down at the garage bench and set out to cast some more 230RN boolits. After some supplemental reading on casting temperatures, I decided to try to turn the pot temp down after the alloy was melted and the mold was sufficiently warmed up.

I actually got the Lee pot turned down between 4 and 5 after the initial melt down and skimming. At this temp setting I was able to transition very quickly between dropping bullets and pouring new ones. Never saw but just a bit of frosting.

I did notice that my sprue plate had progressively gotten lead stuck underneath it, creating a tiny gap between the top of the mold and the plate. What do you guys do to keep the sprue flat and level?

Anyway, I was able to cast about 700 great looking boolits in about 5 hours from setup to cleanup. It was slow going but hey, I'm a beginner and I'm using a 2 cavity mold. My next purchase will likely be a 6-cavity model for increased output.

I tumbled all the boolits in a modified LLA recipe and I'm ready to resize through the Lee die.

Thanks all for the encouragement and support. This is a very interesting hobby and I'm surprised to see how many folks are doing this.

dfwbiofuels
04-04-2011, 12:01 PM
XD drags the empty case hard over the next round in the magazine, catching the
case on the SWC shoulder. AFAIK, nobody has been successful in getting SWCs to
work in XDs and XDms. RN or TC will work fine, no shoulder to catch on.


Bill

Bill,

Thanks for the helpful information on the XD and XDm. I'll make sure to keep the SWC's out of this handgun. The SWC's will be used exclusively in my 1911's.

dfwbiofuels
04-04-2011, 12:21 PM
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee169/tunemaker7/Reloading/IMG_1834.jpg

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee169/tunemaker7/Reloading/IMG_1833.jpg

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee169/tunemaker7/Reloading/IMG_1835.jpg

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee169/tunemaker7/Reloading/IMG_1847.jpg

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee169/tunemaker7/Reloading/IMG_1848.jpg

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee169/tunemaker7/Reloading/IMG_1849.jpg

475BH
04-04-2011, 01:12 PM
Now, You need to find an outside range w/ berms. So you can recycle your lead, then you won't have to buy any more.

RP
04-04-2011, 01:17 PM
You can use bullplate to keep the lead from building up on your mold. Some use antiseaze on theres and have heard of a few other things to use. Also while the mold is hot you can wipe it with a cotton rag to get it off. One of the causes of the lead build up is cutting to soon. You being a new guy to casting I would tell you to get some Bull Plate lube from the Bull Shop you can find him in vendors section.

MtGun44
04-04-2011, 10:22 PM
I have been told that there may be some modification to later XDm pistols that may
permit SWCs to work. I am skeptical until I see it, but want to fairly report what I have
heard. Not a huge fan of the fat pistols, but the XD seems to be better than most and
I'd take one over a Glock by a mile. Personally cannot adjust to the grip angle and
trigger action of the Glock. I teach my students that if they find a Glock to work for them,
use it knowing that it is reliable and reasonably accurate. Personally, not ever going to
own one. XD or XDM, maybe, if I am convinced that the SWC deal has been cured some
day.

Bill