What bullet shape for a Beretta M9 / 92

[Bittner182]

I am new to the casting world, and have a few questions.
Does anyone have experience casting for a Beretta m9/92?

What is the best shape of bullet for reliable feeding of target loads in a 92?

I am on budget being in school, how are lee products for casting?

What kind of production will I see from a double cavity vs six cavity, once I have become proficient?

[S.R.Custom]

Any of the truncated cone profiles will work well and feed flawlessly, the more bearing surface the better. That said, I always preferred the 147 gran units...

But more importantly, it's the diameter you need to worry about. The Berettas are made to mil-spec, meaning the bores typically slug out at .357" or more instead of the 9mm's nominal dimension of .355". So you're best off picking a mould from the .357 magnum pages... a 140 gr. truncated cone will do nicely.

And yes, even with a .358" diameter bullet stuck in the case, it'll chamber just fine; the Beretta chamber is also mil-spec, meaning it's absolutely cavernous...

[mag_01]

The Lee 125 gr. tl boolit works well for me ----It comes out of the mold about .358-- I use it as cast in a 9mm Taurus (which has generous dimensions) and also in a hot 38 load as well as .357 loads. --- Double coating of LLA -- And as Supper Mag mentioned that 140 gr. boolit will do well as long as it will chamber---- Mag

[9.3X62AL]

Welcome aboard, Bittner!

Dittoes to all the above info, ESPECIALLY about the .357"-.358" groove diameter in the Beretta barrels. MOST 9mm barrels are larger than "nominal" .355".

I have used a number of different 120-125 grain truncated cone designs in several 9mm pistols over the years, including a Beretta 92. As long as the boolits are fat enough, they will shoot well. If you want to get them to M-882 velocities, I suggest a little harder alloy than straight air-cooled wheelweight metal. Taracorp alloy (92/6/2) and soft Javelina Alox lube has been good to me for over 20 years.

[dakotashooter2]

I will yield to those who have loaded for the 92 but with my 96 (40) it has been a different story. I have a heck of a time with cast TC boollits. Those with RN or RNFP seem to work much better. I recently started sizing down HP SWC (Keith style) boolits dropped from my .41 mold. Using a top punch for RN it slightly rounds the nose and these have functioned flawlessly in my gun but i'm still working on the accuracy.

:castmine:

[3sixbits]

09-124 RN BB from Magma Eng. My Son has poured many thousand through his FS- 92 and his Tarus clone of the 92. No trouble with this bullet in over ten years, I bought the 92 and gave it to him for his 16th birthday. He did bulge the barrel when he skipped a charge on the dillon 550 press and touched off another shot. New barrels don't come cheap, but he learned a valuable lesson in reloading and shooting. This is the same bullet that has never given us a problem in any class III we've used them in.

[quasi]

I have used mostly RCBS 9mm 125gr. truncated cone bullet in mine.

[Four Fingers of Death]

I've used 115, 125 Gn, truncated nose, conical and round nose, all gobbled up in jig time.