Reccommend me a good 9mm mould

[Edward429451]

My buddy just picked up a Ruger P89 and wants to know what mould he should buy for it. I've never loaded for 9mm so have no clue which one to get. I told him to buy some cheap bulk ammo, but he's persistant and wants to learn to cast anyway.

Can you guys point me in the right direction on this? Do get that one or stay away from that one etc..

[STP]

The problem with the 9mm is the manufacturers don`t read the same sheet of music...
They all have different chamber/throat/leade dimensions. It`ll take a chamber cast to rule out the bullet choices. A real bummer to the neophite.
BHN plays an important role as well. I`m no Guru with the 9mm...you`ll have to rely on someone with some real world experience with the same pistol and has had the determination to travel down this same road.
You have my best wishes...

[Texasflyboy]

My buddy just picked up a Ruger P89 and wants to know what mould he should buy for it. I've never loaded for 9mm so have no clue which one to get. I told him to buy some cheap bulk ammo, but he's persistant and wants to learn to cast anyway.

Can you guys point me in the right direction on this? Do get that one or stay away from that one etc..

There is a Hensley & Gibbs #115 (9mm, casts about a .358" lead round nose @ about 124 grains) 4 cavity mould on eBay right now that is the cat's pajama's for 9mm. I have two 10-cavity moulds in #115, and so far I have shot and cast over 25K bullets.

It's been my experience that Ruger barrel dimensions are usually dead on, and therefore you can size to .356" for 9mm in Rugers, whereas most other mfg's may need a .357" or /358" bullet to work properly.

Your mileage may vary...

[Blammer]

I'd find out what wt bullet shoots well in his 9mm first. Then get that wt mold.

my 9mm didn't shoot 90's too well or the 124's but the 115 and the 147's were good.

[robertbank]

I have loaded thousands of Lyman's 356402 boolit. I size them .357 and shoot them out of the following:

CZ 85
Two Browning HP
Inglis HP
STI Trojan 1911
Tanfoglio Model L

Boolits cast out at 125 gr using WW, water quenched and I size them now .357. Accuarcy is excellent in all my guns. I use Felix lube and have experienced zero leading.

Two of my favourite loads are 3.9 gr Win 231 and 4.1 gr Unique. Both loads make IDPA power factor. If you have a heavy recoil spring you can bump load up to 4.7 gr of Unique and enjoy very good results as well.

Take Care

Bob

[9.3X62AL]

The throat in my Ruger P-89 barrel is about .3565", and it shoots most castings sized at .357" at least decently. 122 grain truncated cone designs do VERY well. The Ruger's accuracy is about dead heat with our 2 SIG-Sauer pistols that cost almost twice as much. All three 9mm's need .357" boolits.

This particular P-89 came with a swap barrel in 30 Luger, which is even more fun to shoot. This was a "P-89C" package from about a decade ago.

[Shepherd2]

The only 9mm boolit I cast anymore is the the Lyman 356402. It is a truncated cone that weights 130 grains cast from straight wheel weights in my 4 cavity mould. I started using them for IDPA competition when I was having an occasional feeding problem with round nosed boolits. They've been 100% reliable for me.

My CZ75 and Springfield XD both need them sized to .357".

[Lloyd Smale]

best bullet ive found for accuracy so far is the 120 grain rcbs round nose. Its one of those bullets that seem to shoot well in everything. It even does real well in my ppc smith 38 sized to 358. The 115 grain version of the same bullet shoots real well too. Its a pointy round nose that feeds real well too. Just stay away from there target version that has a shoulder. I had all kinds of problems with that one feeding and just gave up on it.

[sundog]

I like the RCBS 9mm-147-FN. Unlike the Ly 147 the RCBS has a flat base. Shoots really good. I also like the 356402 - I've launched a gazillion of them. I've also shot the 358311, and it works good, too. There's load data in the Ly 45th ed for the 358311. Yup, that's right - a 158 gr RN in a 9mm.

As far as sizing, I run the boolit through a .358 die to lube, and call'em good.

[Sundogg1911]

I have an RCBS 115 gr. mould. doesn't feed well in anything. I have a 125 gr. Lee 6 cavity that functions well. My Hi-Power seems to like 147 gr. I'm thinking of getting one in that weight for use in my Master Caster. I havn't tried the 147's in my other 2 9's but i'm guessing it will work well.

[Edward429451]

<I have a 125 gr. Lee 6 cavity >


Is it the 356-125-2R ? (kind of looks like a mini version of a 452374) I like the looks of that boolit. I gotta go look up all these moulds you guys recommended and deciode on one. Thanks for the recommendations!

[MT Gianni]

356242 121 gr is another shooter. gianni.

[Crash_Corrigan]

I have one that puts out a 115 GR WW Truncated cone boolit with the Tumble Lube grooves. They mold really easily and also very fast. I use the wet towel trick that I learned from Bruce B on about every third cast and this keeps the mold from getting too hot. I load em into a plastic ice cream bucket with a few squirts of LLA and let em dry on wax paper for a day or so. They do not need sizing as they come out at .357 and they shoot good in my HI Point cheapie as well as my Ruger BH that came with an extra 9mm cylinder. I use Unique and keep the charges low at about 2.7 to 3.3 grains and I have good success with them. The mold new sells for $36.99 at Midway I have never regretted it.
Crash

[Lloyd Smale]

sundog do you have the version of the rcbs with the shoulder on it. That one fed like crap in my guns. The one without the shoulder feeds great in my sti trojan my ruger and my sig.
I have an RCBS 115 gr. mould. doesn't feed well in anything. I have a 125 gr. Lee 6 cavity that functions well. My Hi-Power seems to like 147 gr. I'm thinking of getting one in that weight for use in my Master Caster. I havn't tried the 147's in my other 2 9's but i'm guessing it will work well.

[Sundogg1911]

yes, it's the one with the shoulder. I havnt had any luck at all with it.
The 125 gr. Lee TC bullet seems to work well. If I get a 9 mould for my Master Caster it will probably be a 147 gr.

[Cherokee]

Lyman 356402. Cast and shot thousands in 9mm and 38 Super. Colt 1911's, EAA and Mauser C96 gobble them up.

[monadnock#5]

Thr Lyman 356402 works for me.

Ken

[MakeMineA10mm]

I've cast at least 7 different designs of 9mm bullets, and have found an ideal one, but it isn't currently available. I'm in the preliminary stages of a GB for it, but, what with getting it ready for the GB, and then waiting on Lee to make it, it will be awhile before we get our hands on it...

[Edward429451]

That would be ok. It's gonna be awhile anyway because we want to get a feel for what his gun likes and try some different styles. I seated a .357 LSWC down in a 9mm case and it looks good (158gr) and chambered like butter (no shoulder). I'm gonna load up a small batch of them for him and I also ran across about 300 122gr LRN .356 on the shelf that I didn't even realize that I had. Someone must've given them to me at some point. Packrat'n pays off sometimes.

That Lyman 356402 boolit looks good we're looking closer at that one as he like the TC design. Anyone like to send me a handful of them to try out? I got the shipping.

[robertbank]

PM me your address and I can put 50 in the mail to you. You want them sized and lubed? I usually size my 9MM to .357. I use Felix Lube.

Take Care

Bob

[Edward429451]

Either way is fine. I have a 357 die and Felix lube myself so they'll be the same either way. Whichever you have more of or is easier for you, and thanks a bunch.

pm sent

[smokemjoe]

I got a custom 9 MM made up and the Lee 358-105-SWC Sized to .355 and Bulleye is the best and feeds good. In my Sten the Ly. 402 is the best as it feeds. What powder and charge can I use in the 9MM with a 147 Gr. bullet. Thanks- Smokemjoe

[monadnock#5]

The Lyman 48th gives the following: Bullseye 2.8-3.5; Unique 3.2-3.8; SR4756 3.1-3.6, for the 9mm Luger,9mm Parabellum and 9X19mm 147 grn boolit.

Ken

[MakeMineA10mm]

Well, I've got most of the information to 45 2.1 to start working on the drawing to send to Lee. It's going to be one hum-dinger of a bullet for 9mm.

As far as 147gr loads, I always loaded 3.3grs of Red Dot, and it worked great.

[Edward429451]

I want to thank you guys for reccommending a good mould/boolit and loads. I've always heard that 9mm was persnickety to load for so you guys prolly saved me a lot of time or at least put that rumor to rest because out of 4 different loads, only one gave poor preformance at the range today.

Robertbank, Thanks much for those 356402's. They put everthing to shame today in that P-89. I loaded them 1/2-1/2, Unique/Power Pistol. Fed great, no malfs. the loads were

356402
4.0 gr Unique
1131 AVG VEL
9 AVG DEV
60 ES

5.3 gr Power Pistol
1011 AVG VEL
10 AVG DEV
50 ES

They seemed to shoot left of POA for both of us but grouped real nice. That load data is encouraging soo, now we need a mould. When's this GB for a good 9mm going to be? If it's 402'ish count us in for sure. If it's different...what is it?

I also loaded ~150 rnds of some 120 gr LRN and shot those too along with some factory 147's but they weren't as noteworthy as the 402's. The LRN hated the Unique and liked the Power Pistol. All in all a great day at the range. Now, about those dirty guns...

[robertbank]

Glad you like the boolits. Try 3.9 gr 231 under them as well. Very soft shooting and very accurate as well.

Take Care

Bob

[MakeMineA10mm]

When's this GB for a good 9mm going to be? If it's 402'ish count us in for sure. If it's different...what is it?



Hi Ed! Glad you had such a good experience. I've found the 9mm to be challenging to load only because of my chubby fingers and the small-ish cases and bullets! :mrgreen:

I've gotten all the information to 45 2.1 and am simply waiting for him to get back with me with a drawing and technical specifications we can send off to Lee. As soon as he gets it to me, I'll post it for you. Last time I talked with him, he said it would only be a matter of him finding the time to get it in the computer, as he understood my ideas well.

I hate to put the cart in front of the horse, but as a preview, I'll say that my design has the nose of Saeco #115, the body (driving bands, lube groove, and overall weight) of a Hensley & Gibbs design (I forget the mould # but it's 135gr and called the "German Army Ogival"), and the base of Lyman #356637. I have an elaborate description of each part and why I think it's perfect for loading 9mm, but I'll save that for my post asking if there's interest. :mrgreen: