Just starting do i need to add tin to my WW for my 9mm

[Silvyus]

Hi all I just signed up and want to thank everyone for what is the most helpfull site I have found yet. now I have a small stock of WW and just got my lee 6 cavity mold 124grain round nose tumble lube. I think I'm going to water quench my bullets but don't know if i need to add tin or not will the WW fill out the mold without it I thunk with the water bath I should have the hardness I need and 1% or 2% tin isn't going to make them that much harder. So anyway any and all help is welcome.

[dubber123]

I don't add tin, and my bullets fill out very well, if you have problems, increase the heat is my best suggestion. Make sure the molds oil free first of course. Water dropped bullets don't reach full hardness right away, so try to wait a bit before shooting any. With an LBT hardness tester, about 2 weeks seemed to give me about all the hardness I was going to get. Welcome, and have fun by the way.

[wiljen]

I have cast for 38/9mm using WW without added tin and had no problems with mold fill out. I would try using just WW and only add tin if you find you need it. You probably don't need to harden them with the water drop unless it just makes a convenient way to drop em.

[versifier]

The only reason you might need to add some tin to ww's is if you are getting poor fillout. Ditto on no need to water drop, at least not for initial experiments. Some pistols do like harder boolits, but it's an individual thing, not necessarily caliber specific. Thin the LLA with some mineral spirits - it will dry faster and harder and be less messy to handle finished boolits. It's a waste to use it undiluted, not to mention a PITA.

[1hole]

Well, it's a little more complex than just mold fill out.

Wheel weights (usually) have a high antimony content to make them hard. The antimony alloys with the lead when its melted but, as it solidifies, the antimony seperates first and forms a matrix around the lead instead of remaining an alloy! That means the lead is held like bricks in a wall, all held together with mortar. The exposed soft lead in those very hard bullets tends to smear off in barrels. Adding a bit of tin keeps the antimony and lead in a real alloy as it solidifies.

I add a pound of 60/40 solder (60% tin, 40% lead) to every ten-fifteen pounds of wheel weights. It provides fine shooting bullets and very little leading even at high speeds when lubing with the excellant old NRA formula of 50-50 Alox/Beeswax!

[Fireball 57]

Silvyus: Welcome! We are in great company with those MasterCasters weighing in the fray. I shoot nothing but cast 124 gn. 9mm in my Walther 99. Wheel weights cast at about 700-725 degrees and dropped in a water bucket for convience and lightly loaded with about 4 gns. of Red Dot in my pistol will do close to two inches at twenty-five yards from a rest. Watch for pressure in your pistol and don't seat the bullet too deeply. Have a great week!

[Texasflyboy]

Been casting 9mm for over 15 years with nothing more than 100% wheelweights.

Never had a problem...