Lee 356-120-TC Sizing Question

[Foto Joe]

I'm getting ready to order a new Lee mold for my oldest daughters S&W Model 39-2 9mm. I've heard decent reviews about the Lee 356-120-TC so that's what we're gonna start with. Here's the question:

Daughter is currently in WA state and I'm going to have her mail me the barrel and some brass so I can work up some dummy loads before she gets here in a few weeks. I'd rather not order a new .356 H&I die for my sizer unless I have to and I already have a .358. I'm pretty sure that this mold IS NOT going to drop above .357 if that. I've never attempted to lube undersized boolits (i.e. .356 boolit in a .358 H&I die) so I'm wondering if it will work or will I be creating a mess with the Lube Sizer? Once I've got the barrel I'll slug it and make the appropriate decision on an H&I die but in the meantime I'd like to lube/size these boolits with what I've got if possible.

Any thoughts?

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/241085/lee-2-cavity-bullet-mold-356-120-tc-9mm-luger-38-super-380-acp-356-diameter-120-grain-truncated-cone?cm_vc=wishList

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I have had two of those molds, both 6 cav.
the first one I had dropped boolits at .358
I sold that one,
then bought another one (don't ask why),
the second one dropped boolits at .357

I size all my 9's to .357
Good luck,
Jon

[tazman]

I also have that mold and use it in my 9mm pistols. It feeds and shoots very well.
Mine drops close to .358. My pistol accepts cases loaded with boolits up to .360 so I don't even size them.
I just tumble lube, load, and shoot them. Nice easy system.
My barrel slugs at .357 so I need them to be .358 anyway.

[Ed_Shot]

My Lee 356-120-TC drops at .358+ and I size all 9MM to .358. I have .356 and .357 H&I dies that I never use. I would not recommend spending money on another H&I die till you prove to yourself that you don't like your .358 H&I with that boolit.

[Larry Gibson]

Joe

My 356-120-TC also drops bullets at .358 with COWWs + 2% tin. I size them at .358 and use them in my own 9mm, Spanish Destroyer in .38 Super and my 35 Remington. I've also used that bullet in numerous other 9mm's with complete success. I load the 9mm's to an oal of 1.065" and they feed and function fine in every handgun and subgun I've tried them in. I load them over 4 gr of Bullseye.

Larry Gibson

[swisscast]

Both my two and six cavity 356-120-TC's drop .357 bullets, although I had to beagle the six cavity mold slightly to get there. I run them through a .358 Lee sizer (not really necessary), lube them with LLA, load to an oal of 1.06" over 3.9 gr of Unique and finish with a Lee FCD. This combination feeds and functions exceptionally well in my S&W 39-2, 639, SIG 220 and 210.

[Foto Joe]

So I ordered my very first "6 holer" mold simply because once I start supplying the daughter with boolits I've got a feeling that she'll want more, and more, and more...... I guess I'll have to start my learning curve again, hopefully my brain hasn't filled up too far to accept more info.

Thanks all for the info and I'll let ya know how it goes.

And Larry hopefully we'll be down in AZ around turkey day this year.

[Larry Gibson]

We'll get some shootin' in for sure this year!

Larry Gibson

[Foto Joe]

So I had my daughter send me a bag of 9mm brass so I could load up some dummy rounds for her gun. After looking over the Lyman 4th Edition of course they don't reference this particular boolit but a couple are close 120gr, 120gr & 124gr. OAL's range from 1.100"-1.065" & 1.050". I loaded up some dummies at the 1.065" & 1.050" just 'cause the .065's looked a little long but without the gun I can't plunk 'em.

Larry Gibson states that he loads to 1.065" and I'd like to hear from others who load this particular round regarding your OAL too. If the 1.065" plunks well I'm thinking that's the way to go but if not that 1.050" OAL almost makes me nervous being it's pretty short and I don't want to see my daughter have to learn to write with her left hand if you now what I mean.

[zomby woof]

I just loaded some test rounds to try. That boolit starts to interfere at around 1.150". I loaded some up at 1.145", They shot really good. The lube groove is completely out of the case. I'm using HI-TEK so it's not a big problem.

My mold originally dropped at .356". My barrel slugs just under .358". It leaded like crazy. I lapped out the mold and now get .358" with the coating. No more leading.

[tazman]

I just loaded some test rounds to try. That boolit starts to interfere at around 1.150". I loaded some up at 1.145", They shot really good. The lube groove is completely out of the case. I'm using HI-TEK so it's not a big problem.

My mold originally dropped at .356". My barrel slugs just under .358". It leaded like crazy. I lapped out the mold and now get .358" with the coating. No more leading.

Excellent results. The oal you use indicates you have a very generous throat in your pistol. Most people cannot load that boolit that long. As long as it works, use it.

[tazman]

So I had my daughter send me a bag of 9mm brass so I could load up some dummy rounds for her gun. After looking over the Lyman 4th Edition of course they don't reference this particular boolit but a couple are close 120gr, 120gr & 124gr. OAL's range from 1.100"-1.065" & 1.050". I loaded up some dummies at the 1.065" & 1.050" just 'cause the .065's looked a little long but without the gun I can't plunk 'em.

I load mine at an oal of 1.055. I could probably load them longer, but they feed so smoothly at that length that I hate to change anything. I haven't had a failure to feed with that boolit since I started taper crimping as a fourth step in th eprocess
Larry Gibson states that he loads to 1.065" and I'd like to hear from others who load this particular round regarding your OAL too. If the 1.065" plunks well I'm thinking that's the way to go but if not that 1.050" OAL almost makes me nervous being it's pretty short and I don't want to see my daughter have to learn to write with her left hand if you now what I mean.

I load mine at an oal of 1.055. I could load them longer but they feed so smoothly and shoot so well at that length that I hate to change. I haven't had a failure to feed with that boolit since I started taper crimping as a separate step after seating.

[wrench]

I size this bullet to .358", and load to 1.060". Fits and shoots well in several Glocks, 3rd Gen S&W, and a Springfield Range Officer 1911.

[bedbugbilly]

Mine drops 'em at .358 out of "range lead". I size 'em .357 (Lee push through sizing die - cheap) for my 9mm and shoot 'em "as dropped" out of my 38 specials. All I do is tumble lube 'em in Alox/Paste Wax. This is a nice boolit . . .

[MaryB]

My 2 holer drops at .358, my HiPoint slugs at .358 so after PC they shoot great. 1.055 is where I seat them.

[Foto Joe]

Well it sounds like this boolit is pretty versatile in 9mm. I'll send the dummies to my daughter and have her plunk test them. She's been collecting brass all summer over in Washington so when she gets here next month I'll have her fanny parked in front of the new Lee Breach Lock single stage that I'm getting her for her birthday. I'm still amused that a 35 year old young lady has discovered shooting and reloading to the extent she has. I had her on my turret press when we were down in Arizona this last winter and she was a loading fool with me looking over her shoulder but I want her to learn on a single stage VERY slowly when she's not supervised. In the last six months she's taken several tactical shooting courses and secured CCW's from at least three states. I'll have to shoot some video while she's here and show her off.