Casting for .380 Auto

[Salmon-boy]

Howdy folks! Anyone casting for the .380?

My wife's got a PPK-S and before I place the order for a mould I figured that I might just ask the question.. Which one?

I was thinking I might just eek by using the same 125gr round nose I'm using in my Hi-Power.

Thoughts anyone?

[Leftoverdj]

You can get by using 125 Grain bullets. Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook has data for a 121 which is close enough. Runs the recoil up considerably though. I broke down years ago and bought a Lee 356-102-RN. Works fine for me.

.380s are not likely to get heavily shot. I put maybe a hundred rounds a year through mine, so even a Lee two banger is good enough.

[bobthenailer]

ive bin casting for the 380 for 30 years, in that time having 4 different ones , and still having 2.
i dont think the 125 gr will work , either rn or tc as the would be seated to deep in the case for proper col or case buldge. as i have them both for the 9mm & 38 super. a saeco # 384 and # 377
i started out with a lee 2 cavity # 305 a 102 gr rn and later got a saeco 4 cavity # 380 a 95 gr rnbb . both shoot about the same , boy i hate lee 2 cavity moulds! the 6 cavitys are better but there still finicy compaired to iron moulds. bob

[dragonrider]

I cast for my Browning 380, use a lee 356-102 RN also. works ok, not a bullseye shooter for sure but sufficient.

[Bret4207]

I want an 85 gr fn for my Astra Constable 380. If it wasn't for chasing brass I'd shoot it more, Darn thing is accurate!

[Salmon-boy]

Ok, good point about the 125gr having higher recoil. The Walther's backstrap is pretty slim and had a bite with 90gr factory rounds.

I was able to load some action proving rounds (no primer, no powder) with the 125gr that fed successfully by hand, just checking overall length. I did see that Case bulge could certainly become a problem. Thought a Factory Crimp Die would help that.

Ok, so what's wrong with the Lee 2 cavity moulds? Is it the sprue-plate not having a handle that makes it a pain?

[beagle]

I've been loading the 92 grain version of Lyman's 358242. Feeds well and shoots accurately in a shooting partner's .380./beagle

[mooman76]

Lee has a 105g SWC that shoots good in the 9mm and 38/357. I would think it would o good in the 380 also.

[Blkpwdrbuff]

If you can come across the discontinued Lyman #356632 grab it.
It casts a 100 gr trunicated flat point that works really well in my HI-POINT .380.
Mine casts easily and functions just fine in my pistol.
The 47th Lyman manual says it's a good all around choice for the .380.
I found mine a few years ago on sleazebay.
Blkpwdrbuff:castmine:

[Dale53]

Lee's 358-105-SWC feeds in my Sig Sauer P230 auto in .380. It is a dandy little bullet if it'll feed in your pistol. I liken it to a junior version (VERY junior:-D) of the Saeco #68 (.452 200 gr SWC used in the .45 ACP).

Dale53

[Leftoverdj]

Lee 2 cavities have a locating system that reguires lubing fairly often and they are a bit delicate. I want a more durable mould for something I'm going to shoot in great numbers, but I am not going to shot as many .380s in my lifetime as I shoot .38 WCs in a year. The Lee six cavities are much more durable, but it's not offered for that bullet. If the 358-105-SWC is available in six cavity and you shoot the .380 heavily, you might want to consider that instead.

As I've indicated, I don't shoot much .380. Every few years, I pull out that mould and cast 5-600. It'll last me as long as I need it to at that rate, but I buy better moulds for stuff that I shoot several thousand rounds a year.

[JIMinPHX]

That 100ish grain Lee round nose over 3 grains of Bullseye is a comfortable, reliable & accurate load in a PPK/s.

[Dale53]

Leftoverdj;
The Lee two cavity moulds ARE a bit more of a hassle to use but since Bullshop introduced us to his "Sprue Plate Lube" most of the little niggling problems with the two cavity moulds have "gone away". Just use the Sprue Plate lube SPARINGLY on all contact surfaces and the moulds self align as you close them. I re-lube them about every hour of continuous use.

Dale53

[woody1]

I've been loading the 92 grain version of Lyman's 358242. Feeds well and shoots accurately in a shooting partner's .380./beagle

This is the one I use also although it's big brother works OK too. I believe they're now listed as 356242 by Lyman and at 90 and 120 grains according to my Midway catalog. Regards, Woody

[Salmon-boy]

Ok, good suggestion guys. Just placed the order for dies and moulds.

Is there any special care in breaking in a Lyman mould?

BTW, Why is it that Midway is out of stock on most casting items??

[Dale53]

Salmon-boy;
Regarding the Lyman mould. I just scrub the dickens out of the mould with a tooth brush and detergent. Rinse VERY thoroughly with VERY hot water (boiling water is GOOD). Carefully blot all of the water off with a paper towel, then the residual heat from the hot water will completely dry it. I always pre-heat my mould. A small mould can be partially placed in the molten metal (2 minutes for iron moulds, 30 seconds to one minute for aluminum to pre-heat). Larger moulds will not conveniently fit into most lead pots. For those, I set on a steel surfaced hot plate (only the solid burners - for calrod units place a piece of sheet metal or a steel pie plate on it, with the mould on top of the pie plate). I set my hot plate on medium and let the mould slowly come up to heat. You should start dropping good bullets in a couple of casts with a pre-heated mould.

With the sudden, serious, increases in bullet costs everyone in the country is getting into casting. I talked to a distributor Friday and that's his take on it. The Lee factory is three weeks behind in orders - other companies are in the "same place". No real problem for us, we just have to learn to wait it out.

Those of us who have been casting for a long time, just smile a bit and keep on truckin'. We ARE glad to see more of you get on board... We LOVE company:mrgreen:

Dale53

[FISH4BUGS]

I use a 10 cavity Hensley & Gibbs #S55 mould that casts a 100 gr bullet. I shoot them in my MAC M11A1 submachinegun.........what a blast that little buzz gun is.

[Dale53]

That MAC M11A1 is the perfect tool for a gunfight in a phone booth:mrgreen:.

I have had several opportunities to go "full auto" but always resisted when I thought of all the work trying to keep them fed[smilie=1:.

Dale53

[9.3X62AL]

Overall, I've found the 380 ACP to be pretty lead-friendly--although a few designs require a round-nose profile for reliable functioning. I don't currently have a 380 at my house, but do load castings for the 9mm Makarov and the 32 ACP. Utter and total fun, cheep too.

A good truncated cone or round flat nose design would be a real upgrade for all the pocket blowbacks. I have used them quite a bit for varmints over the years--my Walther PP x 32 is a real tackdriver with loads it likes, as is the East German Mak. 380's overall haven't been as accurate as 32 ACP's for me, we're talking about a dozen examples of each caliber. In fairness to the 380, they were never intended for Camp Perry or for varmint hunting--and not for stopping oncoming bad guys, either. Both calibers came to light in the era where fleeing suspected felons were fair game for cops and citizens, and either caliber made a pretty good marking pellet. Yes, I carried a 380 in harm's way for several years--but stopped that practice when reliable 9mm/40/45 sub-compacts came online. While I'm not volunteering to stand downrange and stop 380 rounds with my forehead--in this day and age of bad guys at bad breath distance and running on CNS stimulants like crack or meth, a more robust caliber is indicated for social ballistic interactions. The 32's and 380's are for punching paper and small critters, in my view.

[Dale53]

I lusted after a Walther PPK in .380 acp for many years - years during those lean times when ready cash was pretty much "non-ready". Finally, I managed to get a new American made one. Boy, was I disappointed! My hands are large and a bit thick in the web between thumb and finger. That Walther would put two "rail road" tracks in blood right accross that area of my shooting hand. Completely unusable (note that the S&W Copy has a MUCH improved grip tang to eliminate this problem) for me. Shortly after, while shooting, I discovered that the extractor had left the pistol. I have no idea on what shot the extractor had left as this Walther, like many blow backs, really only uses the extractor for unloading live ammo. It worked perfectly well without the extractor until it came time to unload. I took the little devil into my dealer and after some discussion he suggested a swap for the slightly larger (in all of the right places) Sig Sauer P230 Stainless (.380) that I still have today.

I really have not shot it much. I HATE chasing that tiny brass in the grass (I'm a poet and don't know it[smilie=1:). the Sig doesn't seem quite as accurate as the Walther but it does about what it needs to do.

On the other hand, a friend has a Walther PPK (German) that shoots so well it is scary. He was at the range one day when I was bench testing a new revolver. He asked me to shoot his Walther (with factory hard ball). Off a rest I shot a 3/4" group at 25 yards. He insisted that I do that again (I DO know when to stop[smilie=1:) but he insisted and I fired another five shot group. It was slightly better than the first group. I wouldn't have thought that pistol COULD shoot so well with that really short sight radius. I DID quit after that (I told you before that I knew when to quit:-D). Oft times these little beauties will surprise you...

Dale53

[Leftoverdj]

Dale, I became a believer when I watched a guy ringing an 8" gong at 80 yards offhand with an AMT Backup. He missed once in a while but he steadily got 3-4 hits out of five shots.

[Dale53]

Lefoverdj;
With my present vision problems I won't be doing many good iron sight groups any more. However, with the Red Dots (thank you, Lord) though, "I am still in the game".

Dale53

[Salmon-boy]

Dale, Thanks for the advice on mould prep.

As for the backorder crunch: I'm just stunned that since I started casting in early Dec '07 to now, supplies have dried up this quickly!!

It's funny that you should mention the Sig. We were looking at both when we bought the Walther. It came down to my wife's fondness(?) for a Bond gun that sealed the deal.

[Dale53]

Salmon-boy;
Glad to be of service. If we are truthful to ourselves, ALL of us have learned most of what we know from the people who went before us.

Dale53

[FISH4BUGS]

That MAC M11A1 is the perfect tool for a gunfight in a phone booth:mrgreen:.

I have had several opportunities to go "full auto" but always resisted when I thought of all the work trying to keep them fed[smilie=1:.

Dale53

Is one of the reasons I got into casting heavily. 9mm, 45 and 380 subguns require a great deal of feeding but casting makes it affordable.
My H&G 10 cavity S55 380 mould can do a ton of bullets pretty quickly. It takes forever to bring it up to temp but once it is there, the bullets fall like rain.

[Dale53]

FISH4BUGS;
I have just one of the H&G "Gang" moulds (for .38 wadcutters) and I just put that on a hot plate to pre-heat before casting. Otherwise, it takes so long to get up to temperature, that I get discouraged. When it is pre-heated properly, it starts to cast almost immediately. H&G's are wonderful moulds but at my "advanced" age I am finding them (the ones over 4 cavities) difficult to handle. They are just too derned heavy. I have come to really appreciate the light weight of Lee Six Cavity moulds (coupled, of course, with their easy casting nature once they are broken in). I will admit that my favorite mould of all time (I probably have somewhere close to 70 moulds) is my H&G #130 4 cavity mould for my .45 ACP's.

I bought a hot plate at Walmart for little money just for this purpose. It sits next to my casting pot to preheat EVERY mould before I cast. It is temperature controlled, like most hot plates, so after the first couple of outings with this unit you know the proper setting to get the best results. Small moulds can be heated in the melt but you can't do that with a large one. While the pot is heating up, so is my mould.

Dale53