9mm .38/.357 bullet mold recommendation

[6.5marinediesel]

I posted earlier that i was interested in getting started into casting my own bullets. Thanks to those that responded Iv been reading up on it. and looking at equipment now.

My new question is what is the recommendation on a bullet mold and sizing die for my 9mm. I'd like to run the same cast bullet in all my 9mm if that's possible. and maybe even my .38 special. keep in mind I'm not trying to spend a ton of money.

Blammer helped me slug my barrels special thanks lol to him. :bigsmyl2:

PT 92 slugged @ .357
G 19 slugged @ .357
Kahr cm9 slugged @ .358

[sawzall]

Lee 358-158-RF fits the bill perfectly. I use it in both 9mm and 38/357. Mine drops from the mold .359 - .360" depending on the alloy but mostly I use clip on wheel weights.

[C. Latch]

I got a Lee 358-125-rf yesterday. It drops around 133 with an alloy that's more or less wheelweights. Perfect for 9mm, almost perfect for .38 special. Yesterday was the first tim I'd used it but I dropped over 500 good bullets in a very short period of time, and if it's like other Lee molds I've used, it'll just get faster as the interior of the cavities oxidize and bullets start to drop easier.

I don't even own 9mm dies yet - they're on backorder - but I did cobble together a handful of rounds using other dies and they fit and functioned perfectly in two different 9mms so far.

Six cavity mold, with handles, for a little over $50 plus shipping. I don't know how you could beat it.

[jcren]

How are you coating/lubing? I have a couple molds I use for both .380 and 38 that cast at .356-.357, but I shake and bake pc and size them all to .358.

[fryboy]

Size to .358 - if such a loaded round will fit into the various 9 mm chambers ( most will but you may have one that doesn't )
As for molds ...hard to beat the Lee 125 rnf ,it's got a decent enough metplat to feed in a tubular mag as well as thumping small game better than most others ( most ) it looks alot like it's bigger brother (lee158 rnf) but uses less weight per cast

[flyingmonkey35]

Lee .358 RN is a great start but if I could swing it. Mihec makes a awesome mold for 9mm

[ReloaderFred]

I would stick with a 125 grain bullet for use in 9x19 and .38 Special. I personally use the 125 gr. bullet from Magma, but I'm casting them on either a Master Caster or Bullet Master, depending on what I'm running at the time.

Here's a link to different bullet styles and shapes: http://www.magmaengineering.com/PDF/BBOct132008b.pdf

Hope this helps.

Fred

[Blammer]

how about posting some pictures for the poor boy, he's struggling to identify moulds. :)

[Blammer]

6.5marine, I have that Mihec 9mm mould he speaks of, and I also have the NOE 9mm mould you may want to see about getting some sample from someone you know.... :)

clean that M48 up yet?

[6.5marinediesel]

lee-6-cavity-bullet-mold-358-125-rf

This is the mold I was checking out. then thinking about sizing to .358
As for lubing just trying to go cheap and easy. tumble lube. Alox

[C. Latch]

how about posting some pictures for the poor boy, he's struggling to identify moulds. :)
162216

[6.5marinediesel]

@ C. Latch what are you sizing your cast bullets at to run in the 9mm? That is the same mold i was looking at. would that work ok with Alox and tumble lubing?

[C. Latch]

@ C. Latch what are you sizing your cast bullets at to run in the 9mm? That is the same mold i was looking at. would that work ok with Alox and tumble lubing?


If I counted right I've shot a grand total of 13 of them, so I'm not the expert here, but they dropped between .359 and .360, I sized to .358, they fed through a BHP and an LC9 with no problems (4.2 grains of green dot, mixed brass, Tula small pistol primers). I sort of worried that the meplat would be big enough to cause feeding issues but right now it looks like they'll be fine.

I showed powder-coated bullets in the picture but the ones I shot were lubed with an alox/JPW mixture, then sized, then lubed again. I dump a bunch of bullets in a peanut butter jar, add a tiny bit of alox and jpw, shake, size, shake again (don't add any lube the second time, just get what's still in the jar) and shoot. I do that with several calibers, both conventional and t/l mold designs, and it works fine at pistol speeds. It's not really even smoky if you don't use too much lube. Only a thin film is needed.

[Jal5]

That Lee 358125 is my goto boolit for 9 mm SW SHIELD. have not used it for 38 spl yet

[takasaki]

I use the lee 358-125-rnfp in 3 9mm pistols, one 9mm carbine, 38 spec revolver, ruger gp100 357, and 2 rossi lever 38/357
i size all to 358 and use a larger expander in my 9mm powder through die.

[6.5marinediesel]

[QUOTE=takasaki;3560779]I use the lee 358-125-rnfp in 3 9mm pistols, one 9mm carbine, 38 spec revolver, ruger gp100 357, and 2 rossi lever 38/357
i size all to 358 and use a larger expander in my 9mm powder through die.[/QUOTE

Thats awesome. are you tumble lubing?

[30Carbine]

http://leeprecision.com/6-cavity-358-105-swc.html I use this in the wife's lcr 38 special and a m&p 9 all tumble lubed un sized. it's a fun little plinker round that does not take much lead. The mold I got throws right at 359 I let the lee fcd just size it down a little in the 9 for it to function. oh yea and you have to seat it at the top past the crimp groove in the 9.

[Lefty Red]

http://leeprecision.com/6-cavity-358-105-swc.html I use this in the wife's lcr 38 special and a m&p 9 all tumble lubed un sized. it's a fun little plinker round that does not take much lead. The mold I got throws right at 359 I let the lee fcd just size it down a little in the 9 for it to function. oh yea and you have to seat it at the top past the crimp groove in the 9.

That is a nice bullet for both!

[Ed_Shot]

My .357's like any 9MM boolit in the 120-125 range sized to .358 using either .357 or 38 Spl brass. I don't use heavier 9MM boolits but I bet they'd be fine too. As I learned here, use your 9MM taper crimp die to taper crimp your 38/357 brass.

[Lloyd Smale]

this would be a good one that could be used in both http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?300603-MiHec-9mm-147gr-GC-HP

[takasaki]

[QUOTE=takasaki;3560779]I use the lee 358-125-rnfp in 3 9mm pistols, one 9mm carbine, 38 spec revolver, ruger gp100 357, and 2 rossi lever 38/357
i size all to 358 and use a larger expander in my 9mm powder through die.[/QUOTE

Thats awesome. are you tumble lubing?

I tumble lubed them for years but now i powder coat them all.

[wonderwolf]

I like the idea of the 125gr used for both, another option is the lee 105gr, lee claims it works well in 9mm. If you have the money and he still has some I would spring for a mihec mold.
Like others before have said mihec makes two excellent molds pretty much identical in design for the .38/357 (with crimp groove) and 9mm (without). I'm not certain as I've never measured what mine drop at but if you got the one designed for the .38/357 you would be pretty well set! I have both the 9mm and 38/357 version and have been very happy with both of them. If I was starting over I would see the sense in getting just the one with the crimp groove and forgo the 9mm just be sure not to try and roll crimp the 9mm

[gwpercle]

OP is like me when I start casting.....I can get one mould and reload 9mm , 38 special and 357 magnum, yeah, that worked out real well for about two range trips. Then the addiction starts creeping in. Mould addiction is a never ending thing. I've got more 35 caliber moulds now than I want to think about. And then I talked myself into a brand new NOE mould for Christmas, why ? because he offered a 9mm truncated cone with a gas check ! What was I thinking!!!
As if I NEEDED another 9mm mould...I've got six, and this puppy ate up most of a $100.00 bill ( none of my others had a gas check...right ! So I neede one ...right !)

All I can tell you is welcome to the addiction and thank goodness LEE sells $20.00 double cavity moulds ! I'll probably never be able to afford another NOE , but Lee's are only $20.00 ! By the way , I think it's against the Castboolits Caster's Code to have only one mould.

It's realy a fun hobby, welcome aboard....gary

[wonderwolf]

OP is like me when I start casting.....I can get one mould and reload 9mm , 38 special and 357 magnum, yeah, that worked out real well for about two range trips. Then the addiction starts creeping in. Mould addiction is a never ending thing. I've got more 35 caliber moulds now than I want to think about. And then I talked myself into a brand new NOE mould for Christmas, why ? because he offered a 9mm truncated cone with a gas check ! What was I thinking!!!
As if I NEEDED another 9mm mould...I've got six, and this puppy ate up most of a $100.00 bill ( none of my others had a gas check...right ! So I neede one ...right !)

All I can tell you is welcome to the addiction and thank goodness LEE sells $20.00 double cavity moulds ! I'll probably never be able to afford another NOE , but Lee's are only $20.00 ! By the way , I think it's against the Castboolits Caster's Code to have only one mould.

It's realy a fun hobby, welcome aboard....gary

I have just the one mold specifically for 9mm but at last count I was around 15 or 16 (with one more coming from mihec now) for .38/357....The more I play with 38/357 the more I love it.

[Moonie]

I started with the 125gr rf from lee, I found it had to be seated quite deep in 9mm, I grabbed a 120tc 6 cavity Lee and haven't looked back, it feeds perfectly in several 9mm's we have. I still use the 125 rf and a new 158 rf Lee in 38/357.