First time casting 9MM

[reomack]

This afternoon I spent a couple of happy hours at my bench turning out my very first 9MM boolits. I used a Lee 125 RN TL mold and the boolits look great, no issues with the casting. The results weigh an average of 128 gr which is pretty normal for WW I think. I measured the diameter of a sample (15) !3 were 356 and 2 were 355. I intend to shoot them through a Kahr PM9, which has polygonal rifling. I have read quite a few of the discussions here and am not concerned about this but I have also read here that a good diameter for lead bullets is usually 1 or 2 thousandths larger than the bore.. I have not slugged the barrel of the Kahr and know that I probably should but I have no pure lead to do so. Can any of the members here who may have used boolits of this size in PM9 tell me whether I will have issues. I intend to use 4.3 gr 700x over CCI SP primers. Thanks in advance and please don't slime me to badly if this is a stupid question.

[Yodogsandman]

Glad your casting session went so well for you.

You already know this... shoulda slugged the bore before getting the mold. Pure lead fishing sinkers work.

[Moonie]

Best way to slug your barrel would be to take a sacrificial 9mm case and fill it with lead, do not remove the spent primer first. Then use a kinetic bullet puller to get the slug out, lube it up, lube up the bore and use a metal rod, wrapped at several spots with electrical tape to drive the slug through the barrel. Do NOT use a wooden dowel...

Measure with a micrometer NOT a caliper, they are not accurate enough.

[runfiverun]

I'd also drop the load about a grain to start.

[Andy]

Glad to hear you're starting casting, congratulations for getting into the area! I started with 9mm for my first casting/reloading project about two years ago and it was a bit of a struggle. I ended up getting it to work ok but it was a lot more fun doing so with my .45 acp and .35 rem than the 9mm, that is for sure. So, I don't want to discourage but you are starting with a slightly hard cartridge to cast for. As you have indicated the first thing you know you should do is slug your bore. Just buy a tiny length of brass rod off amazon or someone local (many uses in the future, don't use a wood dowel) and a bit of soft lead from anywhere you can find it (ebay if nothing else) and you're good to go. These two items are all you need to slug every pistol barrel you will ever have and are reusable so just buy them now for $10-20 and you will save that in hassle and frustration/wasted components within a year.

To answer your question you will almost certainly be ok with .355 or .356 diameter bullets in your 9mm, based on my reading. I do not have personal experience with sizing to those diameters but I have a "match" lone wolf barrel that slugs to .3555 or so and I have no trouble chambering mixed brass loaded with .357 or .358 bullets in it, so I can't imagine you will have trouble with those smaller bullets chambering in a normal barrel.

[rondog]

I just use a Lee mold for 125gr. .358 RNFP's for .38spec/.357mag. They shoot great in my 9mm's.

[Lloyd Smale]

one thing ive learned with cast bullets is not to worry about what wont work till it doesn't. Give them a try and see. If your real concerned about being undersized then maybe try powder coating them. Me, id shoot them and see. My guess is they will be just fine.

[Todd S]

Why not use a wooden dowel, when slugging a bore?

[ioon44]

A wooden dowel could split and become wedged in the barrel.

[Todd S]

OK. Thanks. Never thought of that. I've been using wooden dowels for years now. I'll look for a brass rod.

[Engieman]

I find the 9mm exceptionally rewarding. Maybe because it can be a bit more challenging to find the right, bullet, load, etc., but I say that only in regards to the never ending quest for 'one hole accuracy.' All of them shoot, and shoot darn good! I shoot cast out of my Kahr .380 and am stunned by the accuracy. I have never experienced any issues with the polygonal rifling and lead.