Mold suggestion for 9x19 Parabellum?

[Trigger1212]

Evening All,

Long time caster but usually working with 45 Colt, 45 acp, or 38/357. Dipping my toes into the 9mm waters and need some suggestions on molds, there are a gazillion of them out there and the search function is a PITA so thought I'd just ask the experts.

Used to use WW with 1% tin but good WW is getting pretty hard to find now a days. Currently have 20:1 alloy mixed up but can make up what ever I want or what is suggested.

Looking at 125-140 grain weight range, plain base, multiple cavity. Like a bullet with a bit of a metplat but not mandatory as this will be shot through pistols, not revolvers. Primarily for target, plinking and walking along the creek.

With the above information what diameter mold should I look at?

All suggestions welcome! Thanks!

Wade

[sigep1764]

Accurate and NOE make some really nice molds. Can all be had in 4,5, and 6 cavity versions. There is a sticky on slugging barrels to get your barrels diameter. Would size .002 over that diameter. Each of the companies above will gut the mold to the diameter and alloy you specify.

[Bigslug]

NOE/Ranch Dog

Standard grooves: http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/index.php?cPath=34_261&osCsid=kn0kh2sbpplfjnabdtjg70qci5

Or tumble lube: http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/index.php?cPath=34_264&osCsid=kn0kh2sbpplfjnabdtjg70qci5

Arsenal also cloning it: http://arsenalmolds.com/bullet-molds?product_id=204&limit=99999999999

My Pop picked up the NOE TL version to feed his 1911 and P85. Ended up using a hard, water quenched alloy, and as I recall, a Lee .38S&W sizing die to open the cases a little wider and prevent the brass from sizing the bullets down on seating. Had some hellacious leading in the process of figuring that out.

[Hickok]

Lee 358-125-RF. It is perfect for the 9mm.

[sundog]

I recently got an Accurate RD clone 9mm-135 PB. Very good mould, makes very good boolits.

[jmort]

I have both Accurate and NOE Rancch Dog, as designed and intended with TL/Micro Grooves. 135 grain with gas check, as designed and intended. The Accurate is hard to beat. Another great mold is the 155 grain Elco fron NOE.
If I had to pick one for all around it would be the Elco, but the Ranch Dog design is hard to beat.

[Pine Baron]

Lee 358-125-RF. It is perfect for the 9mm.

^+1^. Lee .38 S&W sizing die. Powder coat and sized to .358. YMMV.

[ioon44]

I currently use Accurate 130C & 140Z 5 cav molds for 9 mm which are a flat point, I size around .3575" and run them out of several different 9 mm's with out any problems.

I use Hi-Tek coating with 14 BHN to 15 BHN alloy, the harder alloy helps to prevent the bullet from being swagged in the loading process.

I like the bullets to be .002" over barrel da and make sure they enter the barrel at that da.

[Kylongrifle32]

Lee 356-120-tc and Lee 356-125-R2 work very well in the four different 9mm's I own. Tried the TL 356-124-rn but got about 40% key holes at 15 yards with about an 8 inch spread.

[Daveco]

I second what Hickok said. The Lee 358-125-RF is my most used mould, and feeds and shoots well in all of all my pistols.

[mdi]

I to use the Lee 358-125-RF for my 3, 9mm pistols. For my old Tokerev, I size to .358+", and my FMK and LC9s get .356"-.357". Feeds well and with Lyman #2 and Universal, very little/minimal leading, if any...

I also cast this same bullet from my "mystery metal" (about 11-12 BHN) and size to .357" for my 38 Special and 357 Magnum revolvers...

[tazman]

NOE 358-135-rf, NOE 358-155-TC(ELCO), Lee 358-125-RF, Lee 356-120-TC(standard lube groove), Lyman 356402. All of these work well when sized appropriately for the gun.
If you want a lighter boolit, the Lee 356-95-Rf works for that.
I don't powder coat. Either run them through a lubrisizer or tumble lube. I have a couple of pistols that need a slightly smaller size, but .357-.358 works for most.

[rintinglen]

The 356-120 TC lee works the best of lee designs for me, but I really like the NOE 358-136 FN SI. I can not echo the endorsement of the Lee 358-125 RF, it works ok in several of my nines, but my Sig P6 chokes on it and I have to load it very short to get good feeding in my Browning HP. It is not IME a "one size fits all" solution to your 9 mm loading chores.

[Rizzo]

The 356-120 TC lee works the best of lee designs for me, ..................... I can not echo the endorsement of the Lee 358-125 RF, ........................I have to load it very short to get good feeding ..........
This is my experience as well for my M&P 9mm.

OP asked - "With the above information what diameter mold should I look at?"

Ideally you should slug your barrel to find the groove diameter and then find a mold diameter .001" - .002" larger than that value.

[Shingle]

IMHO you can not beat NOE 358-135-fp works with any throat or lack of, has been accurate in 5 glocks, & 7 carbines, feeds all the time & is easy to cast. It comes in flat base, gas check, flat point, hollow point it is a do every thing bullet and mold.

[Taterhead]

I have loaded a fair amount of the Lee 120-TC and the 125 2R. Would recommend the TC over the 2R. The TC I've found more reliable feeder for different guns. The issue is if a gun has minimal throat, then the 2R must be seated SHORT.

At least one gun I load for needs a longer COL to facilitate tip-in angle, otherwise it misfeeds. I can't seat it longer since that gun has limited throat. The TC extends farther so helps feeding in that gun.

[Trigger1212]

Guys, thanks for all the replies. Should have said initially I will be shooting it out of a SIG 365, might pick up a Sig 320 down the road. Couple questions:

1. Is a GC necessary on a 9mm? I've cast more GC than PB bullets in my time, primarily heavy 45 colt loads, 342 GR WFNGC LBT moving about 1,375 fps out of a 5.5" Hamilton Bowen custom Bisley. Worked great but don't know if that would be necessary for a 9mm out of a 3.1" bbl Sig 365?

2. Googled Ranch Dog Molds and comes up as no longer in business?

3. I like the LOOKS of the NOE SC357-135-RF-AZ2, good wide flat nose and two lube groves. But the dimensions sheet show it's got a .357" diameter. Can you order it at .358"? Any feeding issues with the wide/flat nose?

4. The NOE 358-136-FN-S1 also looks nice. Single lube groove, longer profile, smaller met plat and it's .358". Would it be safe to assume it would be more likely to feed better than #3 above?

5. Like the looks of the accurate #35-130B, but again it shows .357" diameter.

6. #35-135B also looks good and it shows as .358"

If I can find more WW I will use that for these bullets, if not it will most likely be 20:1 lead/tin, see any problem with that?

What say you all? Thanks!

Wade
Semper Fi!

4.

[Bigslug]

Gas check not necessary on 9mm but might save you some time and effort. As I said in my first post, I had some initial issues with the brass sizing the bullets down below optimal for the bore (a pretty common 9mm issue). A gas check would be one possible work-around, but there are others.

Ranch Dog turned NOE loose to make his designs. The bullets I linked you to ARE the Ranch Dogs.

20-1, from my experience at least, is probably going to be too soft without a check on the back. For my effort at plain based Ranch Dogs, I believe it was water-quenched wheelweight equivalent probably in excess of 20 BHN.

[Taterhead]

I wouldn't recommend a GC mold for 9mm. That's a lot of work for an auto-loader, and not necessary, generally. Gas checks triple the materials cost for me as well.

[Stephen Cohen]

Another for Lee 358 125 R/F sized 358 at least, some pistols like bigger. I use Hi-Tec coating so bigger is easy just another coat. Regards Stephen

[gwpercle]

NOE 358-124-TC-GC
Why the gas check ? To stretch COWW supply I mix them 50/50 and 25/75 with pure lead , so I have a soft alloy. The gas check lets me use this soft alloy in 9mm Luger (sized .357) .
38 special +P and 357 magnum (sized .358) with no leading.
I was experimenting with soft , non hollow point , 9mm's to see if they would expand like a soft nose.
I discovered this soft cast TC boolit is just the ticket in 357 magnum loads and also works in 38 special.
It is exceptionally accurate to boot . To date no leading whatsoever at any sane speed but I'm not allergic to gas checks.... I use them if a boolit is cut for one.
NOE also sells this mould plain base and hollow point.
After trying many 9mm boolits the 124 TC has worked best in 4 different 9mm pistols, three 38 special revolvers, one 357 magnum revolver and one 357 magnum rifle .
Gary

[Chainsaw.]

Dont know what guns your shooting said 9 in but I’ve found alot of the plastic fantastics prefer this lee truncated cone. Works with lube or powder coat well.
https://leeprecision.com/search.php?mode=search&page=1&keep_https=yes

This is a really nice mold I’d like to get some day. Its a no lube groove from M&P molds, lots of folks here rave about them, they have several style 9mms, even a lube groove version of this one. https://www.mp-molds.com/e-shop/molds/solid-molds/mp-356-130-2r-6-cav-bevel-base-no-lube-groove

[Echo]

i cast the RCBS 09-124-TC for my own use and Son's. Two-banger, but time is of little import to this old retired dude. Run through the Star w/NRA loob, and everyone's happy...

[Shiloh]

I use the LEE .358 128 gr. RF. sized at .358.
Work up loads carefully. This not a 9mm boolit, it is a 38/357 boo lit, so it sits deeper in the case.
.356 9mm boolits are too small for many if not most 9mm pistols.

Shiloh

[Outpost75]

For those who have 9mm REVOLVERS I have had best results with Accurate 36-142H sized .357" in my S&W 940, which shoots to the sights with 3.2 grains of Bullseye.

234352

Also shoots to sights as-cast and unsized with same charge in .38 S&W in my S&W Model 32-1

[Big Boomer]

There may be much better choices but a Lee 125 gr rn 6-cavity mould with one lube groove has worked well for me both with lube and powder coating. I no longer lube my boolits but use the powder coat Smoke4320 sells (clear) which is the easiest and simplest method going for me. Still use my Stars to size the boolits for the 9mms and other calibers. My 9mms will accommodate boolit diameters up to .3585 though many will not and have to be sized smaller. My alloy with the above boolit mould drops at 130 grs. or a little heavier. Big Boomer

[yeahbub]

I get good results from the Lee 358-125-RF cast of WW's but have gone as soft as range scrap with a BHN of 9. It'll cast .358, so you have the option of sizing it to whatever diameter your 9mm prefers. Mine are lubed with Carnauba Red. European 9mm's are often .357 in the groove and I've seen a couple of them really tighten their groups with the fatter boolit, provided the chamber will accommodate them.

The only improvement I'd want is a tumble-lube version of it. Another on the wish list would be a dual-purpose tumble-lube 140gr RNFP flat base for the 9mm and .357.

[Sig556r]

Lee 358-125-RF. It is perfect for the 9mm.

+1 on LRFNs. I also have their limited-run 6-cav 359-160-RF which I use in subs/suppressed.

[Trigger1212]

For those that suggested the .358-125-RF. Just took a look at it and it has the crimp groove for .38/357 applications. When using in the 9mm assuming you taper crimp it so that the case mouth is right at the beginning of the crimp groove? Can't imagine you would seat it so deep that you went past the crimp groove?

Thanks

[tazman]

You need to load that one deep enough that all the flat sized part is inside the case. On mine, the flat part extends in front of the crimp groove just a little. I load them so the crimp groove is inside the case.

[Trigger1212]

Tazman, thanks for the info. If you don't mind me asking, what is your favorite load with this bullet?

Wade

[Sailormilan2]

The H&G 275 is nice. Basically a 9mm version of the H&G 68 bullet for the 45 acp. MP Molds makes a very nice 8 cavity aluminum mold, and it really rains bullets.234482

[tazman]

Tazman, thanks for the info. If you don't mind me asking, what is your favorite load with this bullet?

Wade

I can't answer that yet. I have only been using it a short time as an experiment that worked remarkably well. I have only used one load so far and haven't had time to work with it more.
At the depth I seated it, it functioned in every 9mm pistol I own including my Range Officer which I didn't expect. My Range Officer likes longer OAL length for best feeding, but I had no issues with the 125RF.

[Cherokee]

My most used (almost exclusively) cast in 9mm is the Lee 120 TC (conventional lube)sized 357 for my several 9's. Works great @ 1.055" OAL in the modern guns that have no lead to the rifling and is accurate in my guns. Similar in design is the Lyman 356402 which has a longer nose, which I used until I discovered the Lee bullet. Lots of good bullets for 9mm, pick one and get started.

[asmith80]

If you can find an MP 359-125 HP, they are extremely nice. I got one and got rid of all my other 9mm molds. MP does list a round nose design as well, that can be had in 6 cav aluminum if you don't like brass molds or hollow points. Looks like its in stock now

[Dragonheart]

I prefer iron molds because they last with few problems if properly cared for. Brass mold are heavy and more fatiguing to use. Aluminum is more prone to damage.
Obviously an H&G mold would be desirable, but hard to find in 9mm and costly. I own a number of 9mm molds including H&G, NOE, Lyman, Saeco, etc. My go to bullet for all my 9mm pistols is the 4 cavity Saeco #115. It is a 122 grain RN with a bevel base. Since I powder coat I prefer a bevel base handgun bullets. I have several loads that easily shoot under 1-1/2" groups at 25 yards with this bullet. It functions 100% in all my 9mm's.

[NuJudge]

Can I suggest that you figure out your groove diameter, and how big a bullet your chamber will tolerate, before you buy a mold? I have a bunch of 9mm Beretta and Walther barrels, and all of them are about .3575" groove diameter, and they like their bullets .358" or larger.

I have a Browning HiPower race gun my father had built during the 1960s. It has a groove diameter of about .3575". If I assemble a cartridge with a .358" bullet, it will not freely chamber in the pistol. If I use Lead bullets small enough for free chambering, it Leads like mad. It gets jacketed only.