9mm SWC

[John Van Gelder]

I found some other posts on this bullet, the Lyman 358345. I bought this mold about 30 years ago, I used it mostly for small game loads in the .38spl. This bullet appears in the Lyman Third Edition cast bullet manual as recommended for the 9mm. I thought I would cast some up and see how they worked.

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I loaded these with 4 gr. of 700X, the bullets are sized at .357 and seated at the bottom of the top driving band, these functioned well in my
Ruger 9mm,but they seem a bit long for my CZ75.

[tazman]

With that much driving band showing above the case, you will need a generous throat in the barrel for it to work without jamming into the rifling.
I have a couple of pistols where that would work, no problem. Some of the others, not so much.

[Outpost75]

I tried that bullet in my S&W 940 revolvers and it wouldn't chamber unless sized to fit the cylinder throats. I later reamed the chambers on my revolver to accept .38 S&W ammo loose, or to use 9mm Parabellum with moon clips and that has beenmore useful. The chambers were lengthened from .754" to .775" and have a 30-degrees, Basic transition from the case mouth to the ball seat diameter with a .362" diameter forcing cone entrance and 6 degrees Basic forcing cone into the .356" cylinder throats. I can now get reliable and accurate shooting with any .38 S&W, .380-200 or 9mm Parabellum factory load.

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[Outpost75]

I tried that bullet in my S&W 940 revolvers and it wouldn't chamber unless sized to fit the cylinder throats. I later reamed the chambers on my revolver to accept .38 S&W ammo loose, or to use 9mm Parabellum with moon clips and that has been MUCH more useful. The chambers were lengthened from .754" to .775" and have a 30-degrees, Basic transition from the case mouth to the ball seat diameter with a .362" diameter forcing cone entrance and 6 degrees Basic forcing cone into the .356" cylinder throats. I can now get reliable and accurate shooting with any .38 S&W, .380-200 or 9mm Parabellum factory load. There is no leading or accuracy issue in firing larger diameter .38 S&W bullets through the 9mm cylinder throats, the pressure rise is well within design limits for the 940. Velocity of 146-grain .38 S&W loads fired in the modified cylinder is about 50 fps greater than the same ammo chronographed in my Model 32-1 S&W Terrier.

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[John Van Gelder]

If I come back about half way on the front band then they function in any 9mm I have. This has been an exercise in what if, this is a very old single cavity mold, My real objective was to see if this bullet shape was any more efficient on game than the RNFP bullet I normally use.

Outpost 75 Having a multi calibre hand gun is pretty attractive. Taurus markets a gun with two cylinders, and a pretty nifty quick change function.

[Shiloh]

SWC hang up in mine. gets caught on the lip. Doesn't function reliably.
LEE 105 grain that drops 110-112.

Shiloh

[Outpost75]

...Outpost 75 Having a multi calibre hand gun is pretty attractive...

This works for me because I also have an S&W Model 32-1 in .38 S&W, for which its original owner shortened a .38 Special cylinder to fit the smaller 1.40" frame window of the Model 32. With the .38 Special cylinder it is limited to short overall-length, standard-pressure rounds, but "full-charge" wadcutters work great in it, and the ole boy also had a file-trim die made to chop the noses off old-school 158-grain LRN service loads, producing a 146-grain FN bullet with 1/4" diameter meplat, which shoots to the fixed sights (as do also .38 Special wadcutters). The two revolvers make a great traveling pair of primary and New York Reload, as well as providing flexibility to use common ammo.

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[beagle]

That's a good little mould and does well in the 9mm but for semi autos, the seating depth has to be just right or it does in my High Power. Moving right along, you can really push it in a .357 Magnum. I had a HP version and used Pat Marlins .35PB gas checks and it did great out of my .357 Marlin. In my Blackhawk convertible 9mm cylinder it shoots great but I also have a heavier 358480HP that does even better so I go to that./beagle

[gwpercle]

If I come back about half way on the front band then they function in any 9mm I have. This has been an exercise in what if, this is a very old single cavity mold, My real objective was to see if this bullet shape was any more efficient on game than the RNFP bullet I normally use.

Outpost 75 Having a multi calibre hand gun is pretty attractive. Taurus markets a gun with two cylinders, and a pretty nifty quick change function.

I bought this mould about 40 years ago , the HP version , I size it .357 and seat the front driving band inside the case leaving only the thickness of a thumbnail of exposed band showing . Most 9mm don't have much throat...ergo you have to seat them deep enough to pass the plunk test .
Works this way in several 9mm Lugers and have loaded it in two different 380 acp's .

I would use it more but the single cavity HP mould is such a slow producer .
I do like the SWC design and the HP ..no feeding problems .. shoots accurately to boot .
I've gotten spoiled...First came a Lee two cavity 358-105-SWC , then a NOE 4 cavity358-124-TC-GC...my Lord that 1 cavity Lyman HP just seems so ice age slow now .
Gary

[Bashby]

SWC hang up in mine. gets caught on the lip. Doesn't function reliably.
LEE 105 grain that drops 110-112.

Shiloh

I have been trying to get Lee 105 SWCs to work in my Polymer 80 and I can’t get them to feed reliably. Dougguy reworked my barrel to get them to plunk, but they get hung up trying to chamber. Haven’t given up yet, but starting to think it just won’t work.

[John Van Gelder]

Bashby

Loading cast bullets in the 9mm can be a bit daunting, I am sure you have tried different seating depths, some SWCs need to be seated flush with the top of the top driving band to reliably function in some semi autos. The other end of the spectrum is the Lee 356-120TC, like the Lyman TC bullet they will feed in anything.

[DB404]

Old topic but I wanted to add my 2 bits for future readers. Back in late 90s I bought a double cavity version of Lyman mold 358345 which cast right at 110 grains from my alloy. Sized to .3556, I loaded it in Winchester .380 ACP brass over various powders for use in an Iver Johnson Pony 380, a locked breach 3" barreled semi auto pistol. The little guns were the result of an aborted deal between Colt and Star; there are 10 or more of them put together by FIE for Colt with Colt markings out there in collector land. Anyway, taper crimped just behind the leading edge of the front shoulder (just like the H&G 68 in .45 ACP brass back in IPSC days) it worked flawlessly. Accuracy was better than factory FMJ RN stuff, but that didn't take much to achieve. Also tried SAECO #909 (95 grain SWC; dropped at 95gr) and Lee #90316, a 105gr SWC (which dropped at 100 grains). All three functioned flawlessly in the little 380. Velocities were kept between 900 and 1,000fps. Lyman lists loads for it the 9mm (9x19) in their old Cast Bullet Handbook and in their 47th Reloading Handbook, where they show velocities over 1400 fps for it from a 4" test barrel with 1:10" twist. It cast easily and worked fine, as did the others.275545

[Finster101]

Looks eerily similar to a Lee 356-105.

[John Van Gelder]

Over the last 50+ years I have experimented with about every design of cast bullet in auto loaders and most of the time you find a bullet/powder combination that works well and that is the load you use. But trying different stuff is what it's all about.

Hope this year is better for everyone..j