9mm Mold Recommendations?

[alamogunr]

I just ordered 9mm handguns for my 2 sons and I have 3 in the safe. I've never reloaded or cast for the 9mm but with the increase in prices for ammunition, I think it is time. Because of this lack of activity in this cartridge, I don't have a mold for 9mm. I'm considering a Lee 6 cavity in a tumble lube design. Anyone have experience with either a round nose or a truncated cone bullet in this cartridge? I just want something that feeds well and is not too picky about the gun it is fired in. I will be loading practice ammo for myself and sons.

I realize that trying to cast for multiple guns is an iffy proposition but hopefully the bore of their guns will be close enough that I can fit without too much trouble.

If anyone wants to throw in a powder recommendation, feel free.

John
W.TN

[Ricochet]

The truncated cone usually works well. I believe it's the original 9mm bullet shape.

[Echo]

I cast & shoot the Lyman 356402 in my Walther P1. The boolit design is about a hundred years old, truncated cone, and about as standard for 9mm as can be. The Lee boolit looks nearly identical, as do others. Buy the Lee mold and never look back.

[jlucht01]

I have the lee TL TC 356 mould. Drops nice boolits most of the time. I had to replace my pins already. I lost one somewhere along the line. That would be about the only bad thing i have to say about it.

[Ricochet]

My TL356-124-TC drops boolits at about .358" on the front band and .360" at the base. I use 'em unsized, tumbled with liquid Alox. May bulge the cases a bit, but as long as they'll chamber freely you're fine. Many 9mm chambers are a bit on the loose side anyway. AA #5 is a good powder for the 9mm, as are many others.

[dolang1]

I found that the truncated cone will work in a glock where the round nose will not. I use 50/50 WW/pure lead with JPW. I like both molds. Later Don

[paul edward]

My experience since 1973 is with the old Lyman 356402 two cavity mold. With an alloy of wheel weights and linotype metal they weigh about 120 grains and feed well in P-08, P-38, Tokarev and High Power.

Loads I have used with success include 4.5 gr Bullseye, 6 gr Unique and 4.5 gr of Win 231 or HP-38 (they are the same powder). Usual disclaimers apply.

Although it looks good on paper, I have had no luck with HS-6. It leaves lots of unburned powder and sometimes fails to cycle even the High Power.

Normally my High Power will digest almost anything. German military pistols, however, seem to like full strength loads.

PED

[big dale]

I have an old two cavity lee mold for a 125 grain round nose boolit that I sized in a Lyman Lubricater sizing die marked at 357 and loaded over 4 grains of red dot for my old Browning high power for about a decade. I shot that load in that gun for about a dozen years and with that mold block getting good casts was about as easy as falling off a log. This was always good for 4 inch groups at 25 yards and I never found any other load that was any better in that gun.

Big Dale

[Firebricker]

I like the RCBS 147 FN FB

[putteral]

Another vote for the TL356-124-TC. I have the 6 cavity one and love it. 5.4grs AA#5 is my favorite.
:drinks:

[leadeye]

I like the Lee 358-125 RF. Another member tipped me to that combo with Titegroup in a 9mm and it works for me in everything I have, Berettas,Brownings, and Broomhandles.:D

[beagle]

My two High Powers get either the 356402 or the 358242 (125 grain version). Both feed and shoot well in them./beagle

[alamogunr]

I think I'll start off with the TL356-124-TC. The handguns I got for my sons are Ruger P95's. Does anyone know if Ruger barrels are pretty close to .356 or am I likely to have undersized boolets? I use straight WW with a little tin. I don't usually water drop.

John
W.TN

[rugerman1]

I think I'll start off with the TL356-124-TC. The handguns I got for my sons are Ruger P95's. Does anyone know if Ruger barrels are pretty close to .356 or am I likely to have undersized boolets? I use straight WW with a little tin. I don't usually water drop.

John
W.TN

Pull the P95 barrel out,run a patch of lube through it,put it in a padded vice and drive a boolit through it to measure the size.My P89 has a tighter barrel then my Beretta 92F does.

[helg]

I have two 9mm TL molds: TL356-124-TC and TL356-124-2R. The first one is more accurate. I believe that this is because bearing surface on the TC bullet is longer than on the RN:.3" vs .24", both are smaller than a caliber (.356").

RN bullet has better ballistic coefficient (.164 vs .127). Therefore the RN should decelerate less with air resistance and be deflected less by a side wind. I do not think that this ever has to be considered on pistol distances.

[cabezaverde]

I like the 124 TL TC also, which I run through a lube isizer.

My only gripe with the TL boolits is that I have to add some tin to my wheelweights to fill them out and reduce my scrap rate (compared to non TL boolits).

[Landric]

I'm sort of a weirdo, but I like the Lyman 358311 in my 9x19mm pistols. With my WW lead its dropping at about 164 grains. Size it to .356 and put it on top of 4.2 grains of HS-6, and I get a nice 810 fps load that is very mild to shoot and makes IDPA power factor. Its a round nose, so it feeds without any issues, and I don't load it in my .38/.357s, so no worries about mixing up the .356 and .358 sized boolits.

[MtGun44]

Lee Truncated cone regular lube version (I dislike the mule snot lube) sized to .357 or .358.

The biggest error most beginners do with cast in the 9mm is too small a boolit. Do not
bother with .356 diam as it is very likely to lead and be wildly inaccurate, or tumble in
many 9mm Lugers. Some will work with .356, but most Euro9s will not do well and many
US 9s will not either.

Bill

[alamogunr]

Thanks for all the insights. I guess I better slug the barrels on these two guns before I order a mold. I usually do that for my revolvers to insure that the throats are not smaller than the bore but haven't bothered with semi-auto's. If they come in under or equal to .356, I'll order the TL356-124-TC. These boolets will only be used for practice loads. Beyond that, my sons will be responsible for any applications beyond this.


I like the 124 TL TC also, which I run through a lube isizer.

My only gripe with the TL boolits is that I have to add some tin to my wheelweights to fill them out and reduce my scrap rate (compared to non TL boolits).

I don't have a problem adding tin. My stash of solder will undoubtedly outlast my WW stash. I have to be careful that I don't add too much tin and exceed the estimated antimony content. My reading on the subject indicates this is detrimental to the alloy.

John
W.TN

[Leftoverdj]

John, it's my belief that bullets in the 150 grain range are far easier to work with that the more traditional 125 grains. I don't claim expertise or formal testing, but I've loaded for a good many 9mms over the years and have come to believe that the generally longer bearing surfaces and lower velocities make it much easier for get decent offhand accuracy and are less prone to tipping, leading, and the other common problems with cast bullets. I also believe a mould should cast at least .358 and .359 is better. I can size them down a lot easier than I can size them up.

My mainstay mould of the last few years has been the now obsolete Lee 356-153-2R. I have only used it in a few guns, but it's fed perfectly in those 4-5. I was lucky enough to get a mould that casts a bit over .358. Were I to need to replace it, I would confidently go looking for a similar mould, probably one intended for the .38 Special, 145-160 grains, with a rather pointed nose.

[bohokii]

i bought the 2 cavity 124 tumble round nose

they are not really round more semi rifle shaped

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/bohoki/DCP_6891.jpg

i seat mine out as far as fit in a magazine and no feeding problems for me

i load mine light with 3.5 bullseye i size them with a 356 sizerit helps me pick out the undersize ones which are very few like maybe 1 in 100 or less

[evan price]

Lee TL 356-124-2R in a six-cavity. I size them to .358 in my .38 special sizer. Works in all my 9mms, I find that they prefer a larger boolit over the .356 sized ones. I chose the 2R because I was already using a commercial cast variation before I started casting and it was the same OAL. I will probably try the TC nose sometime if I find a good deal on a mould.

[Alchemist]

I use the RCBS 124 gr TC mould. It has functioned fine in a Colt Commander, Browning Hi-Power, Marlin Camp Carbine and Beretta 92. The Lee nose shape looks pretty much identical, so it should work fine for you.

I've loaded that boolit over Green Dot, WW231, and Bullseye....all with good results.

ETA-I've also used that boolit in .38 special loads.

[Ventnburn]

Started loading 9s this summer, the goal was a light load so I could shoot the PF-9 without pain and shoot the old S&W 39 at minimum wear.

Only mould I had was Lee's 105 grain semi-wad cutter. Sized 0.358, loaded over a minimum charge of Titewad and at the right length, they feed and fire extremely well. The PF-9 is scary accurate with these and the 39 does fairly well also. Cases also stay close (the Kel-Tec tosses factory loads across two shooting benches).

This is also my light bullet for 38 specials, I use a 0.360 sizer to lube (almost no sizing), load over a minimum charge of 700X, almost like shooting a .22.

[Ricochet]

I intend to try the TL356-124-TC in .38 Special, too.

[stubshaft]

I guess I'm the oddball. Used to cast the 356404 95gr boolit. I just liked it not because it was shorter but had a larger meplat.

[lwknight]

I have a Ruger P-95. (Like the OP mentioned) It eats every kind of bullet I ever tried to feed it flawlessly. The only thing it don't like is light loads because of the high tension rebound springs. I have to shoot 124 grain bullets about 1100-1150fps to work reliably. I plan next to get some 147 grain molds so I can shoot slower and still cycle the slide.

[Trader Vic]

I started out with the lee TL 356 124 2R mold. My problem was keyholing. I read on other threads that the hi power guys had the same problem, keyhole & no accuracy. Another fellow said to try a bigger boolit, the lee 358-105- swc, problem solved. I tumble lube these & my 9mm loves them. No sizing, maybe a slight case bulge that doesn't hurt function. I use 4.5 gr of unique for a good target load, no leading. Back to the 356 124 2R mold, these work great in my 38 & 357, tumble lube & load them. Good target boolits.

[Nate1778]

I have the Lee 2-Cavity Bullet Mold 356-125-2R and the 2-Cavity Bullet Mold TL356-124-TC 9mm Luger. I have shot about 100 rounds of each through my G19 and still having a bit of leading issues with them but here are my thoughts. While both are very accurate out of my gun, the TC wins. It wins because its easier to produce in bulk, and it punches paper MUCH better than the round nose. The holes are night and day different. My only complaint is I only have the 2-cavity version. I do have to size both bullets to .356 as my Glock seams to be very tight in the chamber.