casting for semi autos

[walker77]

Im getting ready to start buying everything i need to cast for my Sig 9mm. Ive never cast for a semi auto before. Is it any different than a revolver? I have had a hard learning curve with my revolver. Im still chasing a bad leading problem with my S&W 629 44mag. But i think its coming from the cylinder, because im getting leading in it too, that or im putting too much crimp on. But anyway, id like some input on the matter. Thanks guys!

[Ctkelly]

My main concern would be making sure the bullet you're looking at is feeds reliably in a semi auto. Other than that all the normal rules apply.

[docone31]

Lee, 124gn TC.
Fantastic. With pan lubing, great.
I size to .356.
Works with 10gns of Blue Dot.

[thenaaks]

slug the barrel, then make sure your boolit is big enough...probably what's wrong with your smith!

[Jayhem]

How do you "slug a barrel"? Just drive a sized, lubed boolit through it with a rod?

[walker77]

slug the barrel, then make sure your boolit is big enough...probably what's wrong with your smith!

I already said that i think the cylinder is the problem. That would mean that i already know the boolit is too small by the time its reaching the barrel.

[SHORTY 1919 TODD]

when loading for autos besides a bullet profile that will reliably feed. you need to play around with seating depth and think about how may places the bullet bounces off on its way into the chamber, and the case headspaces on the mouth not the rim so if you crimp it too much it will be pushed too far forward. If there is not enough crimp the bullet can be pushed into the case and increase chamber pressure fast especially with fast powders like bullseye. If you make up some primer-less dummies you can start long and hand cycle them till they work fine, then go in a little farther for good measure.
Todd

[Tim357]

How in the world do you get that much bluedot in a 9mm case? Heck, 8 grains barely leaves enough room to seat the boolit!

[sagacious]

Lee, 124gn TC.
Fantastic. With pan lubing, great.
I size to .356.
Works with 10gns of Blue Dot.

Yikes. 10grs BlueDot appears to be a 25% overload of the maximum published load data with that bullet. Most published sources list approx 32,000cup with that bullet at 8.0grs BlueDot. A 25% increase in pressure would result in 40,000cup, and it's more likely that the actual pressure increase would be in excess of that with a 25% powder overcharge.

What is the source of your load recipe? Just curious. I'd hate to hear of someone's firearm being damaged, or worse.

:drinks:

[fredj338]

Yikes. 10grs BlueDot appears to be a 25% overload of the maximum published load data with that bullet. Most published sources list approx 32,000cup with that bullet at 8.0grs BlueDot. A 25% increase in pressure would result in 40,000cup, and it's more likely that the actual pressure increase would be in excess of that with a 25% powder overcharge.

What is the source of your load recipe? Just curious. I'd hate to hear of someone's firearm being damaged, or worse.

:drinks:
Yeah, that certainly raised an eyebrow. I'm not sure you can even get 10gr into a 9mm case!
As to loading for the semiuato. In some ways it's easier because you don't have to deal w/ the cyl throats. You onyl have to size to fit 0.001" over groove size. A med. hard alloy, like straight ww, seems to work for me w/ the shallow rifling in most pistols.

[walker77]

You mean if a little is good a lot isnt better????

[chris in va]

I just started reloading a few months ago and casting a month. But after about 3000 rounds loaded and probably 4k boolits, I can verify a couple things with semiautos.

You want to make a dummy bullet...no powder, no primer. Find out what the chamber will seat at without the bullet hitting the rifling. That will be your OAL with that particular bullet profile/shape.

Then you will need to adjust the powder charge accordingly. For example, I use a truncated cone 9mm profile, and had to seat it at 1.04oal which is REALLY short for 9mm. My powder charge is 10% less than max to compensate for reduced space in the powder chamber. Less space = more pressure, which could make your gun go KABLOOIE.

I use a Lee Factory Crimp Die and couldn't imagine reloading without it. Quite a few of my reloads have a noticeable bulge once the bullet is seated, and the die brings everything back to spec so it will feed properly. So far every single one of my reloads has worked flawlessly in my very picky CZ.

Honestly I'd go with a round nose profile just to be on the safe side. Skip the semiwadcutters and flat nose types.

Inspect the heck out of your brass if it's not new. I find a strong magnet to come in handy when weeding out all the steel cases (fake brass S&B). Also be sure you take out the impostors...9mm MAK, 380ACP, military crimped primer pockets, berdan primed stuff etc.

[454PB]

chris, you may be sizing your cast boolits down by using the Lee FC die. The fact that you have a bulge in the case mouth before crimping that is removed after crimping indicates that you are sizing the boolit within the case. You may want to consider using a boolit sizing die instead, sizing while the boolit is within the case can leave them loose in the case and prone to deeper seating while feeding.

[Echo]

In addition to all the above, I suggest using the largest diameter boolit that will reliably chamber in your gun - the bbl will size it down perfectly.

[Cherokee]

Guess I can't leave this load alone - 10 gr of Bluedot in 9mm case is way overloaded. For your own good, back off. The FCD resizes the bullet in the case, you don't want to do that as already said. The bulge at the base of the bullet and case wall grip on the bullet is what prevents bullet set back, not the crimp. Crimp only enough to remove the flare in the case mouth that you put there to facilitate seating without shaving the bullet.

[bigboredad]

I always thought that if you could see the bullet inside the case that was a proper reload and it seems to me using the lfcd is as others have said sizing your boolit to what ever lee decides your gun should shoot not what your gun is telling you it needs to be sized at. jmho