Long throated 9mm - Accuracy found with Lee 358-140-SWC

[Whistler]

I have an STI Executive double stack 9mm that has Always been hard to find accuracy with. I've tried about twenty different bullets and pretty much all of them fail my requirements (bullseye 1" circle at 30 yards).

This barrel has an extreme throat. I've noticed that it can feed and fire round nose profiles that usually don't work for 9mm, like the Lee 356-125-2R and Lee 358-150-R. However, magasize length limitations have Always left me with a deeply seated bullet that either get sized down to .353-.355 or bulge the case and fail to chamber.

I set my faith to the Mihec H&G #125 Group buy, a 140 SWC known for accuracy and "touching the lands" possibilites. No avail. The bullet arrived and if I wanted it to touch the lands the OAL would have to be 1.200" (I dropped a bullet in the chamber and measured the distance from bullet base to barrel hood).

Back to the drawing board. I tried the Lee 358-140-SWC. I seated it as long as I could with it still having tilting ability in the 1911 single stack Magazines (this upper fits both my single and double stack frame). The OAL was then 1.165". Then I chambered. Perfect fit. Slightly touches the lands. I have to run a .357 M-die which doesn't really flare the case mouth, so straight seating is important and not all brass can be used, only those with thin walls, like G.F.L (Fiocchi).

But my first load of 3.9gn N340 shot clover leafs. I don't really dare continue testing. This is as good as it gets.

(click for larger image)


From the left:
Factory 9mm
Lee 358-140-SWC at 1.165"
Mihec H&G #275 at 1.140"

[Sgtonory]

No feeding issues then? 9mm always gives me fits also. One reason i switched to shooting 40 for uspsa.

[Whistler]

The nose slams the ramp hard with some deformation, but no setback and it Always feed into the chamber.

[Ken in Iowa]

You can't argue with success. I salute your tenacity.

[chucky64]

I suffered from the opposite problem with short throated barrel. I eventually sent the barrel to
Randy Rat and now I can use the 9mm bullet common to all my guns. I have that 140gr Lee
mold, makes me want to get it out and cast some.

[reddog81]

Seeing a 9mm sitting that far out of the case almost makes me cringe. All my 9mm have short throats and that would never work.

the accuracy of that bullet doesn't surprise me. I've had great luck with it in 38 special.

[Whistler]

reddog81: The orange in the middle is seated deeper than the blue to the right (in regards of case capacity, not OAL).