9mm is very annoying

[wulfman92]

Hello all,

Here is my 9mm casting story. Started off the spring of '17 buying a Glock 34 and wanted to shoot a little IDPA with it. I've reloaded enough 9mm to supply a small army, but moved to casting the projectiles for the obvious savings. Got myself a Lee 6 cavity 124 grain truncated cone tumble lube mold simply because my brother had good luck with it. WHAT A MISTAKE. I pushed them out with 3.0 grains of Clay's and used Smoke's powder coat in lieu of lube . You'd think I'd be a locksmith by trade with all the keyholes I had to deal with. Well some of us learn slower than others, so I kept trying to figure something out. Nothing like keyholing at a match and looking like an a$$hole! I also was blessed with a bouncing baby boy this June, so my time to diagnose the situation properly was limited as well. As time went on I bought a Lee 6 cavity 120 grain truncated cone with the lube groove. Improved my situation greatly, very accurate. Still have some dinking around to do with it. I've learned that if I bell my case too much to get the lead boolit in and not swage it down, that it will make my plunk test fail. Not really looking for advice, but I'll sure take some if you share it. Figured I'd share my life story to finally have a post!

Good Day

[Love Life]

Doesn’t taper crimping within SAAMI spec remove the bell? Or are you saying that even after crimping, your rounds are to fat to pass the plunk test?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[gnostic]

You didn't say, how big are your bullets? If they're less than .358, they'll likely lead the barrel and keyhole. I'm sure it happens, but I've never known anyone, to have success with tumble lube design bullets...

[wulfman92]

I am using a Lee factory crimp and it won't pass a plunk test after, if I flare too much. After reducing the bell slightly, it will work. I did this all with just the case as well, no boolit, and it fails the plunk test empty.

I first tried sizing at .356 for the tumbles. I now do .357 for the lube grooves, might try the .356 for it as well. Lost interest in ever casting the tumble lube mold again!

[farmerjim]

You may need to have it throated to take a .357 or .358 boolit. My M&P 9 would not take any boolit larger than .355 till i sent it to DougGuy. It now takes a lee 358-125-RF sized to .357 that shoots great.

[JBinMN]

You didn't say, how big are your bullets? If they're less than .358, they'll likely lead the barrel and keyhole. I'm sure it happens, but I've never known anyone, to have success with tumble lube design bullets...

I have & no leading.



------------------------------------

Lost interest in ever casting the tumble lube mold again!

If you get to where ya want to sell, send me a PM.

[BK7saum]

Since you are using the Lee FCD, humor us and pull a bullet with kinetic puller and give us a measurement of the pulled bullet. It is likely that the FCD is sizing down the bullets in the cases and you are shooting undersize bullets, regardless of what size they are when seated. Even if you are using .357/.358 boolits, they are likely. 356/.355 after crimping.

[Walt]

Size your 120 TCs .356 and load them over 3.5 Bullseye. Lose the CFCD and taper crimp to .379 OAL 1.060. This formula shoots well in all my 9mm Glocks.

[HeavyMetal]

First you now know why I think tumble lube boolits are a joke, the 120 Lee was a good choice and I have one that works very well.

Won't even comment on the Glock.

As far as the Lee FCD die is concerned is it a new one or the older design that will also seat a boolit? The old design did not work well and hd many issues, the new design, which will not seat a boolit, works much better but it also has one issue I am not sure most will spot right away.

The crimping insert is only beveled on one end, it is possible you may have "flipped" it cleaning the die for use or the factory may have installed it backwards as well.

I have bee using the new design FCD die and I don't care how much I bell the case the loads alway fit and do the plunk test in a Wilson case gauge, if it fits the Wilson the only other issue is Over All Length of the loaded rounds which has to be excessive for the Wilson case gauge to alert you.

Please check the FCD die insert to be sure you have the inside beveled edge installed towards the mouth of the die, then follow the instructions to set up.

This means have the die body just off the shell holder or shell plate, insert loved round into to the press and up into the die, with the round fully into the die screw the crimp adjustment screw down until it touches the boolit, back the round out a 1/4 inch and adjust the screw down 3/4 to one full turn.

This should provide you with all the crimp you need and should pass the plunk test, if it doesn't I think I'd look elsewhere for a problem.

HM

[Grmps]

Since you are using the Lee FCD, humor us and pull a bullet with kinetic puller and give us a measurement of the pulled bullet. It is likely that the FCD is sizing down the bullets in the cases and you are shooting undersize bullets, regardless of what size they are when seated. Even if you are using .357/.358 boolits, they are likely. 356/.355 after crimping.

I totally concur

I sie to 357, use the Lee seat and crimp die and crimp it just tight enough so the boolits won't move when pushed against the bench, then I just "kiss" it very slightly with the Lee FCD to help insure passing the plunk test. when pulled they are still .357.

If your throat is to small, cast won't work.

[Eddie17]

I’m with Grmps. 357, FCD works in my 9 mm

[fourarmed]

I recently bought a 9mm Shield that has been disappointing so far. I can seat the Lee 125 RF to 1.06 in the other nines I have, but this one won't chamber them longer than about 1.00. Needless to say, accuracy is not great, but then it isn't great with any jacketed bullets I've tried either. I realize this gun is not meant for 25 yard accuracy, but my M&P .45 is a tackdriver with everything. The best group this shield has produced is around seven inches. That is not "interesting."

[Shumkles]

I was shooting lead 124gr in my 929 and they were tumbling. I increased the powder charge slightly and that helped.

[Shumkles]

Sorry I went from 3.8 of 21 to 4.0 of 231. still very soft and I have not chrono'd them yet.

[Shumkles]

Also should probably point out that the bullets are sized .356 and the barrel is (supposed to be) .355. I have not checked the barrel but the bullets are consistantly .3555. I think if they were a true .356 or even .3565 they would work better. I have about 10k to use up before I will get new ones.

[farmerjim]

I recently bought a 9mm Shield that has been disappointing so far. I can seat the Lee 125 RF to 1.06 in the other nines I have, but this one won't chamber them longer than about 1.00. Needless to say, accuracy is not great, but then it isn't great with any jacketed bullets I've tried either. I realize this gun is not meant for 25 yard accuracy, but my M&P .45 is a tackdriver with everything. The best group this shield has produced is around seven inches. That is not "interesting."

Have DougGuy open up the throat for you. In my M&P9 I could only get .355 jacketed to chamber Till I got the throat opened up. Now it takes .357 cast with ease and shoots better than me.

[44MAG#1]

If the bullets are HARD they won't be sized down. The flare needs to be at least straightened out at least to case body diameter as measured by a caliper after bullet is seated.
In semi autos I generally crimp more than the books recommend. Mine are actually slightly turned in. Very slightly though.
Don't be afraid to crimp firmly regardless what others say.

[Drm50]

I've had 9mm dies for years, loaded some with jacketed bullets for Brn HPs, P-38s, S&Ws ect.
Nothing outstanding factory dupes. 9 mm became so cheap a long time went by that I didn't load
any. Then I got a Hp comp a few years ago and started shooting it a good bit. Gun shoots about
anything you put in it very well. I bought some cast and a few 9mm molds. I tried these as well
as several 38 bullets. Tried several diameters but try as I might I couldn't get a cast bullet of any
kind to shoot as well as jackets. This is just the opposite of any other gun I have loaded for. My
Casting has been mainly handgun or the older LV cals, and a few big bore modern cartridges. I
still have not found a cast load that preforms in this pistol. I have had buddies secret cast loads
preform the same as mine. They swear by them and have targets to proove it. I have given up on
Cast for it.Attachment 205935

[Mauser 98K]

keyhole is a stabilization problem. usually means the bullet is not spinning fast enough to stabilize. what is your bullet length and barrel twist.. 3.0gr clays sounds like your probably well below 900fps, maybe even around 800fps-850fps give or take. might not be fast enough to spin it fast enough to stabilize.

[Walt]

keyhole is a stabilization problem. usually means the bullet is not spinning fast enough to stabilize. what is your bullet length and barrel twist.. 3.0gr clays sounds like your probably well below 900fps, maybe even around 800fps-850fps give or take. might not be fast enough to spin it fast enough to stabilize.

It's not a twist rate problem, 9mm Glocks are close to 1 in 10.