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Thread: Mold suggestion for 9x19 Parabellum?

  1. #1
    Boolit Mold
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    Mold suggestion for 9x19 Parabellum?

    Evening All,

    Long time caster but usually working with 45 Colt, 45 acp, or 38/357. Dipping my toes into the 9mm waters and need some suggestions on molds, there are a gazillion of them out there and the search function is a PITA so thought I'd just ask the experts.

    Used to use WW with 1% tin but good WW is getting pretty hard to find now a days. Currently have 20:1 alloy mixed up but can make up what ever I want or what is suggested.

    Looking at 125-140 grain weight range, plain base, multiple cavity. Like a bullet with a bit of a metplat but not mandatory as this will be shot through pistols, not revolvers. Primarily for target, plinking and walking along the creek.

    With the above information what diameter mold should I look at?

    All suggestions welcome! Thanks!

    Wade

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    Accurate and NOE make some really nice molds. Can all be had in 4,5, and 6 cavity versions. There is a sticky on slugging barrels to get your barrels diameter. Would size .002 over that diameter. Each of the companies above will gut the mold to the diameter and alloy you specify.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master

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    NOE/Ranch Dog

    Standard grooves: http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/index.p...jnabdtjg70qci5

    Or tumble lube: http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/index.p...jnabdtjg70qci5

    Arsenal also cloning it: http://arsenalmolds.com/bullet-molds...it=99999999999

    My Pop picked up the NOE TL version to feed his 1911 and P85. Ended up using a hard, water quenched alloy, and as I recall, a Lee .38S&W sizing die to open the cases a little wider and prevent the brass from sizing the bullets down on seating. Had some hellacious leading in the process of figuring that out.
    WWJMBD?

    In the Land of Oz, we cast with wheel weight and 2% Tin, Man.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master

    Hickok's Avatar
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    Lee 358-125-RF. It is perfect for the 9mm.
    Maker of Silver Boolits for Werewolf hunting

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
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    I recently got an Accurate RD clone 9mm-135 PB. Very good mould, makes very good boolits.
    It ain't rocket science, it's boolit science.

  6. #6
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    I have both Accurate and NOE Rancch Dog, as designed and intended with TL/Micro Grooves. 135 grain with gas check, as designed and intended. The Accurate is hard to beat. Another great mold is the 155 grain Elco fron NOE.
    If I had to pick one for all around it would be the Elco, but the Ranch Dog design is hard to beat.

  7. #7
    Boolit Master Pine Baron's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hickok View Post
    Lee 358-125-RF. It is perfect for the 9mm.
    ^+1^. Lee .38 S&W sizing die. Powder coat and sized to .358. YMMV.
    Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master
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    I currently use Accurate 130C & 140Z 5 cav molds for 9 mm which are a flat point, I size around .3575" and run them out of several different 9 mm's with out any problems.

    I use Hi-Tek coating with 14 BHN to 15 BHN alloy, the harder alloy helps to prevent the bullet from being swagged in the loading process.

    I like the bullets to be .002" over barrel da and make sure they enter the barrel at that da.

  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy

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    Lee 356-120-tc and Lee 356-125-R2 work very well in the four different 9mm's I own. Tried the TL 356-124-rn but got about 40% key holes at 15 yards with about an 8 inch spread.

  10. #10
    Boolit Bub Daveco's Avatar
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    I second what Hickok said. The Lee 358-125-RF is my most used mould, and feeds and shoots well in all of all my pistols.

  11. #11
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I to use the Lee 358-125-RF for my 3, 9mm pistols. For my old Tokerev, I size to .358+", and my FMK and LC9s get .356"-.357". Feeds well and with Lyman #2 and Universal, very little/minimal leading, if any...

    I also cast this same bullet from my "mystery metal" (about 11-12 BHN) and size to .357" for my 38 Special and 357 Magnum revolvers...
    My Anchor is holding fast!

  12. #12
    Boolit Grand Master tazman's Avatar
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    NOE 358-135-rf, NOE 358-155-TC(ELCO), Lee 358-125-RF, Lee 356-120-TC(standard lube groove), Lyman 356402. All of these work well when sized appropriately for the gun.
    If you want a lighter boolit, the Lee 356-95-Rf works for that.
    I don't powder coat. Either run them through a lubrisizer or tumble lube. I have a couple of pistols that need a slightly smaller size, but .357-.358 works for most.

  13. #13
    Boolit Grand Master
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    The 356-120 TC lee works the best of lee designs for me, but I really like the NOE 358-136 FN SI. I can not echo the endorsement of the Lee 358-125 RF, it works ok in several of my nines, but my Sig P6 chokes on it and I have to load it very short to get good feeding in my Browning HP. It is not IME a "one size fits all" solution to your 9 mm loading chores.
    _________________________________________________It's not that I can't spell: it is that I can't type.

  14. #14
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by rintinglen View Post
    The 356-120 TC lee works the best of lee designs for me, ..................... I can not echo the endorsement of the Lee 358-125 RF, ........................I have to load it very short to get good feeding ..........
    This is my experience as well for my M&P 9mm.

    OP asked - "With the above information what diameter mold should I look at?"

    Ideally you should slug your barrel to find the groove diameter and then find a mold diameter .001" - .002" larger than that value.

  15. #15
    Boolit Buddy
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    IMHO you can not beat NOE 358-135-fp works with any throat or lack of, has been accurate in 5 glocks, & 7 carbines, feeds all the time & is easy to cast. It comes in flat base, gas check, flat point, hollow point it is a do every thing bullet and mold.

  16. #16
    Boolit Master

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    I have loaded a fair amount of the Lee 120-TC and the 125 2R. Would recommend the TC over the 2R. The TC I've found more reliable feeder for different guns. The issue is if a gun has minimal throat, then the 2R must be seated SHORT.

    At least one gun I load for needs a longer COL to facilitate tip-in angle, otherwise it misfeeds. I can't seat it longer since that gun has limited throat. The TC extends farther so helps feeding in that gun.

  17. #17
    Boolit Mold
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    Guys, thanks for all the replies. Should have said initially I will be shooting it out of a SIG 365, might pick up a Sig 320 down the road. Couple questions:

    1. Is a GC necessary on a 9mm? I've cast more GC than PB bullets in my time, primarily heavy 45 colt loads, 342 GR WFNGC LBT moving about 1,375 fps out of a 5.5" Hamilton Bowen custom Bisley. Worked great but don't know if that would be necessary for a 9mm out of a 3.1" bbl Sig 365?

    2. Googled Ranch Dog Molds and comes up as no longer in business?

    3. I like the LOOKS of the NOE SC357-135-RF-AZ2, good wide flat nose and two lube groves. But the dimensions sheet show it's got a .357" diameter. Can you order it at .358"? Any feeding issues with the wide/flat nose?

    4. The NOE 358-136-FN-S1 also looks nice. Single lube groove, longer profile, smaller met plat and it's .358". Would it be safe to assume it would be more likely to feed better than #3 above?

    5. Like the looks of the accurate #35-130B, but again it shows .357" diameter.

    6. #35-135B also looks good and it shows as .358"

    If I can find more WW I will use that for these bullets, if not it will most likely be 20:1 lead/tin, see any problem with that?

    What say you all? Thanks!

    Wade
    Semper Fi!

    4.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master

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    Gas check not necessary on 9mm but might save you some time and effort. As I said in my first post, I had some initial issues with the brass sizing the bullets down below optimal for the bore (a pretty common 9mm issue). A gas check would be one possible work-around, but there are others.

    Ranch Dog turned NOE loose to make his designs. The bullets I linked you to ARE the Ranch Dogs.

    20-1, from my experience at least, is probably going to be too soft without a check on the back. For my effort at plain based Ranch Dogs, I believe it was water-quenched wheelweight equivalent probably in excess of 20 BHN.
    WWJMBD?

    In the Land of Oz, we cast with wheel weight and 2% Tin, Man.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master

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    I wouldn't recommend a GC mold for 9mm. That's a lot of work for an auto-loader, and not necessary, generally. Gas checks triple the materials cost for me as well.

  20. #20
    Boolit Master
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    Another for Lee 358 125 R/F sized 358 at least, some pistols like bigger. I use Hi-Tec coating so bigger is easy just another coat. Regards Stephen

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check