What Sizer Die For 9mm Boolit?

[leadman]

I haven't cast for the 9x19 for quite awhile. Now I bought a Lee 6 cavity 122gr. TC.
This boolit is for several pistols, 2 of which I have no access to the guns to check the bore size.
Lyman lists .358" for the 9x19, while RCBS lists .356".
The question is, what size would be desireable under these circumstances?

[Hardcast416taylor]

Some years ago I used to size my 9`s like I was told to,.355". I never got what you would call stellar accuracy in either of my pistols. I for got to change sizers once ater sizing some 158 gr. .357 boolits and proceded to size a batch of 9`s with the .358" sizer. Accuracy improved dramatically with the larger sized slugs. So my advice is to use a larger sizer for your pistols. My alloy was and still is 50/50 ww/pb with Saeco Green home made lube. Robert

[S.R.Custom]

You don't say what guns you're loading for, but the Sigs and Berettas have .357 bores and big ol' fat mil spec chambers. The old S&W model 39s, on the other hand, run true to 9mm nominal dimensions.

That said, I'd opt for the bigger sizer, but I'd also get a Lee Factory Crimp die. The Lee FC die will size the loaded round down to the smaller, nominal dimension for use in the tight guns. (Only use the FC die on ammo for use in the tight guns; it sizes the ammo down to 9mm nominal dimensions, thus defeating the point of using the fatter bullets.)

In other words, load 'em all fat. If you find you have a gun that chokes on the fat ammo, re-run 'em through the FC die.

[leadman]

One pistol is a Ruger P89, another is a Browning Hi-Power. The other 2 are a couple states away and I don't know what they are. I'll have to ask my friend.

Sounds like a good idea to size them to .358". The bolits drop out of the Lee mould at .360".

[MGD]

Always run my 9mm bullets through a .357 sizer. No problems, good accuracy.

[9.3X62AL]

2 SIGs and 1 Ruger, all do well with .357" sizing. .358" works just as well, though.

[leadman]

Thanks guys, I have a die marked .357, but it sizes almost .358. I'll give it a try and hope it works.

SuperMag, I had thought of sizing the boolit after it is in the case, which will work for me here. Hope the almost .358" size works for my friend in Texas.

[grumman581]

.358 will work in a 9mm? Damn, I have 1500 147 gr LRN that I had bought last year for .38 and .357 that I can now use in my .357SIG...

[Freightman]

My Colt 1911 9mm loves .358 boolits and is extremely accurate.

[grumman581]

My Colt 1911 9mm loves .358 boolits and is extremely accurate.

Is it that the barrel is just a bit too large or is it that the bullets are soft enough that they're basically being resized when you shoot them?

[walnutred]

I also use .358 bullets in my 9x19. Though I suspect that by the time I load them in the case and run them through a crimp die they are no longer uniformly .358.

[big dale]

I had a Browning High Power for many years in the 70's and 80's and I always used a 125 grain roundnose sized in a 357 sizing die. This gun was never particularly accurate, but it did no worse with that set-up than with anything else.

I just purchased a 9mm and 357 Sig barrels from Lone Wolff for my Glock 24, but don't use cast bullets till I have put over 500 jacketed ones thru a barrel to break it in before using cast bullets. If the 357 bullets don't work with those barrels, I will have to let you know. It looks like it might be a while till I can find enough primers to persue my hobbies as much as I would like. It looks like the price DOUBLED around here AGAIN last week.

Big Dale

[bobthenailer]

2, 38 supers & 2, 9mm all shoot cast bullets with .357 dia bullets than .356