Almost cast boolit question.

[MikeSSS]

I have cast some 9mm 124 gr TC Lees from range lead, they are too soft. It's summer and I don't want to cast more from wheel weights, the garage is like a humid oven. These are 9mm boolits for a Ruger P-89.

The problem: bought some hard swaged, coated, 147 gr, TC's and loaded them with a minimum load of 231. They lead the barrel enough so it takes a while to clean ( didn't have any Chore Boy to scrub it with ). These store bought swaged bullets don't have any lube grooves, just a coating.

The P-89 is almost new, made in 1995, all the indicators of being shot weren't there but are showing up now after 160 rds or more. I'm sure there will be less leading once the range count is higher.

Any advice for straight sided, coated swaged bullets?

I'm guessing I need to cast some harder 124 Lee's and try them.

In any case the P-89 works like they are said to work and seems to be very well made.

Thanks.

[lwknight]

Slug your bore.
My Ruger had a .3658 barrel bore on it till I replaced it.

Your range scrap lead will likely harden up a good bit after a few weeks. Even if its only air cooled and not water quenched.

[zuke]

Put'em in an oven,heat'em up then drop them into water.

[MtGun44]

What makes you think they are too soft?

Maybe, but also maybe not. Hardness is not
usually a primary issue, only secondary. No need for heat treat with
wheel wts, maybe with range lead, but if actually too soft, probably
will not have enough antimony to heat treat.

Harder is NOT necessarily better! Harder is NOT the default
solution for leading! Usually, you need bigger diam or better or
more lube.

Slug the bore. You need to shoot .001 or .002 larger with 9mm.
Use a good lube like LBT blue or NRA formula 50-50 (many
brands out there).

Bill

[cajun shooter]

+1 On the post ofMT44. People tend to think that if they have leading then the bullet is too soft. It could be the other way around and be too hard and not fit the bore which will lead up a bore very fast. It is not the BHN but the bore. If your bore is .357 and your bullits are .356 and hard you will have a big cleaning chore. If you have shallow rifling that is also a problem. For a 9MM the bore at .355 and the bullets at .356 is ideal You want to have that .001 or .002 for it to shoot right.

[mdi]

What makes you think they are too soft?

Maybe, but also maybe not. Hardness is not
usually a primary issue, only secondary. No need for heat treat with
wheel wts, maybe with range lead, but if actually too soft, probably
will not have enough antimony to heat treat.

Harder is NOT necessarily better! Harder is NOT the default
solution for leading! Usually, you need bigger diam or better or
more lube.

Slug the bore. You need to shoot .001 or .002 larger with 9mm.
Use a good lube like LBT blue or NRA formula 50-50 (many
brands out there).

Bill

Very accutate answer! If I wanted to use up the 147 gr boolits, I would try dipping in a thinned alox, may help. Also I'd bump up the load a little to see if that will help bullet obituration (sp?).

BTW; I've seen a lot of posts with problems casting/reloading for the 9mm. A good bullet to bore fit (+.002") is imperative. Plus finding a load/powder that doesn't lead seems to be a job in itself.

[59stude]

I have had my Ruger P85 for 18 years now and when using cast boolits I use ACWW and Lyman #356402 120gn Con boolit sized to "357, and with a lot of different lubes that I have used, the leading in barrel have been nearly zero, only using a bronze brush every 500 or so firings to clean it out.

59stude

[MtGun44]

59stud - cajun and mdi

Excellent points, all.

9mm is a recurrintg PITA on this site. SO many want to shoot hard and undersized boolits
with LLA (aka mule snot) and can't pull it off with any accy or without serious leading. 9mm
can work just fine, I NEVER lead a new gun anymore, now that I have learned the "secret",
which is mostly - DON'T USE TOO SMALL A BOOLIT!

Followed pretty close by don't think harder is necessarily better. Might be better, could very
easily be worse.
There is more, but that gets you close, all by itself.

Bill

[MikeSSS]

The 124 Lees in question are easily scratched with a finger nail. I haven't tried them in the P-89 but have leading problems in a CZ-75 (pre-B). I'll probably load up some of the 124's tonight and try them in the P-89.

To date the Ruger's leading problem is with the hard swaged, coated, 147 TC's, these have a concave base but I might not be loading them hot enough to get the base to upset and conform to the rifling.

[HeavyMetal]

Your 147 coated bullets are very likely undersized, "mike" them if you can and see what they are.

You may be real surprised at what they are and what eventually works in your Ruger.

The "finger Nail" test gives you nothing but lead under your nails same as using a dime to check choke on a 12 guage! It doesn't tell you anything except a dime will or won't fit the bore and thats only with the dime in your hot little hand at the time!


Same with finger nails some are harder than others so not a real hardness indicator!

The two major hurdles to get over when loading for a 9MM: Boolit diameter ( most are way to small) and useing way the wrong lube Lee LLA being the usual suspect.

Do a seach for 9mm loading issues! A recent poster had the same basic problem, leading, he found the thread on lubes tried his hand at a home made lube using a fomula he found in that thread and his leading went away instantly!

His first lube? Lee LLA!

Switch lubes, pan lube if you have to, and see what happens.