I'm so lost right now

[themighty9mm]

I am trying to find a 9mm bullet mold. Leaning towards lee as it seem to be the most cost effective option. I will be using a beretta 92fs with these bullets. Do I need to slug the barrel to get diameter or am I safe with just picking a 9mm mold. How over sized should the mold be .001, .002? Any recommendation on what mold to get? 38/357 or 9mm?
I asked on another forum and was told to not bother with the 2 cavity molds as the 6 cavity are made better, and at a later time I could increase production if I saw fit. Any experience with the 2 cavity mold? I am using a ladel and have absolutly no intention to use a pour system as it would involve me throwing more money at this hobby and I am trying to keep casting as absolutly cheap as reasonable

[bruce drake]

I did some casting for a 9mm (Taurus 99AF) a couple of years ago. I learned that a 120gr 38 caliber mold was a better fit than my LEE 9mm molds for my barrel. You'll probably see the same once you put a couple of shots down the barrel.

Bruce

[Bret4207]

There's nothing wrong with the 2 cav Lees as long as you exercise care in their use. No, they won't last forever, but they certainly can last for several thousand boolits with care.

Consider asking among the gang here for some sample boolits. See what designs and sizes work for your gun. I'm no 9mm fan or user, but fit is still king no matter the cartridge. See what shoots best and for goodness sake, don't start off with top end loads. Pick some lower mid range loads, go for function and accuracy over FPS. That stuff comes later.

[Beau Cassidy]

You should do fine ladle casting those 9mms. It won't take long before you recoup the cost of your mold. It won't be the fastest way to make bullets but again, it will get you going.

[chucky64]

I know there are so many different 9 mm molds that it can be difficult to choose one that will be right for your specific application. The lee 2 cavity mold is a good place to start, the molds are
cheap and if that particular bullet profile doesn't run well in your gun, there are other types of bullet profiles to choose from. I always size my 9mm at .356, I would only slug my barrel if I was experiencing problems with leading of my bullets sized at .356. I just looked at the lee website and they offer 5 different molds for the 9mm, I am ashamed to say that I own all five and I don't
use any of them. I personally was looking for a bullet that could be used for 3 different cartridges, 38spcl, 9mm and 357 sig and after trial and error found the right bullet mold for me. There is a learning curve with bullet casting and over time you will find what works right for you.

[Fly-guy]

hey mighty, I understand you not wanting to dump a bunch of money into your casting equipment so I have some "free" advise for you.

I have more molds than I will confess to and have litteraly done TONS of casting. If you are really interested in saving money then by all means, go with the six cavity mold rather than buying a cheaper one then later spending more money to replace the cheaper one.

I have had 2 Lyman pots, the first one was a 10 pound Lyman and it was a good one. The second one was a Lyman 20 pounder and wasn't worth the cost of the shipping. I've replaced both of them with a 10 pound Lee which looks and feels funky but it WORKS great! One good thing about the Lee pot and moulds are that they are inexpensive,work great and they have excellent customer service which is a whole lot more than I can say for Lyman.

I too have a 92 and had a lot of "fun" making it shoot. I cast the Lyman number 2 alloy from Lee six cavity 120 gr TC molds. I do not size the bullet (shoot as cast) and lubericate with Recluses' 45/45/10 lube formula. I also use Blue Dot powder and have had excellent accuracy from my 9mm.

By the way, the 45/45/10 bullet lube is a home made lube. I have modified the recipe a little and have had better luck with it. I boil equal portions of Johnson's floor wax and Lee liquid Lube and then cut the mixture down with mineral spirits. I add just enough mineral spirits to give the bullets a light golden color.

To lube the bullets, put 2 or 3 hundred in a tupper ware container and add a very small amount of the lube then roll the container around for about 1 minute. Then dump them onto wax paper to let them dry. If the bullets feel tacky after drying for several hours, add more mineral spirits. You will know if you have the mixture right if the bullets are good and dry by the next day.

Check Graf & Sons and Midway for the best prices and shipping options. You should be able to get a 10 pond pot and six cavity mould for about $125 and it will be a lot more fun than casting with a ladel.

Good luck and good shooting!

[Le Loup Solitaire]

There are a lot of bullet molds for 9mm and tons of advice related to the subject. I have in the past ladle casted two molds for my Baretta 92SB; Lyman #358242 and RCBS 115 truncated nose cone. Both are 2 cavity and drop bullets at .358 which is what one usually needs. Both feed well. Neither is as cheap as the Lee, but are well made and after many years of use are still going strong. The .358 diameter enables me to use them in the 38 special as well and they shoot accurately as well in that application without sizing. LLS

[canyon-ghost]

I started out with Lyman and RCBS equipment and molds, now, I've just came indoors from casting another 1000 44 specials with a LEE mold! Nothing wrong with a Lee mold, or Lyman, or RCBS. Lee just costs less (and I didn't know they really worked all that good, either!)

Old dogs learn new tricks too.

[MtGun44]

Try the Lee 356-120-TC, conventional lube design, size to .357 or .358, use NRA 50-50 or
LBT blue (pan lube if you don't have a lubrisizer) and you should have very good results.

Check out the sticky on "Setting up a new 9mm for boolits" - it might save you some time.

Bill

[rintinglen]

+1 on the sticky. It is a a very well thought out and organized method of fitting a boolit to a new gun. HOWEVER, if you are going for cheap, get a Lee 358-125 FN 2 cavity and start casting. A 358 Lee push-through sizer and proper dies and you are most likely off to the races.

[afish4570]

Try the Lee 356-120-TC, conventional lube design, size to .357 or .358, use NRA 50-50 or
LBT blue (pan lube if you don't have a lubrisizer) and you should have very good results.

Check out the sticky on "Setting up a new 9mm for boolits" - it might save you some time.

Bill

Leads alittle cause I shoot what melts, lots of range mined lead. I clean with copper core girls so this is not an issue. I have been sizing to 356 and will try the 357 sizing to see if they feed and chamber ok and reduce leading. A 6 cav. mold will produce enough bullets so you don't spend more time casting than shooting. A few 3or 4 hr. casting sessions after you develope a methodical system...... should give you around 3000 plus shots..!!! A Lee bottom pouring pot will be your next buy. You won't regret it in the time and effort saved. I use LARS product like Lee Liq. Alox he calls Xlox. Buy a qt. or two to save.afish4570