Intro and 9mm seating depth question

[cbr]

Ok, Im getting frustrated with this pistol. I tried pan lubing some today with some lube I made a while back. Cant remember exactly what was in it, but it consisted of vasoline, parifin, and moly grease. Better, but still some leading near the muzzle. I reduced my loads to 4.2 grains of unique and still some leading near the muzzle. If I go any lower the slide wont always lock back on an empty mag. I don't know what else to try.

[oso]

You might want to change the focus of your frustration from the pistol to the bullet. I prefer heavier bullets (138 - 156 gr) and slower powder (HS-6) for accuracy and reliable cycling without leading (lower velocities.)

[Harpman]

I second the idea of the bullet...I could not no way get a 356 bullet to shoot in my M&P9 without leading, soon as I went to 358, problem was solved, same in my BPCR, I just could'nt get same diameter or .001 smaller to bump like every one says they do, soon as I went to .002 larger, problems were solved.

[robertbank]

Your lube isn't doing the job. Sorry. If your troubles were with your bullet diameter then you would normally see leading either at the muzzle or throughout the barrel. appears to me your lube is gone before the bullet gets to the end of the barrel hence the leading. Your load is not the problem. 4.2 gr of Unique is within a tenth of a grain of what I use for IDPA loads and experience no leading in any of my guns including the M&P, CZ, Tanfoglio, ans STI.
Try to pick up a used lubricator on Ebay. They go cheap enough and you will be well on your way. Either buy or make your own lube and go from there. My M&P does not lead at all and you shouldn't experience any leading either.

Harpman: 9MM barrels are normally ,355. Nobody I know of suggest you size your bullets .001 smaller, expecting obuteration to seal the barrel. At least .001 over barrel diameter is the recomendation of most. I size to .357 for my 9MM bullets for that reason. If you are at .358 and getting good results all the better.

[9.3X62AL]

Bob--

I'ver slugged close to 100 different 9mm barrels, and I think 5 or 6 were actually at "spec" .355". The majority were .356"--more than a few were .357"--and a couple were .358". Both were Beretta 92-series.

Another complicating factor in 9mm is the loose radial clearances of the chambers and wide throat dimensions--those Berettas had .359" throats. My 2 SIG-Sauer 9guns both have almost .357" throats and .356" grooves. They get fairly hard 92-6-2 alloy and Javelina Alox lube, and .357" sizing.

Add on the fast rifling twist most 9mm's use (1-10" or 4 turns/meter), what you dealing with is a rifle caliber--so you must do rifle things to get them to act right. We respond to wide throats and loose case necks in rifles with fatter boolits--do so in 9mm as well.

Treat 9mm--357 SIG--40 S&W--and 10mm like rifles. The 9mm is worst of the lot due to wide dimensional tolerances, but all are quirky and can be a challenge to the cast boolit shooter.

One other caveat if you shoot jacketed bullets in your 9mm--BE SURE TO GET ALL THE COPPER FOULING OUT OF THAT BARREL. Get the Chore Boy on the lead, but follow up with some Sweet's 7.62 or other ammonia-based copper dissolver. I'll bet you'll get some robin-egg blue on the patches, indicating copper fouling. Don't leave the Sweet's in place for more than 10 minutes before patching it out and following with Hoppe's or CLP. Those rough-finish service-grade barrels will mine copper like nobody's business.

[Harpman]

this is great info here.....In my post I was referring to the common knowledge that I read, that soft lead bumps up to fill the rifling, I didnt mean it to sound like a 9mm specific thing......this is my first experience with 9mm also...funny how all these calibers and jumping from psitol to rifle etc, smokeless, black, all require their own techniques.....nothing is "cast in stone"

[robertbank]

"nothing is "cast is stone" "

You got that right. This hobby will drive you nuts if you aren't already.

Take Care

Bob

[Cloudpeak]

My M&P 9mm slugs .3555. The most accurate loads in this gun, so far, have been WWB clad 115 gr. rounds. The bullets mike .355. I'm still trying to come up with a consistantly accurate load with the 124 Lee TL RN bullet.

For my last project, I water dropped these bullets and sized them to .357-.358 and am going to lube some with LLA and some with JPW. My most accurate load so far in this pistol with the Lee bullet has been 3.6 gr. of W231, lubed with JPW, with a COAL of 1.12 and it shot a group at 7 yards of .65". I shot the same size group offhand at 7 yards with the WWB ammo. The JPW load left a pretty gunky bore but maybe the same bullet sized a bit larger will help.

Cloudpeak

[robertbank]

Hi
I have been working with Lyman's 356402 bullet in my M&P. Sized to .357 accuracy appears accurate enough but it has been to cold to realy sit down with a rest to test. 4.1 gr Win 231 makes IDPA PF which is all I want at this point. I use Felix lube which is a soft lube. No leading in my gun.

Take Care

Bob

[cbr]

Bob, I got a used lube sizer on the way! Kind of been wanting one anyway, so this gave me an excuse to take the plunge. Any recomendations on lube other than felix lube. I might try to make some felix lube in the future, but might take me a while to come up with the ingredients. Would the traditional NRA lube work well in 9mm? I saw some pretty good deals on lube on ebay, jakes lube I think it was.

[robertbank]

Great. You are on your way. I used Jake's Lube before I started making Felix Lube. Get the softer version that does not need a heater. Worked well for me. Jakes are really good to deal with. Highly recomend.

That said get the ingrediants for Felix lube. Stuff really works.

You are about to end your leading problems.

Take Care

Bob