9mm to heat treat or not to heat treat that is the question.

[JASONBURNSDUNDEE]

I have been using the oven method for heat treating my 9mm bullets for so long that I can not remember if I am doing it for a reason or not. I use air cooled wheelweights for 45 acp. Is it necessary or advisable to heat treat 9mm bullets?

[Angus]

I always just water drop my 9mm and 38 boolits, never had any leading issues at that velocity and they are plenty accurate.

[44man]

Just water drop them. Oven hardening is only needed with boolits that are already cast by air cooling.

[JASONBURNSDUNDEE]

so I take it that some hardening is recommended for 9mm.

[ReloaderFred]

I've never found the need to harden my 9x19 cast bullets. I run them around 18 BHN and don't have a problem with them leading.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[Angus]

I water drop out of convenience, not as a hardening technique.

[MT Gianni]

Some of it depends on what you are shooting them out of. My 9mm Blackhawk prefers wd, the cz75 air cooled.

[runfiverun]

if you are going through the trouble to bake them, there must be a reason.
i'd try just waterdropping from the mold.

[S.R.Custom]

so I take it that some hardening is recommended for 9mm.

More so than the .45, anyway. The 9mm is a much higher pressure round than the .45, and as such, are pushed harder than the .45. Harder bullets make this a cleaner proposition.

But then again, I'm one of those that water drops everything unless I'm specifically after a softer bullet (desired obturation, hollow points, etc).

[MtGun44]

AC wwts works fine for me. Not one of the folks that believes the "harder is better" story.

Bill

[Tracy]

Even though I am not afraid to "abuse" my magnum revolvers by loading them with published loads that exceed 1100 fps and 9mm pressures, I have never found heat treating to be necessary. In fact, I even "abuse" a .30/30 by loading it over 1800 fps with a 173 grain boolit, and have had good results from not heat-treating those either.

[castblast]

Many here have had problems with 9mm boolits swaging down in the case. The only way I could get them to retain the proper diameter was by water dropping. That was with a 124gr Saeco RN. I still had problems with the 147gr RCBS. They would wrinkle the case and wouldn't chamber. Then I had Buckshot make me a custom powder through expander for a Dillon 550. A touch longer and about .003 bigger. All is well now!

[winelover]

I air cool everything. Need a harder boolet, use a harder alloy. The result is a larger diameter which usually is a good thing.

Winelover

[Edubya]

More so than the .45, anyway. The 9mm is a much higher pressure round than the .45, and as such, are pushed harder than the .45. Harder bullets make this a cleaner proposition.


The oft forgotten .22 is higher pressured bullet than the .45 and it does well with lead.
I have one 9mm that shoots the soft (10 BHN) with no problem and the other leads up after a dozen or so rounds through it. A BHN 22 did not stop the leading in the leader, just allowed another couple of dozen rounds before affecting the accuracy.

EW