New to casting. WW pure lead mixture for a 9mm?

[BulletBill]

Hi all, I've been reading extensively on this forum ever since I decided to start reloading my own ammo about two weeks ago. I'm about to start casting my own bullets and I need to know what % of WW to pure lead (roof flashing) to use for a 9mm 124 gr. round nose from the lee 6 cavity mold to be precise. I have about 26 lbs of pure lead 10 lbs #9 chilled Lawrence shot and am currently smelting about 150 lbs of WW's I picked up today. In case it matters it'll be running through an SA XD9 service model 4" barrel. Thanks for your time and responses.

[RobS]

Welcome to the forum. The thing with 9mm loading is keeping the boolit from being swaged down by the case. Seating a boolit into the cartridge case can squeeze down on the boolit's base making a perfectly sized boolit undersized. This is one contributing problem that many over look. Also if you are using a Lee die set with the factory crimp die please search here on its wonderful ability to swage down on cast boolits.

Additionally many have better success using/sizing to .358 diameter providing the boolits will chamber. Slugging your barrel would be a good idea. You can simply cast a boolit and just as it is cool enough to touch put it on something flat/solid like a metal anvil and pop the nose of it with a hammer to increase the boolits diameter to .359-.360 and then slug the barrel. Measure the slug and size accordingly.

I wouldn't use anything softer than straight air cooled WW alloy that's been cast and aged for a week or two before loading. Using 50/50 WW to lead and water quenched from the mold works well and again wait for the boolits to age harden before loading them. Many use straight WW alloy that's been water quenched from the mold with success too.

[Taylor]

When I had my Sig,I used 50/50 ww-lead, water quenched.Sized at .356.Worked great in my gun.

[tinyejp]

+1 on slugging the barrel. I have an M&P that loves boolits sized .356, a Hi Point that wants .358, and a P11 that wants to ride the fence!

[BulletBill]

thanks for the advice. I have not purchased a crimp die yet as since I'm new to reloading I read that over-crimping is one more way I could turn my nice new gun into a pile of twisted metal and plastic. My expander die is currently set just enough where the bullet can start seating without causing any visual belling of the case so the brass will last for a larger number of reloads.

[RobS]

A small bell is desired when loading cast boolits to prevent the boolit from being shaved by the case. If you are seeing small slivers of lead then you'll need to flare the case more. Even the Lyman M-die is designed for cast boolits as it has a two step expander. Never the less a person doesn't need much of a taper crimp; enough to take the flare out of the case, assist with consistent cycling/feeding of the firearm and prevent boolit set back (a biggy so you don't end up with a KaBOOOOM).