9mm SWCs?

[mktacop]

At a match yesterday, I had a friend comment that he wished his 9mm made nice, clean holes like my .45 does. That got me to thinking (a dangerous thing sometimes).....I've never seen any 9mm SWC bullets. I did some mold research and found that Hensley & Gibbs used to make a few SWCs for 9mm, and Ballisti-Cast still has those designs. Now I'm thinking that maybe those bullets just never really caught on with the masses who shoot 9mm.

So, I thought I'd ask.....anyone have any experience with 9mm SWCs? If so, please let me know how they perform.

[Wally]

I use a Lyman 358345 (115 SWC)...works well in my Taurus 99AF... Also have used the Lee 105 SWC (90316)... I do get an occasional hang up with the Lyman, I use a light charge of Bullseye and a heavier charge would prevent it.

[ballisti-cast]

Out of the 9mm SWC H&G made #275 (Ballisti-Cast #875) is by far the most popular. It's the #68 design but for 9mm.

[rintinglen]

I tried the 358-345, but it didn't work well for me. I may not have given it a fair shake, because in those days I believed that .356 was the size to use. IIRC, I had difficulties both with leading and with function. I have had much more sucess with the 358-242 122 grainer loaded to 1.065. I used to know a guy who used the 125 grain Lyman boolit (I think 358-093, but not sure) and it worked ok for him, but I've never loaded any.

[wcp4570]

If you can find one the 358480 is a neat little 133gr SWC that works very well in all my 9mm's. This mold is long out of production but an excellent bullet if you can find a mold. I would love to find a 4 cavity Lyman as I only have a 2 cavity. There are a couple of articles over on Castpics written by Beagle detailing a test of 3 different boolits in a 9mm BHP with one being the 358480. He lists load data in the article. I had never thought about trying this bullet in the 9mm until reading his article. This boolit shoots very well in 38/357 and that is what I had shot it in for years. In my younger days with better eyes I once took a West Texas Jack rabbit at a little over 100 years in my S&W Model 19. Here is the link to the article.

http://www.castpics.net/subsite2/ByFireArm/Cast%20in%20the%209mm%20High%20Power.pdf

wcp

[Moonman]

Penn Bullets makes them if you just wanted to try some.

Bob suggests that you SLUG your 9mm barrel due to variances.

He makes a 115 gr 9mm SWC Bevel Base in the H&G 68 style

.356 is the standard size,

He HAS OPTIONAL SIZES OF .355, .357 AND .358 FOR THEM AVAILABLE.

Taper Crimp or a LIGHT ROLL CRIMP is recommended.

[mktacop]

Thanks very much for all the good information!

[MtGun44]

Lee 105 is perfect for this application, very similar to a scaled down H&G 68 which is
THE 'go-to' SWC 200 gr for .45 ACP. Size to .357 or .358 and load with about .025"
of full diam shoulder out of the case, moderate TC and it will be great.

Bill

[beagle]

Both the 358345 and 358480 make nice clean holes with the 9mm. The 480 takes abit of tinkering with seating depth to get to feed in my High Power but it's adarn fine bullet once you get there./beagle

[luis7]

I use H&G #275 swc bullet mold in my own cast bullet for my SW 952-1 match amno and i must say that is a very good bullet in precision shoot at 30 yds more or less (25 mt.) I don´t need any model bullet for this but I have some 9mm molds more (all RCBS).
Greetings from España (y olé).

[bobthenailer]

I have te Saeco# 929 145 gr SWC that makes clean holes in the target ! ive used it in the 9MM & 38 super from serval different guns.

[Iron Mike Golf]

I picked up a used SAECO #383 that works well out of my SR9c, S&W M28, and Rossi 92 357 Mag

[MikeS]

I also use the Lee 105SWC in 9mm (as well as 38 Special). I don't have any other moulds for 9mm, so have nothing to compare it to, but it works great for me.

[deltaenterprizes]

I had a 125 SWC GC from SAECO and saw some jacketed SWCs that were imported from a German manufacturer that are long out of production.
My wife's cousin wanted some so I made a SWC punch and reformed some FMJs to SWC profile for him.

RWS was the manufacturer of the FMJ SWCs.

[oldreloader]

I use some 125 gr SWC from Missouri Bullet company. They shoot equal to or better than any 125 gr 9 mm I've tried.

[jlaudio29]

so are you all using 358 molds, and then sizing them down to 356?

[crabo]

H&G 81 is supposed to be the 68 scaled down to about 135 grains.

[MikeS]

so are you all using 358 molds, and then sizing them down to 356?

No, in fact many folks size their 9mm boolits to either .358 or .357 and NOT to .356!

[jlaudio29]

interesting. Im still learning to reload 45, but hope to eventually do 9mm. thanks for the reply

[billyb]

RCBS-9MM-124 RNTG. For sale in S&S. Midway has picture of this mold on thier site. Boolit cuts a clean round hole like the SWC's and WC's. Bill

[Rhino]

As some have already mentioned, The LEE 105swc sized down to .356 works well in my Kimber.

Nice cleanly cut holes in the target.

:castmine:

[emorris]

I am also on the Lee 105 SWC mold for 9mm as well as .380. I size to .358. They feed fine in my Ruger P95, but I have to seat them so short in order to get them to chamber in my Lone Wolf G23 9mm conversion barrel, that they will not feed. I have also tried them in a S&w 5906.

[kcinnick]

It is on my to do list. I need to get some more 38 molds, then I am going to go for a SWC 9mm, just can't decide on weight. I thought molds were expensive when I was buying them one at a time, sets of molds are just don't right silly how much they cost.

[rp85]

suggest lee 358-125rnfp, sized to .357". makes a nice clean hole in paper.

have to watch o.a.l. in some autos. in ruger p89 and p95 o.a.l. of 1.135" shoots great, but this length is to long for the s&w 5903/5906. in the smiths the o.a.l. reduced to 1.035" to feed.

rp

[FergusonTO35]

Anyone here ever use the Lee 140 grain SWC in their 9mm? Got any pet loads for it?

[Bluehawk]

I also happen to have the older Lyman 358480 . It throws a nice 133 gr bullet . IT was originally designed for the 38 super, BUT works perfectly in my Browning HP. I had problems at first with my Mix it was a bit too soft for the pressure and FPS had a lot of bullets going in sideways at 15 yards . Started water quenching them and now they shoot GREAT . That was loading them at approx 1100 FPS .

[rp85]

shot the lee 140swc in my 9mm's pistols.

very accurate BUT had lots of problems with feeding issues. even had trouble feeding in ruger p89 and p95's pistols.

just from shooting 7 different types of 9mm pistols, if it will not feed o.k. in rugers then it will not feed in anything else.

rp

[brghp]

The Lee 105 SWC works well in 9mm sized to .357 in my hipower. I had read somewhere that the Lyman 358480 over 4.5 gr of Herco is very accurate, but I can't personally confirm this.

[Jal5]

Starting to experiment with 358105 in my SW 9mm Shield. .358 doesn't feed well hopefully better luck with .357 dia. Boolit.

Any ideas on OAL would be appreciated too.

[sleeper1428]

I've had a SAECO #925 2cav 115g SWCBB mould for over 25 years and have cast many thousands of great little boolits with this mould. As far as I know this mould is still available as is another one that's 124g, also a SWCBB - however this one is a GC mould. SAECO moulds are a bit pricey nowadays - I got mine many years back when Leading Edge Tool Service was closing and Tom Novak was selling out his inventory - but they're great moulds and the boolits have always functioned well in both my Taurus PT99AF and my Glock 22 with a Lone Wolf 40/9mm conversion barrel. They also have worked flawlessly in my brother's Taurus Millenium Pro in 9mm.

sleeper1428

[Artful]

I use the Lee 105 SWC - it can be a little picky about OAL and on most pistols you have to taper crimp it in.

[Thompsoncustom]

I really like the lyman 358429 in 9mm it's 173gr so it's long and heavy but the recoil is really low and is a blast to shoot.

[Cherokee]

+1 on Penn Bullets 9mm SWC. I have used them and they worked fine in my 9's. I had the Lyman 358480 for years but could not get it to shoot accurately for me in 9 or 38 super. Sold it here last year.