Question about how soft I can cast for 9mm

[rmatchell]

I have been playing with an idea of casting up a bunch of 147gr 9mm. I have a sig p6 that I cant use hollow points in because of feeding issues so I was thinking about casting them up soft for the best results. I have only used coww water dropped without any problems but have never used soft lead for pistol. I was wondering if you guys had any pointers for the best way to load soft.

[runfiverun]

i just use air cooled with 25% soft mixed in it with 1% tin.
you have to go low with the start load and work up untill you get the boolits to hit where the sights are pointing or you see leading.
you might have to switch out to a slower powder along the way.

[azrednek]

I had a Sig P-6 until I traded it away for a Franchi O/U. My Sig did not like cartridges with cast unless I sized them at .355. Sized at 357 and some what but not near as often at 356. The slide often needed a bit of help going all the way home. I don't know if all Sigs have the tight chamber mine did. I also had problem with the slide going into battery with cheapie store-bought, steel cased ammo. With brand new brass case FMJ ammo or cast sized at 355 I can't recall any problems. Possibly mine was a fluke.

My first conclusion was a dirty chamber. I got the Sig as used surplus from J&G. I vigorously scrubbed the chamber and the second trip to the range I had the same results. I'm sure I could have eventually got it to run but just couldn't resist the Franchi O/U I was offered for it in a straight across trade.

[azrednek]

After posting I gave my shooting bud I traded with a call. He claimed he spent a few minutes polishing the feed ramp and use of the Lee Factory Crimp Die fixed the feeding issues with cast. My friend is a big fan of the Molly coated Billy Bullets. He claimed he polished the feed ramp by putting a 12 ga mop coated with jeweler's rouge in a drill. I asked him if was concerned about the Lee FCD under sizing his Billy Bullets. He said the brass rarely touched the carbide ring and he has not so far had any leading.

He has me second guessing my hand loads. Possibly I should have paid a bit more attention to the crimp. Possibly I wasn't giving it enough. Generally with all my handgun hand loads for autos. I give it a slight crimp, just enough to remove the flare.

I was using the Lee 125 RNF. I usually size them to 357 so I can use them in 9MM or 38 Special. Possibly the 357 sized home cast feeding issues would have been resolved with a heavier crimp. My next batch of 9's I'm going to try the Lee FCD with a hundred or so.

[DeanWinchester]

I've cast 9mm from stick on wheel weights, which are very soft.
2.9g of accurate nitro 100 new formula gave no leading from a lone wolf barreled Glock. I load them unsized and have found that my factory crimp die sizes them down to .356 when I use federal brass, so the FCD saves me a step actually.

My current load is 3.0g using a 50/50 clip on/stick on mix. Best shooting load I have ever come up with.

[MBuechle]

I've got a Taurus PT-92 that I'm able to shoot 50/50 air cooled and 15:1 air cooled in. The mold is an MP358-125 HP that drops at about 128 gr. Pan lubed with White label BAC. I had to make a custom powder funnel for my 550B to expand the case larger so as not to swage these softer boolits down. In an expander die, a .38 / .357 expander would work. Using Power Pistol. Very minor leading.

[MtGun44]

AC wwts or even a bit softer works fine for me with Lee 356-120TC conventional lube.

Bill

[williamwaco]

I have used stuff as soft as 9 or 10 BNH in the 9mm with no problems.

In general, I save that softer stuff for target and match loads and use harder stuff like 12 to 15 for my 9mm. That is NOT because the 9mm needs alloy that hard but because I don't like it for my revolvers.
.

[captaint]

When I was having leading trouble with my 9mm, I went from 50/50 WW's and Pb to straight WW's. At the same time, I also went up in sizing to.358 - and that worked. Can't say how big a part the switch to straight WW's played in the success because I made the mistake of changing 2 things at once. I haven't gone back to softening up the WW's yet, but I will & see how it works out. I'm optimistic, and I don't go nuts in the velocity department - so..... enjoy Mike

[Harter66]

Mine are Lee 356-124 tc ,they drop at 360, w 50-50 WW-1/20. No leading w Darrs lube and 3.8 Unique in my FEG BHP-9. I shot them hot string at the NCBS 4 mags worth as fast as I could load and shoot,no lead.