Which is best Lee 6 Cav Mold for 9MM?

[scarter]

Please advise. Lee has a 6 cav mold for a 120 grain truncated cone (90387) and one for a 125 grain round nose (90457), both with the single lube groove (the others have Alar type small grooves). Are either ok for the average 9mm pistol? Which is better? Thanks!

[wv109323]

I don't think there would be a hill of beans between them. I would lean to the round nose being a little easier to chamber/more reliable. With that said I have the RCBS 124 TC and it has not hiccuped one time in my 9mm or .38 Super. The TC have have a more defined position to seat the bullet. I seat the RCBS TC with about 1/32" of the shoulder out of the case mouth.

[williamwaco]

I agree that there is no difference.

That said, I don't like round nose bullets. Got turned off on them by .38 Special "Service Loads" in the 1950's
I have used nothing but truncated cones and have never had any trouble with feeding.


.

[smokemjoe]

I shot the Lee 90457 RN, Sized it at .357, Got very good groups with it, The other one has a BB and loads nice in the case,

[scarter]

Thanks to all!

[Artful]

I'm throwing a money wrench out - I like/use the 105 grain SWC in my 9mm pistols.

[DennisMcharold]

I like the Truncated Cone unit @ 120. It shoots and feeds great on all my 9mm pistols even my most finicky DWM luger.

[Shiloh]

125 gr. RF and 125 gr. RN. The first is a .38/.357 boolit.

Shiloh

[mdi]

My nines and my .38s like Lee's 125 gr. RNFP. Sized to .357" for the 9mms and .358"+ for the .38s/357s...

[azrednek]

My nines and my .38s like Lee's 125 gr. RNFP. Sized to .357" for the 9mms and .358"+ for the .38s/357s...

Same with me. I use it for both 9 and 38. Size them all at .357 and works fine in both calibers. I was sizing 356 for 9MM and 358 for 38 Special. Following a suggestion I read here or another group. I've been doing them for both calibers in 357 and haven't seen any difference on paper or leaded any barrels.

[1hole]

"Are either ok for the average 9mm pistol?"

Yes.

"Which is better?"

For YOU, that depends on what your pistol prefers.

[azrednek]

"Are either ok for the average 9mm pistol?"

Yes.

"Which is better?"

For YOU, that depends on what your pistol prefers.

Don't worry about investing in a mold that turns out to be a dud. Chances are good if it doesn't work well for you. You can recoup a good portion of your money selling it here or Ebay. One problem there is no such thing as an average 9MM pistol. No different than brand new factory ammo. What works well in one may not work worth a tinker's darn in another. Just a suggestion if $$'s are tight for you as they are for everybody these days. Before spending the big bux on a 6-cavity. Try the lower cost 2-cavity first. If it works well for you, sell the 2-cavity and use the proceeds toward the purchase of the 6-cavity mold.

The Lee 125gr RNF sized at .357 I suggested earlier worked well in several 9MM's until we tried it in a two different Sigs. We had feeding issues with mine and a friend's. Occasionally the slide needed a bit of help completely closing. I traded away my Sig before I could try my shooting bud's remedy. He claimed by sizing to .355 and using the Lee Factory Crimp Die made it considerably more reliable. I found it hard to believe that .002 and the FCD could make a difference but at least in my friend's claim it did. I can not say from personal experience.

[theperfessor]

I like the Lee 125 gr RNFP in my HP sized to .357/.358. Usual load is 6.8 to 7.0 gr Blue Dot.

[vogironface]

I have been trying to get my 9mm to shoot cast for two years now. I wish I had found this sight long ago. Let me summarize a few things I have learned.

1) the size of a 9mm bore varies a great deal one gun to the next, therefore slug your bore.
2) The 9mm likes a fat cast boolit. I have shot a thousand or so cast boolits sized to 357 and am just now learning that I think I need 358. Therefore, I don't need a 9mm mold for my 9mm.
3) The throat is very long in all of my 9mms. Therefore the crimp is important.
4) The 9mm expanding die does not expand the case enough and squishes the bollit down when seating. Therefore use a 357 expander.
5) The 9mm crimp does the same. I use a 357 crimp since I am using that size expander. I have also experimented with a 9mm crimp just lightly to not re-size the boolit to far down.

I am still trying to solve some issues but these have all helped a great deal. The final solution, I am convinced, lies in the size. I simply need a larger boolit than the 9mm mold will drop. Start with slugging and go big rather than small. You can size down after all, the other way doesn't work so well.

Good luck