Leading problems

[Wheeljack]

I'm trying to find a combination that does not lead and shoots straight. What I shot today:
In my Hi-Point 995 and C9. I made up rounds with a .358 bullet, Dardas LRN, 125gr, BHN 16. Bullseye 3.5gr, COL 1.120.
The 995 carbine did pretty well shooting with accuracy. The C9 after a few rounds started to keyhole all over the place really bad.
I couldn't see much leading in the carbine, but it was there. The C9 had a lot of leading on the lands nearer the end of the barrel.
My previous loads with a .356 bullet gave me leading in the corners of the grooves, but this leading was on the lands.
The leading with the .356 rounds was hard to remove, but the leading with this new .358 formula cleaned up well, with the help of a Tornado brush and a plastic brush with brass Chore Boy wrapped around it.
http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd493/WaltStanley/leading_zpsb048ea4e.jpg (http://s1222.photobucket.com/user/WaltStanley/media/leading_zpsb048ea4e.jpg.html)
What are my options to reduce leading in these guns? Am I having to buy jacketed boolits? Any help will be welcome.

[Ed_Shot]

Luckily my 995 likes exactly what I load for my pistols. I use 120 gr. Lyman 358242 and 356402 or Lee 356-120-TC or Lee's 125 gr 356-125-2R 125. All sized .358 with White Label 2500+ lube. My alloy is 95-3-2 and I guess 12 BHN. They all shoot great without a trace of leading in the 995. I found no difference with or without PB gas checks. My favorite 9MM loads are either Blue Dot 6.0 gr. (Chrony's @1100 fps pistol and @1300 fps 995) or Promo 3.8 gr (Chrony's @1075 fps pistol @1250 fps 995).

What lube are you using?

[canyon-ghost]

Note that he's using a softer alloy. 16 BHN may be too hard. Powder choices sometime effect it too.

[Wheeljack]

I'm using the lube that came with the Dardas bullets. I was using a harder boolit at 20 BHN and thought it was too hard so I dropped to 16. 12 next? I thought Blue Dot was too slow for a pistol and I got a lot of unburned powder with it. The lube in the boolits is in one groove. Does it pay to smear some on the boolits themselves?

[Silverboolit]

The lube on the Dardas may be inferior for what you need, Is it like a crayon, ie a hard lube and waxy? bullseye is a little fast for the 9mm in my limited experience. Try Unique, Bluedot..something a little slower with your next batch.

[RobsTV]

My C9 has an imperfection inside the barrel, looks like some prior owner maybe fired a 32 in it or something and case went into barrel part way, leaving a very thin ring that is easily seen about 1/3 way from breech. Bad leading occurs past that portion. Still has excellent accuracy and perfect function, so I have not yet got around to sending it to hi-point for free repair (and free magazine for my troubles). But just tested some plain base gas checks from n.h.schmidt and they worked amazingly well, and easily installed using Lyman 4500. Since you brought up the need for jacketed as a possibility, just another option to think about that adds less than 2 cents a round, while still giving you the benefit of larger lead slugs.

[Wheeljack]

Rob, my new barrel has those "rings" in the barrel. They may be the problem and also why the Hi-Point states that you use only commercially manufactured ammo. I had leading but not keyholes with a harder lead. The .358 sized bullets should stop the gas erosion and melting, so I'm guessing the rings in the barrel may be the problem now. If you do send the C9 back because of the barrel rings, don't mention that you reload or use lead bullets. Mention just copper fouling or accuracy or something else, and then let me know what happens. I'm going to try a little more lube next time to the range.

[390ish]

9mm will drive you crazy if you let it. Is there anything more difficult? (Cue the "I have been loading cast 9mm for 5 different guns for 30 years without a problem" crowd). I will have batches that are great, then batches that lead. Strange, don't have that with other calibers. Have learned that when I cast a big pile to load and shoot 20. If they are fine, the whole batch will be fine. If I get leading, I throw the rest of the pile back in the pot. When 9 works, I love it.

[Larry Gibson]

It's the hard wax lube on those commercial bullets that is not doing the job. Sugest you get some LLA and TL them as per Lee's instructions. Do not use too much lube. Then shoot them loaded over 4 gr Bullseye. If the leading persists then wash the wax lube off (soak in Coleman fuel or white gas for 45 minites) and TL twice with the LLA.

Larry Gibson

[Wheeljack]

Just got some LLA in for my next batch. I will have to consider that tip to remove the lube that's on the bullets.