S&w 5906

[Gene Perryman]

Any body shooting lead bullets in their 5906 ??

[bouncer50]

I am shooting a Lee 125 grain cast in mine with 5.5 grains of herco. Why Herco because i have two pounds of it left.

[Gene Perryman]

bouncer50

What diameter bullets are you shooting ??

[Gene Perryman]

bouncer50

Also, what is your COL ??

[Scharfschuetze]

I shot a lot of cast (RCBS 9mm-115-RN) in a Model 59 (no dash) in the mid to late 70s. The load data is AWOL, but the pistol shot cast very well, at least as well at jacketed bullets. The cast boolits were cast from straight COWWs and I used both a graphite lube as well as the NRA 50/50 lubes with them. Probably used Unique powder as it was compatible with most of what I was loading back then.

Unlike your current 5906, the grip frame on the early Model 59 pistols was kind of like holding a brick. I never really bonded with it and it was traded for something that now escapes my memory. If it had had the grip design like your 5906, it would still be in the household.

[bouncer50]

bouncer50

What diameter bullets are you shooting ?? 355 in 450 sizer

[DuckHunterJon]

I have a Smith 659 that shoots 124 gr truncated cone flat points (unknown make, purchased 1500 of them at an auction) great. Powered with H Universal because I used to have a bunch. Not so much anymore.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

[Gene Perryman]

Fellows, I been trying for a couple years to find a load/bullet that will shoot in my little pistol that won't lead. I've tried .356, .357, and .358 and all lead some. Ed Harris in a GUNS article back in the 80's said the S&W pistols have a .358 barrel lead. a .358 bullet will chamber for me, but just a few thousandths of the bullet is showing ( 125 TCFP) usually a COL of 1.05. Bouncer50, if I shot a .355 bullet the barrel would be lead lined !!!
I like shooting the 9 as it's easy on my hands and every time I go to the range I come back with lots of once fired brass !!!
If I cast my own, I'll now have to use a mix of range pick-up and WW's. The free WW's around here has completely dried up
When I cast, I use the Lee 356-120-TC as cast which is .3575, but for me it's a hard bullet to cast !!!

[bouncer50]

Fellows, I been trying for a couple years to find a load/bullet that will shoot in my little pistol that won't lead. I've tried .356, .357, and .358 and all lead some. Ed Harris in a GUNS article back in the 80's said the S&W pistols have a .358 barrel lead. a .358 bullet will chamber for me, but just a few thousandths of the bullet is showing ( 125 TCFP) usually a COL of 1.05. Bouncer50, if I shot a .355 bullet the barrel would be lead lined !!!
I like shooting the 9 as it's easy on my hands and every time I go to the range I come back with lots of once fired brass !!!
If I cast my own, I'll now have to use a mix of range pick-up and WW's. The free WW's around here has completely dried up
When I cast, I use the Lee 356-120-TC as cast which is .3575, but for me it's a hard bullet to cast !!! Sound like you need to add some tin to your lead mix. For me its WW and 50/50 tin lead bars it makes a nice hard bullet.

[gnostic]

I've shot many in a 669 S&W with Unique or Bullseye and 124gr cast bullets. I loaded them to fit the magazine and never had a problem once I started taper crimping.

[Gene Perryman]

Shot 50 B&C 125 TCFP .358 @ 1.10 behind 3.5/TGP. That seems to be the bullet and COL. I've tried that COL before and had several fail to feed / chamber. Today nary a hiccup and they appear to be accurate in the ole Smith. I think the secret was a little more TC and the next batch will have 1 or 2 thousandths more TC. I was afraid at that COL they wouldn't center in the chamber, but ALL had center strikes on the primers. Later I'm going to try some .357's as B&C has gone out of business and my local supplier only does .357 !!!

[Bigslug]

Gene, been loading for many years, but the 9mm Springfield 1911 my dad picked up to ease the pounding on his wrists gave us fits for a spell (9mm in generally really - the cartridge had a steep learning curve in several guns, but the more "matchy" dimensions on this one really brought it home)

First problem was the brass sizing the too-soft bullets we cast out of 25-1 down to as small as .353". Leading was an issue early on. Second problem was that the gun showed a serious preference for harder bullets - as in, air cooled of a certain alloy would tumble and water quenched shot great.

Where we currently are - and it seems to be working - is the plain-base NOE/Ranch Dog 135 grain tumble lube bullet cast of about 18 parts wheelweight, 3 parts #9 birdshot, and 2% tin and water quenched to achieve about 22 BHN, tumbled in Ben's Liquid Lube. They drop from the mold at about .3575"

For dies, my dad swiped the Lee .38 S&W set I bought for my Webley MKIV and is using (if I remember correctly) the sizer to open up the cases a little bigger to prevent brass squeeze and the seater. They're cheap dies - a set might help solve your problem.

[rintinglen]

My own 9 mm woes came to an end when I bought a 38 S&W expander die and started using .358 boolits. Leading problems were sharply reduced and accuracy improved through the use of this simple expediant. I got mine from Titan Reloading and it has made 9 MM reloading mucho better.

[Virginia John]

I shot a lot of lead out od a 5904 with no problem at all.

[Gene Perryman]

I shot more of the previously mentioned load today and NO leading and NO fail to feed or chamber. I was wrong on Ed's article (J/A '86 Guns) he stated the current S&W barrel lead was .357 x .070. So it's down to the reloading bench and load up some Valiant's 125's @ .357.
BigSlug, my little pistol seems to prefer the softer bullets @ around 12 BHN. I'd be willing to try some 10's if I could find some. Also, after resizing with Lee, I use a Lyman 38 M die and then open the case mouth with the Lee belling die. Those little 9mm cases are tough little rascals!! I's an extra step but it seems to work.
I wonder if the regular Lee 38 SPL belling die would work???

[dubber123]

My own 9 mm woes came to an end when I bought a 38 S&W expander die and started using .358 boolits. Leading problems were sharply reduced and accuracy improved through the use of this simple expediant. I got mine from Titan Reloading and it has made 9 MM reloading mucho better.

My 9mm die set seems to have gained a bigger expander from somewhere.. ;) I also noted that SOME 9mm brass has much thicker webbing and will handily squish down a lead boolit no matter how big it starts out.

[9.3X62AL]

I found my several S&W 9mm pistols to be quite lead-friendly, once I figured out the same thing RinTinGlen mentioned about expander size AND went to harder alloy (92/6/2) sized .357"-.358" and softer lubes (BW/Alox). This regimen held true for SIG-Sauer pistols for me as well. Zero leading for over 15 years in my 9mm and 40 S&W. SIZE MATTERS, and keeping bullets at that size matters too.

9mm brass has widely-varying dimensional criteria from make to make. I have discarded all makes other than R-P at present, and it gives one less variable in the ballistic equation to deal with. R-P brass seems to hold up well, isn't over-thick in critical areas, and lacks the over-tight primer pockets of the W-W once-fired cases my old shop accumulated for years from its use of the W-W 147 JHP loads. Do yourself a favor in 9mm......find a brass make you like, buy as much of that make as you want, and resist the call of "free 9mm brass" outside your favored headstamp. You'll thank me later.

[Gene Perryman]

9.3x62AL my favorite brass is the Blazer with FC running a close 2nd. I have not found RP brass to be as consistent as others and WIN is at the bottom of my list. I know new brass from the same lot would be more accurate, but since I'm retired now I'd rather spend the money on bullets.
I loaded up 50 Valiant 125 BBTFP's .357 today over 3.5 / TGP at 1.100 in FC cases with WSP. 25 rounds each in my 5906 and M&P 9c.
NO leading in either and they appeared to be accurate in both pistols. I'm still getting used to the trigger on the 9c! For me, disassembly of the 9c is easier than the 5906.
Now I know when my supply of B&C .358 bullets run out, I can go to the Valiants............I hope this helps anyone considering reloading the 9mm. With this experience , I can now load it almost as fast as my 38 SPL and 45 acp. Even in the 9c it's easier on my right hand than the 38 and 45.

[GONRA]

GONRA suggests that in addition to 9.3x62AL's great advice,
make sure you are prepared to test various mouth expander diameters.
If you are using .356 inch diameter bullets, assume .355 inch diameter mouth expander will verk.
Testit, go on from there.... Have Fun!

Maybe you have to MAKE YER OWN mouth expander plugs? ???
Usually commercial bolts provide a HEAD START - save lottsa threading operations...

[9.3X62AL]

GONRA suggests that in addition to 9.3x62AL's great advice,
make sure you are prepared to test various mouth expander diameters.
If you are using .356 inch diameter bullets, assume .355 inch diameter mouth expander will verk.
Testit, go on from there.... Have Fun!

Maybe you have to MAKE YER OWN mouth expander plugs? ???
Usually commercial bolts provide a HEAD START - save lottsa threading operations...

Yes, sir. LOTS of poetry, and not much strict prose in 9mm.

[Gene Perryman]

Shot some more Valiant .357's, they leaded some. Then shot 10 of the B&C .358's and they cleaned out the lead. Go figure....................

[calico]

120gr Lee TC
Size .356 White Label 2500 lube
OAL 1.090
3.6gr Red Dot.