.38 Special cast bullet in 9 mm

[buckshotshoey]

Im working on something and would like some input. I did a forum search and did learn a few things.
Have a big box of cast bullets for Dads .38 special. Want to try them in my 9mm.

No idea who cast them. Plain box with .38/.357 158 grain written on box.

Heres what i have so far.....

My P89 slugged at .356
I usually shoot 147 TMJ with 700X powder, set to 1.115" col.

The cast bullets measure in at .357 to .358
Average weight with lube.... 152.87 grains. Definitely not 158gr as written.

These casts are a bit longer then the TMJ's.......
TMJ .648"
Cast .676"

I made up a dummy and set bullet so base is not taking up any more case capacity then the TMJ. So obviously
the COL is a bit longer at 1.145". They are well below the max COL and the dummy chambers well in the P89.
Im thinking of setting a bit longer because the cast is a flat base, and the TMJ has a bit of a concave base. The concave gives an extra milliliter or two case volume.

I figure on using the 147 starting load, or a bit less to start with.
Is there anything any of you can offer for me to think about before I load them up?

177972

The crimp groove sticks up out of case. shouldnt be a problem. Using good taper crimp.

[Outpost75]

The SWCs seated out like that probably will not chamber in your 9mm pistol. They might fit in a 9mm REVOLVER IF the cylinder throats run larger than usual, but most 9mm revolvers have tight cylinder throats.

Deep seating a heavy bullet into a 9mm case will DANGEROUSLY raise pressure.

Lacking specific 158-grain data I would NOT improvise.

In a strong Ruger 9mm REVOLVER I load 155-158-grain bullets using .38 S&W (not Special) data, typically 2.5 grains of Bullseye for a light plinking load which works well for cowboy style steel targets at close range.

In a 9mm autopistol I use 3.0 grains of Bullseye with 155-grain LFN bullets seated to 1.10" OAL. YOUR mileage may vary!!!!

I would increase that charge only if needed to get the gun to cycle, not more than a few 0.1 grain at a time.

[buckshotshoey]

The SWCs seated out like that probably will not chamber in your 9mm pistol. They might fit in a 9mm REVOLVER IF the cylinder throats run larger than usual, but most 9mm revolvers have tight cylinder throats.

Deep seating a heavy bullet into a 9mm case will DANGEROUSLY raise pressure.

Lacking specific 158-grain data I would NOT improvise.

In a strong Ruger 9mm REVOLVER I load 155-158-grain bullets using .38 S&W (not Special) data, typically 2.5 grains of Bullseye for a light plinking load which works well for cowboy style steel targets at close range.

In a 9mm autopistol I use 3.0 grains of Bullseye with 155-grain LFN bullets seated to 1.10" OAL. YOUR mileage may vary!!!!

I would increase that charge only if needed to get the gun to cycle, not more than a few 0.1 grain at a time.

Thanks for the reply, but note that my COL is below max, the dummy chambers well in the P89 (no rifling marks), and I did not deep seat. The bullet base is the same depth as the TMJ so case volume has not changed.

[reddog81]

152 vs. 147 grains isn't really the problem, but fit in the magazine, feeding into the chamber, and having the round go fully into battery are all likely problems. I don't anything about P89's but most 9mm's would choke on that round.

[35remington]

Now to answer the question of it it feeds......and, most importantly, how it feeds.

When testing normally ill suited bullets in auto loading arms, periodically remove an autoloaded round from the chamber to check for shortening of the round in the feeding cycle. Do this with rounds autoloaded from the top and bottom of the magazine. It may make for an interesting project. The blunt edges mean more impact of the round during the feeding cycle which challenges cartridge OAL integrity.

I must say if these rounds do in fact chamber your pistol has a very oddly long throat and it is unexpected.

These sorta take 9mm out of its niche and make it resemble a 38 wheelgun in a contradictory sort of way, as it holds lots more ammo but likely has less accuracy.

[MT Gianni]

If it seats without any rifling marks it is too small in diameter for the barrel and may give you leading problems.

[dverna]

If you start with min loads for the 147 9mm you should be safe.

Pull a few of the .358 bullets after you seat and taper crimp them. They will likely be less the .358

35Rem makes a very valid point. Check the OAL after the rounds have fed out of the magazine. If the bullet is driven back, that will cause higher pressure. You can crimp them more if that is the case. And that added crimp pressure will size the bullet down a tad. You should be able to press the bullet of a loaded round firmly against the edge of a bench and not see the bullet move.

BTW, seating the bullet deeper is not a show stopper. Yes, pressure will go up, but you can reduce the powder charge by say 1.5 gr and work your way up until the action cycles while looking for signs of pressure. The Federal primers have the softest cups and will show primer deformation caused by pressure the soonest.

Keep us posted. If this bullet feeds reliably, it should improve the terminal ballistics of a cast 9mm bullet.

[Mk42gunner]

This does bear some thinking about since the projectile weight is more than is normally used in the cartridge, although the same thing could be said about the 147 JHP thirty years ago.

As you say, you are under the max oal, but the difference may be accounted for by the lack of a round nose.

I would continue by making a magazine full of dummies, and making sure they all hand cycle through the action. Check that the boolits aren't being seated deeper by the loading ramp.

I have never used 700X powder, but I would start low, and stop at reliable gun function. If all goes well, then enjoy my fifteen shot .38 Special equivalent; which is what I have always thought the 147 grain 9mm load was anyway.

Good luck and be careful, This is one of the times you should pay attention to the old saying of "Make haste slowly."

Robert

[buckshotshoey]

152 vs. 147 grains isn't really the problem, but fit in the magazine, feeding into the chamber, and having the round go fully into battery are all likely problems. I don't anything about P89's but most 9mm's would choke on that round.

Fits magazine well. OAL shorter then maximum. Feeds into chamber fully. Chambered it several times and no change in seating depth or any marks on ogive.


Now to answer the question of it it feeds......and, most importantly, how it feeds.

When testing normally ill suited bullets in auto loading arms, periodically remove an autoloaded round from the chamber to check for shortening of the round in the feeding cycle. Do this with rounds autoloaded from the top and bottom of the magazine. It may make for an interesting project. The blunt edges mean more impact of the round during the feeding cycle which challenges cartridge OAL integrity.

I must say if these rounds do in fact chamber your pistol has a very oddly long throat and it is unexpected.


These sorta take 9mm out of its niche and make it resemble a 38 wheelgun in a contradictory sort of way, as it holds lots more ammo but likely has less accuracy.

It is a weird project but worth a try. Thats why i want everybodys input. It does chamber fully into battery. After a dozen chambers, same dummy over and over, there was no change in seating depth. And no marks on bullet, aside from a few marks on the nose from the feed ramp. The OAL is below max and it wont hit rifling while in chamber. Will add the 38 cast bullets are only .028" longer then the 147 gr TMJ's.
177996


If it seats without any rifling marks it is too small in diameter for the barrel and may give you leading problems.

I was referring to the bullet will not engage the rifling while in chamber. I used one of these bullets to slug the barrel. Bullets are .357 - .358. Grooves in barrel are .356

[35remington]

Not so much interested in what a dummy does when hand chambered repeatedly. Better info to come when actually shooting it.

Examine the first round fed from the full magazine under live fire after retrieving from the chamber. Racking from a single round in the magazine not the same test but you'll find out soon enough at the range.

Be sure you also plunk test with the barrel out on a new dummy. Maybe you already did that and I missed it. Could be hand racking into an assembled pistol chamber is covering up fit issues or maybe it's fine. Barrel out and you're sure.

[buckshotshoey]

Not so much interested in what a dummy does when hand chambered repeatedly. Better info to come when actually shooting it.

Examine the first round fed from the full magazine under live fire after retrieving from the chamber. Racking from a single round in the magazine not the same test but you'll find out soon enough at the range.

Be sure you also plunk test with the barrel out on a new dummy. Maybe you already did that and I missed it. Could be hand racking into an assembled pistol chamber is covering up fit issues or maybe it's fine. Barrel out and you're sure.

Good advice. Will do the live fire test with 2 rounds. Will check length of next chambered round.
That is a ways off yet. Doing this slowly.
And i will remove barrel and plunk test. Didnt do that. Thanks.


Update....... Dropped and measured the dummy and several of my other reloads, as well as new rounds. All within a thousandth or two. The .38 SWC drop right in, headspaced on the case mouth, and drop right out. Cant tell a difference between these and new rounds. My reloads were more consistent but i keep them trimmed to a consistent length.
178000

[runfiverun]

go for it.
start low and come up.
the rugers will feed just about anything upside down or sideways anyway so you got nothing to lose.
I wouldn't use titegroup.

[buckshotshoey]

Also of interest... this is actually what gave me the idea to begin with. This is in the Lyman 44th edition, printed 1967.

178001

[buckshotshoey]

Upon further research, I think the bullets I have are Lyman 150's, not the 158's that is written on the box.
I will work these out and get back to you in a week or two. I really think this will work.

http://www.lymanproducts.com/includes/img/lyman/bulletcasting/358477_tn.jpgLyman 150 SWC


The 158 nose is even with the crimping groove.
The 150 is narrower.

http://www.lymanproducts.com/includes/img/lyman/bulletcasting/358665_tn.jpgLyman 158 SWC

[Oyeboten]

I used to load 158 Grain .357 Semi Wadcutters for my Colt Model 1902 Sporting Model Automatic.

I kept these as a light loading for Paper Target use.

Worked perfectly.

This was a long time ago, and of course no loading data for anything like that was available, or not to me anyway.

So, I was using 'Unique' and I just started super low, test firing stright down in to a Bucker of dry Sand with a Tee Shirt stretched over it.

Once the Slide would cycle in the straight down position, I inceased the Powder some really tiny bit more, then stopped "there", and that loading ( I forget now how many Grains it was other than "light" ) was wonderful, easy on the Pistol, and very consistent out to fifty yards, which was as far as I was shooting.

Heavier Semi Wadcutters for 9mm P '08 Chamberings would definitely be a fun thing to work out.

Same of course for 9mm Largo.

[GWM]

Your project seems reasonable enough. I have been using all kinds of boolits in the SIG P226 up to at least 160 gn and of every configuration. The most common problem has been leading with softer alloys.

[gwpercle]

Oh yes, I've given that idea a workout. I had several 38/357 moulds and my Dad had a WWII era Walther P38. I tried Lyman # 358156 with the gas check , 155 grain SWC and Lyman 358477 150 grain, SWC . These two had feeding issues...they were iffy at best. But if chambered they would fire and eject just fine .
Lyman #358345 115 grain SWC and #358432 148 grain button nose wadcutter (not the 160 grain version with the same number) both did much better. The #358345 115 grain SWC did just fine in 9mm . All boolits were sized .357.
Try it...feeding and the tight chambers with little or no throat that new pistols seem to have may be the only problem. Dads P38 had a generous chamber and a throat 1/4 inch long. New chambers end right where the rifling starts...that causes problems with cast boolits.
Gary

[buckshotshoey]

Oh yes, I've given that idea a workout. I had several 38/357 moulds and my Dad had a WWII era Walther P38. I tried Lyman # 358156 with the gas check , 155 grain SWC and Lyman 358477 150 grain, SWC . These two had feeding issues...they were iffy at best. But if chambered they would fire and eject just fine .
Lyman #358345 115 grain SWC and #358432 148 grain button nose wadcutter (not the 160 grain version with the same number) both did much better. The #358345 115 grain SWC did just fine in 9mm . All boolits were sized .357.
Try it...feeding and the tight chambers with little or no throat that new pistols seem to have may be the only problem. Dads P38 had a generous chamber and a throat 1/4 inch long. New chambers end right where the rifling starts...that causes problems with cast boolits.
Gary

Thanks. Im pretty sure i have the 358477 150 gr. Will keep that in mind.

[AJG]

If you are carefull you should be fine loading 38 spl lead bullets in 9mm Luger.

I use 9mm Luger lead bullets in 38 spl (deep seated to 0.100" from flush. See the thread of TheGuyFromSouthamerica). My cast bullets are nominal .356" as Lee states and are the 124 grain Lee Truncated Cone TL molds. The bullets have an Diameter as cast of .356" to .362". I do not size them and use them "as cast".
I use animal marker wax sticks brand Raidl Raidex from Hauptner&Herberholz made in Germany as bullet lube. I do not get leading.
This deep seated .356" bullets in the 38 spl case have the Performance of an 9mm Luger and must have about 35000 psi as pressure. Therefore they can be shot ONLY in 357 Magnum guns.
These are my experiences with this set up.
I use 3.0 to 3.1 grains of 700X type scavenged shotgun powder behind this 124 grain lead bullet and that cycles the semi Auto pistol (S&W SD9VE) reliably.
I bet you could use 2.0 grains of Bullseye for your pistol to get it cycling reliable for this 158 grain lead bullet.

[AJG]

I have the same Lyman 44th Edition reloading Manual in pdf. Very usefull Edition and even better in some ways than the new ones.

[Harter66]

Not to long ago I loaded some full WC for a P95DA sized 358 . The pistol would feed an empty case from the mag . 3.0 Unique gave feed and function . These were believed to be 146 gr version of 358432 which should be 161gr .
178039
All just for fun .
The also ran in a FEG HP9 .

[AJG]

Harter 66,

Are those in your picture 9mm Luger? With that bullet and 3.0 grain Unique I bet you compressed fairly well the powder. Isn't it?

[Harter66]

Yes . I started at 2.0 and stopped at 3.0 with clean function.
They are probably only 650-725 fps .

I bought a bucket of ingots etc it seemed a waste to toss them in pot . There's 20lbs of them .

Primers were less formed than standard book loads for the 125 RNFP .

Yes it is a huge encroachment but with caution and a start low approach. I think that data came from data for 38-200/Colts new police/S&W / short but I would have to review my source beyond "The loads that worked book".

[Lloyd Smale]

only swc ive had that would feed a 100 percent in my 9mms is the 105 lee.

[bruce drake]

I believe if you do a search on the forum, there have been several threads started on heavier bullets for 9mm Luger I've loaded 158gr RN bullets in 9x19 cases that have fired and functioned in both my 1911 and Browning Highpowers in 9mm.

Bruce

[lotech]

I've used a 140 grain SWC .38 Special bullet cast from an H&G #12B mould. Works perfectly in a Beretta 9mm and with good accuracy, but the loaded cartridge looks like it wouldn't feed reliably in anything. I believe I've tried this bullet in other 9mm handguns, but don't recall which ones at the moment. I've used several bullets over 150 grains as well, though no SWCs that heavy. Aside from bullet fit and reliable functioning, there is such little data available for bullets like the .38 Special SWCs. Good luck with your project-

[bruce drake]

Just did a quick search on the forum.
10 pages of links to threads where "heavy 9mm boolit" was referenced.

[Windwalker 45acp]

I shoot Lee 158's in a S&W 39 fairly often. I use around ~3 grains of Unique in it. Don't recall the COAL off the top of my head, but it wouldn't help you anyway, Just do as others have shown you and make the cartridge up to what your barrel tells you and what your mag/gun will feed. AND START LOW.

[GooseGestapo]

About 20yrs ago,I had a request as a class 6 mfg license holder for a "pin" load for 9mm to better clear bowling pins from a table.
I worked up a load using HS6 and the Lee 150gr SWC. I sized them .356", and reached near 1,100fps. It fed well from most, but not all 9mm's.

Those who requested it said it met their needs and objectives.
It looked "funky", with the bullet seated out. But worked. Nowadays, I'd use power pistol or LongShot.

[buckshotshoey]

Tested them out this morning. Here's what the results were......

Only loaded up 5 of them for testing. Shot from Ruger P89

150 grain Lyman .38/.357 SWC. .357 to .358 diameter.
All weighed 152 to 153 with lube. No idea what the blue lube is.
3 grains of Hodgdon Universal.
Set to OAL of 1.14"

Fired first round and took out chambered round for a measurement. Didn't move a bit. Still 1.14".
Then fired other 4 from magazine. All fed perfectly.
No keyholes. Shot at 15 yards.
Next will load up full 10 and 15 round magazines and double check feeding.
Damn happy so far.
178203
I think the two outside ones were bad trigger technique. I remember pulling a couple. Will find out with next batch.

[gwpercle]

Looking good there Buckshot....don't you just love this hobby ?
Gary

[buckshotshoey]

Looking good there Buckshot....don't you just love this hobby ?
Gary

Yes. Hoping it lasts after this election. I was guessing, educated guessing, when i loaded these bullets for Dads .38. He said dont change anything. Im just as happy as he was. They look ugly as hell in a 9mm with the crimp groove showing. As mentioned by a previous poster (refering to his own creation), they dont look like any 9mm pistol could digest them.

I might work them up a bit, but really dont see a reason to at this point. They have about the same recoil as my 147 TMJ's. Maybe a little lighter. And they seem to group just as well so far. As long as they keep working the slide, and keep feeding, I will probably leave them alone. Not broke...not fixing it! No signs of leading but didnt expect to find any after only 5 rounds. Will load up about 50 and try again.

[gwpercle]

I've been doing just the opposite, 9 mm boolits in a 38 /357 !
With the NOE 4 cavity mould I bought, #358-124-TC-GC , I can make piles of .358 dia., 124 grain , truncated cone boolits , with the gas check they work quite well in 357 magnum loads and +P 38 specials. I just use my 9 mm die to taper crimp the boolit.... Accuracy is outstanding in my old Ruger Blackhawk !
Gary

[buckshotshoey]

I've been doing just the opposite, 9 mm boolits in a 38 /357 !
With the NOE 4 cavity mould I bought, #358-124-TC-GC , I can make piles of .358 dia., 124 grain , truncated cone boolits , with the gas check they work quite well in 357 magnum loads and +P 38 specials. I just use my 9 mm die to taper crimp the boolit.... Accuracy is outstanding in my old Ruger Blackhawk !
Gary

Interesting......and low recoil too!

[fredj338]

I shoot 160gr LRN in my 9mm all the time. I run them about 800fps using RedDot or WST, but other fast burners would be suitable. I load to about 1.150", though that would NOT apply to your SWC. Recoil is stupid soft, but I prefer the 147gr. The 160gr seem to run my heavy 1911 slide pretty slow. Mine are 0.356" Bayou but any 158gr 38sp RN would be sim.

[NoAngel]

It can be done with careful practices, but PLEASE do be careful. The 9mm is pretty small for the pressure it runs and real estate is at a premium. Just .020 deeper on seating depth can make pressures spike. For that large a bullet, keep the OAL at the absolute maximum your gun will allow and creep up slow. This sort of thing really needs to be done with a chronograph.

Watch that seating depth. Things change fast.

[buckshotshoey]

It can be done with careful practices, but PLEASE do be careful. The 9mm is pretty small for the pressure it runs and real estate is at a premium. Just .020 deeper on seating depth can make pressures spike. For that large a bullet, keep the OAL at the absolute maximum your gun will allow and creep up slow. This sort of thing really needs to be done with a chronograph.

Watch that seating depth. Things change fast.

Good advice. I measured it up so the base of the SWC's are the same depth in the case as the 147 TMJ's. Therefore running the same case capacity (or a hair more) as the 147's.

[gwpercle]

Interesting......and low recoil too!

About like any 125 grain boolit, at 750-800 fps it is gentle. The low recoil champ is the Lee 358-105-SWC , at only 105 grains it doesn't have a lot of kick . When sized to .358 in 38 special at 750 fps it's sweet shooting.

I also use the 358-105-SWC , sized to .357 , for 9 mm loads in the old WWII P38, with just enough powder for reliable feeding, it doesn't batter the old war horse. And shoots to point of aim with the P38's fixed sights. Nifty little mould that conserves on lead too .
Gary

[mistermog]

i know its not perfect, but if you give bullet lengths and OAL I can run quickload for you for some various things for some idea if its doable.

[buckshotshoey]

i know its not perfect, but if you give bullet lengths and OAL I can run quickload for you for some various things for some idea if its doable.

Sure. You can try it if you want....
Bullet length- .676 average
weight- 153 grains average
OAL- 1.140"

Cant seat them much longer due to the case mouth is close to the lube groove. The base of the wad cutter
should be about the same depth in case as a 147 TMJ.

[Ola]

I'm amazed it fits in the chamber... Are you sure the throat of your P89 wasn't made by Thompson Center? ;)

Do you have any other 9x19 mm pistols so you could make the plunk test also with them?

[buckshotshoey]

I'm amazed it fits in the chamber... Are you sure the throat of your P89 wasn't made by Thompson Center? ;)

Do you have any other 9x19 mm pistols so you could make the plunk test also with them?

Normal throat as far as i can tell. It also plunks perfectly in my SR9C. The bullet is only .028 longer then a 147 TMJ. And it is well under maximum COL.

[Ola]

Ok, thanks.

I think I got to try this one out.

[buckshotshoey]

Ok, thanks.

I think I got to try this one out.

Only shot 5 of them. Still haven't tested full mags yet. Will update when I do.

[mistermog]

Ok, from what I got from quickload

3.5gr of universal gives 925 fps and low chamber pressure (est about 30k psi vs max of 35k) but fills the case, so thats about tops.
- your 3.0gr of universal shows up at 825 fps and 21.2k psi, so you have a little room for growth

3.5gr of bullseye is just a tad more, about 50 fps more with much more chamber pressure (34k psi)
3.6gr of 231 gives right about 928 fps and the same pressure (34k)

So yeah, looks like you were right on with your loads. universal seems much better as long as youre cycling fine and sealing the brass. :)

(Granted this was assuming a 4.25" barrel, 155gr, .001 over groove and only a simulation... would be interested to hear chrono comparison though if you do them...)

[buckshotshoey]

Ok, from what I got from quickload

3.5gr of universal gives 925 fps and low chamber pressure (est about 30k psi vs max of 35k) but fills the case, so thats about tops.
- your 3.0gr of universal shows up at 825 fps and 21.2k psi, so you have a little room for growth

3.5gr of bullseye is just a tad more, about 50 fps more with much more chamber pressure (34k psi)
3.6gr of 231 gives right about 928 fps and the same pressure (34k)

So yeah, looks like you were right on with your loads. universal seems much better as long as youre cycling fine and sealing the brass. :)

(Granted this was assuming a 4.25" barrel, 155gr, .001 over groove and only a simulation... would be interested to hear chrono comparison though if you do them...)

Thanks. As accurate as they were the first run, I hate to change them. Still have more cycle testing to do before i decide. Good to know i was on the right track though.

[mistermog]

If the cycle and feed fine there's not much more you can do with that powder anyway, which is near top of the list. :)

[TheGuyFromSouthamerica]

Lee Precision states on their webpage that their 105 grain SWC .358" lead bullet (mold) <<works well in 9mm Luger>>.

I wonder which weights of .358" diameter (38 spl/357 mag) bullets will work, be safe and load fine in an 9mm Luger case? Will work an WC or SWC as well?

I was thinking in using the Lee 140 grain SWC .358" bullet in an 9mm Luger.

Any experience?

[TheGuyFromSouthamerica]

You MUST reduce powder charge to about at least 2 grains below minimum load data. In order to reduce pressure. From there work your way up till the semi auto reliably loads.

[GhostHawk]

124's work fine for me, I have also tried the .358 158 gr round nose and that also works. But because of its length it is harder to get the length right. The lighter shorter boolits are just easier. Leave you more room for powder. Not that I am pushing mine hard with 3 grains of Red Dot.

With the 124 grain I have gone as high as 4.5 grains to be shot in my Hipoint carbine and I have a stubbed Handi rifle in 9mm which loves those.

It is doable, just take your time, make a dummy round, do the plunk test. Keep setting it deeper until it plunks. Then crimp it into place and use that round to set your dies.

[Shoot66]

I use both 105 gr and 140 gr SWC (sized .375) in 9L. They work fine in my guns.

Typo: sized .3575 in.

[yondering]

Good advice. I measured it up so the base of the SWC's are the same depth in the case as the 147 TMJ's. Therefore running the same case capacity (or a hair more) as the 147's.

I like what you're doing here, it's a neat and useful load. Sounds like you're going about it the right way too, I do a lot of experimenting with this kind of stuff and don't see anything to concern me with the way you're approaching this one.

I do wish my 9's would chamber that load, but the throats are too short on all of them; you've got a nice setup there to be able to load those. A lot of suppressor shooters (myself included) would really like a 150-160gr SWC subsonic load, but case capacity and case bulges are often a problem. Yours looks like it would work great suppressed, as long as the bullets were coated and not lubed.

Keep up the good work!

[buckshotshoey]

I like what you're doing here, it's a neat and useful load. Sounds like you're going about it the right way too, I do a lot of experimenting with this kind of stuff and don't see anything to concern me with the way you're approaching this one.

I do wish my 9's would chamber that load, but the throats are too short on all of them; you've got a nice setup there to be able to load those. A lot of suppressor shooters (myself included) would really like a 150-160gr SWC subsonic load, but case capacity and case bulges are often a problem. Yours looks like it would work great suppressed, as long as the bullets were coated and not lubed.

Keep up the good work!

This particular boolit may chamber in yours. The nose area is a smaller diameter then the 158 gr SWC. If the case mouth will seat in the barrel, it should chamber. The question that might arise is will it work with your feed ramp? Refer to post number 14 and you can see the difference between the 150 and 158. My Ruger seems to digest them well so far. Only shot 5. Got 25 more ready as soon as i can get out to do it.

[yondering]

Feeding would not be an issue, my Glocks feed large flat nose bullets easily; the throat dimensions have always been the problem. Bullets sized to fit my bores can't have that much driving band in front of the case mouth, unless the driving band is undersized quite a bit.

[buckshotshoey]

Update.... Finally had a chance to get out with the P89 and try some full mags of the .38 150 gr SWC's. Shot a factory 10 rnd mag and an aftermarket 15 rnd mag. Both fed flawlessly. Shot at 15 yrds. My accuracy kind of sucked. Shot at high noon and looking directly south into a November sun. But they shot good. Upped the charge a little to 3.2 gr H Universal.

The camera in my phone sucks. Lens all scratched up, but you can see the hits.

Heres the 10 round Ruger mag.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuyzvXFPe-4&amp;feature=youtu.be

Heres the 15 round aftermarket mag. Target started to fall on last shot but it was probably the best hit out of the 15! Maybe I need moving targets!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilVDRDt6WQo

All shot good. All recoil and reports identical. All perfectly round holes in target. No egg shaped or keyholes.

[buckshotshoey]

deleted...

[psweigle]

I use the lee tumble lube 125 gr round nose mold for both 38's and 9mm. And the darn things shoot real good in all the 9mm pistols we have tried them in. Of course, it goes without saying that they are good in 38 too. I use a push through sized to make them .356 for 9mm and use them as cast for all the 38 special shooting. Glad you had good luck with your project.

[buckshotshoey]

I use the lee tumble lube 125 gr round nose mold for both 38's and 9mm. And the darn things shoot real good in all the 9mm pistols we have tried them in. Of course, it goes without saying that they are good in 38 too. I use a push through sized to make them .356 for 9mm and use them as cast for all the 38 special shooting. Glad you had good luck with your project.

Im surprised you are not shooting them a bit bigger. My barrel slugged at .356. It shoots .357 to .358 cast really good. What are your barrels slugging at?

[buckshotshoey]

Sorry. Deleted do to my brain fart. Today, the only thing my head is good for is plugging the hole in my neck!
Was thinking I forgot to lube these bullets but then remembered they were pre lubed.

But for those that didnt see it, I posted videos ^above^ with the results of the development.

[OS OK]

I enjoy threads like this where empirical evidence is produced...I get so much out of following the conversation from the start.
I like the second video where you kept at the target till that 'threat' was down! ...:bigsmyl2:

I sure would like to see a camera shot at that throat in your barrel though. I would have experimented with a lot of casts before thinking of stuffing a L-SWC into one of my 9's. I shoot almost exclusively the SWC's @ 200 grains PC'd out of my 1911 though...duhhh!

Good Stuff in this thread...charlie

[ironhead7544]

I have been using the 158 gr lead bullets in the 9mm since the 70ties. No need to run them hot as they are for practice.

[buckshotshoey]

I enjoy threads like this where empirical evidence is produced...I get so much out of following the conversation from the start.
I like the second video where you kept at the target till that 'threat' was down! ...:bigsmyl2:

I sure would like to see a camera shot at that throat in your barrel though. I would have experimented with a lot of casts before thinking of stuffing a L-SWC into one of my 9's. I shoot almost exclusively the SWC's @ 200 grains PC'd out of my 1911 though...duhhh!

Good Stuff in this thread...charlie

I will try the shot of the barrel throat with a different camera.

[buckshotshoey]

I have been using the 158 gr lead bullets in the 9mm since the 70ties. No need to run them hot as they are for practice.

Can you elaborate?