Alloy / BHN for 9MM & 45ACP's

[Wayne S]

What I have noticed in reviewing the alloy used by commercial casters selling coated bullets is that they all use the same 2 / 6/ 92 for a BHN of 16-17. I figure they need this alloy to limit rejects from commercial casting machines. And that a softer 2/3/95 would have more rejects , and while they size their bullets to .356 & .452
which should form a gas seal in the barrel lead / throat, the lack of a lube and an alloy that won't allow the base of the bullet to flatten or fill out into the barrels groves hurts their accuracy in pistols that operate in the high 20's to low 30 K PSI
Is my thinking flawed ?? Or since the MAX range for auto loaders is 50 Yds. and the harder alloy produces acceptable accuracy ??

[runfiverun]

2/3 is harder than I use.

[MaryB]

I use Lyman #2 for everything! Pistol and rifle!

[iMigraine]

I've been using isotope lead with 2% tin = BHN 9 to 10. My boolits are powdercoated and work fine in my 9mm, 357Mag, and 45ACP pistols & revolvers. I slugged my barrels to make sure my boolits are oversized too.

[Kosh75287]

Or since the MAX range for auto loaders is 50 Yds...
I'm not sure I'm in agreement with that premise. It certainly depends on the pistol, its caliber, and its shooter, but a serious autopistol can hit amazingly well out to 100 yards. MY 1911A1 won't shoot 2" groups at 50 yards, but it WILL clang a 12" x 12" metal plate at 100 yards with gratifying frequency. I used 6.9/Unique/200 gr. LSWC when clanging the plate repeatedly. The 200gr. projectile is not out of "thump" at that range, either. I'D sure hate to have to stand out at 100 yards & "catch" one of them.

ADDENDUM: Almost forgot... Those projectiles were bought from a caster who said he used the 92/6/2 Lead:Tin:Antimony for just about everything.

[kevin c]

I'd read here that one reason the commercial casters use hardball is the same reason growers ship under ripened or otherwise more firm tomatoes: they stand up to the rough handling of transport a lot better (I've seen transport trucks on the road full of loose tomatoes six feet deep. Granted these were probably destined to become marinara sauce, but it wasn't like these truck were going down the highway trailing fresh squeezed tomato juice all the way). I know, back before I start casting my own, that I'd be unhappy paying over two C notes for a box of bullets if they got to me all dinged up.

[Budzilla 19]

COWW with 2% SN for all cast boolits. Powdercoat them all, no leading in any calibers. Still use BLL for any other cast boolits I find that are lubed already. Just my .02.

[ioon44]

I use 6-2-92 alloy for 9 mm and COWW with some Sn for .45 ACP all with Hi-Tek coating, works great in several different guns.

Always fit is king.

[lightman]

I use straight clip on wheel weights for nearly everything including 9MM and 45. Lyman #2 or 92-6-2 alloy sure is a joy to cast with though!

[Lloyd Smale]

if your gun is right 10bhn is all you really need. I do use harder alloys but not to prevent leading. More because they just shoot better. Don't worry about bumping up. that's old school thinking from when guns like colt single actions had mismatched throat to barrel dimentions. It may help in a crappy old gun but in a GOOD gun harder will about always outshoot softer at any velocity or pressure range.