Cast 9MM

[MGySgt]

What is your favorite 9MM boolit/mold?

I need to replace mine and possibly looking for something different.

Thank you for your answers.

[Ed_Shot]

I think you'll get many good choices. The NOE 359-121-RN is a winner for me in both accuracy and function.

[Thumbcocker]

Not my favorite; but if I were looking at one mold to make a bunch of boolits that would shoot pretty well. I would get a 120+- truncated cone from Lee or NOE and not look back. Those Lee 6 bangers make a pile of boolits in a hurry.

[9.3X62AL]

Another vote for the Lee TC 120 grain design. These run very well whether 9mm, 40 S&W, 10mm, or 45 ACP. Seat with about .020" of front drive band protruding above the case mouth, set a light taper crimp, and you are in business.

[oldhenry]

Although I've been casting boolits since '60, I'm a newcomer to reloading/casting for the 9mm.

The photo shows my 9mm molds: from left to right, Lee #356-125 R1, Arsenal #358-124 TC and MP-359-130 (125 in HP).

They all shoot better than I, but my favorite is the MP #359-130. It is an 8 cavity & it's almost impossible to cast a bad boolit.......but it was obtained through a group buy (now closed). A close 2nd. is the Arsenal #358-124 TC (mine is a 5 cavity).

The #356-125 R1 is also available as an MP 8 cavity (wait time 2 weeks or slightly more).

My 2 cents worth.
Henry

[tazman]

What is your favorite 9MM boolit/mold?

I need to replace mine and possibly looking for something different.

Thank you for your answers.

What pistol are you loading for?
Some pistols handle certain boolit designs better than others.

[MGySgt]

What pistol are you loading for?
Some pistols handle certain boolit designs better than others.

4 pistols (3913, LC9S 2 SCCY) and a Ruger PCC.

I currently have an older Lee 120 TC with BB. I don't like BB but I have had it a long time and created 10's thousands, used straight WW before and the heat has caused problems with galling of the pivot screw and hold down screw - time to retire it.

Looking for one boolit that will sever me well in all of my 9's and any I purchase in the furure.

[Shingle]

NOE 358-135 gas check or plain base feeds in everything and shoots good in everything.

[shooting on a shoestring]

If just one good quality, last a lifetime mould is in your plans, my favorite is Accurate 35-130A. It has a good meplate, feeds well, drops from the mould well has a bit more weight and I like it a lot. I got mine in a long block 5 cavity aluminum mould. I also use it in 38 Special.

[tazman]

NOE 358-135 gas check or plain base feeds in everything and shoots good in everything.

I concur. I have that mold in a plain base and it feeds and shoots well in all my 9mm handguns (8 different guns although none are the same as the OP mentioned).

[Forrest r]

+1 with oldhenry's MP 359-130 bullet.
I use the hp version of that bullet, that cast out @ 125gr
https://i.imgur.com/KoEMJiX.jpg?1

That mp 359-125 bullets does extremely well in 3 different 9mm's. I have a lee 6-cavity 120gr tc mold that casts a .359" bullet. The lee 120gr tl bullet can't hold a candle to that mp bullet when it comes to accuracy. I need to sell that lee mold, there's nothing wrong with it & it cast good bullets. There's just better/more accurate designs out there. Lately I've been casting/playing with these 2 bullets for the 9mm/38spl/357's. They're himmelwright clones that cover the +/- 115gr & 147gr bullet weight ranges:
left cramer #33 110gr indoor gallery bullet when cast & coated comes out @ 114gr
right mp 359-135 rnswc when cast & coated comes out @ 144gr
https://i.imgur.com/V2kVQ2Q.jpg

There's a lot of excellent bullet designs out there for the 9mm. This is my blammo ammo load for the 9mm using that mp 359-125 bullet.
https://i.imgur.com/N6XBlbc.jpg

Been testing those himmelwright clones in the snubnosed 38spl & 357 revolvers and short bbl'd 9mm's using hot loads/penetration tests. After that I'll start looking for accuracy. Accuracy means different things to different people. Hitting a quarter 10 times in a row @ 50ft with a bullet/load combo is what I consider accurate for a 9mm load. That mp 359-125 has no problem delivering that kind of accuracy with nothing more than a box stock $700 1911 chambered in 9mm.
https://i.imgur.com/a8fXZPh.jpg

[rintinglen]

Another vote for the Lee TC 120 grain design. These run very well whether 9mm, 40 S&W, 10mm, or 45 ACP. Seat with about .020" of front drive band protruding above the case mouth, set a light taper crimp, and you are in business.

What he said. I bought an NOE copy to get a better mold, but I haven't found a better design. This boolit, loaded as described over Unique, WW-231, Herco or Bullseye has worked in two S&W M-39's, two Berettas, a Star Firestar, a Sig P-6, and Melinda, my old Luger. And 5 or 6 at a crack means you get a pile O'boolits ASAP.

[farmerjim]

Lee 358-125-RF. It works fine sized .357 in all my 9's. Sized .359, it works fine in all my .357s and 38s. I have 2 of the 6 cavity and use both for speed.

[JeffG]

Lee 356-120-TC. Sized .357, #2 lube, 1.070 OAL, 4.4 Unique.

[MGySgt]

Who has a new version of the Lee 120 TC? Is it still a Bevel Base?????

[sixshot]

That Miha 125 HP & powder coated works great in 3 different 9's for me. Ground Squirrels hate them!

Dick

[toallmy]

Who has a new version of the Lee 120 TC? Is it still a Bevel Base?????

I have one Lee 356-120 standard lube grove 2 years old with the top vented it has a slight beveled base and drops at .357-.3575 .

[tazman]

Who has a new version of the Lee 120 TC? Is it still a Bevel Base?????

According to the picture on the Lee website, it still has a small bevel base.

[9.3X62AL]

What he said. I bought an NOE copy to get a better mold, but I haven't found a better design. This boolit, loaded as described over Unique, WW-231, Herco or Bullseye has worked in two S&W M-39's, two Berettas, a Star Firestar, a Sig P-6, and Melinda, my old Luger. And 5 or 6 at a crack means you get a pile O'boolits ASAP.

This is what I will be doing shortly--in 9mm, 40 S&W/10mm, and 45 ACP. Life is too short to mess with balky, recalcitrant tooling.

[Sailormilan2]

I have 3. On the left is the old Lyman 356402, which I have had for years, but I have never had much luck with it. It weighs about 132 gr, and drops them about .362". No distinct shoulder, so it does not cut clean holes in the paper.
In the center is the Saeco 383, which will work for the 9mm, though I mostly use it for 38 Super and 9x23. It drops them about 145 gr, and at about .360".
My newest one is MP's version of the HG75. 8 cavity aluminum mold, so it makes them fast. Drops them at about 130 gr, and .359".230841

[MGySgt]

[smilie=l:


This is what I will be doing shortly--in 9mm, 40 S&W/10mm, and 45 ACP. Life is too short to mess with balky, recalcitrant tooling.

[Combat Diver]

Only have one cast 9mm mold. A 2 cavity Lee 124 gr TC tumble lube. Feeds in every 9mm I've fired it in. Need to upgrade to a six banger some time.

CD

[Gamsek]

MP 359-125 could be one of the best bullets ever with excellent expansion
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181122/bf4bfa76ac4f1eb73a1f78ae20150d6d.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181122/a2cdf99700f793704011a544424bf16c.jpg

I had great success with MP clone of HG#275, but switched to 357-130 NLG because I powder-coat.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181122/ec40512dd64a63aa7d36682393198b3c.jpg
If you want to make copy of Federal Syntech PC ammo, thats the one. It drops .357” so its easier to size after PC and can be used in 38/357 too.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181122/e1c8c4afea343d91b84b13863d642c89.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181122/317554f12c67e99c3892563a4ce53679.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181122/275d298ed1296e2c421b70cee465bb0f.jpg

[MGySgt]

Some great looking boolits here in multiple posts. I have never been this wishy washy about a mold before. Must be my old age creeping in. :killingpc

[Kylongrifle32]

Another vote for the Lee 356-120 tc like it so much I had to get it in a 6 cavity mold. The Lee 356-124 rn works well in all my handguns. No luck with the TL 356-120 tc

[Kylongrifle32]

Another vote for the Lee 356-120 tc like it so much I had to get it in a 6 cavity mold. The Lee 356-124 rn works well in all my handguns. No luck with the TL 356-120 tc

[FergusonTO35]

Most for your money: Lee 6 cavity 356-120-TC. Been using this one for years and never met a pistol that didn't like it, I seat 'em to 1.055. The tumble lube version is just awful, never could get it to work well. You can tumble lube the standard version just fine, I've done it with good results.

My favorite overall: Arsenal 359-130-RF. Just got this one a couple months ago and am having lots of fun with it. The longer ogive lets me seat them to 1.075 and shoots just as well as the Lee.

I size to .357 with Randy Rat's Tac-X and find that 3.8 grains of Bullseye, HP-38/231, or Titegroup with either one is always more accurate than I can hold.

[LAH]

As you can see many will work. My most used is the Saeco 928 with the Lee 38-125-RF next.

[MUSTANG]

I am partial to the RCBS 9MM-124-RN 401. It's a nominal 120 Grain boolit. Works well in my Lugers, Beratta, and a 30(+) year old Bersa .380. I have used it exclusively with Lyman Super Moly Lube in my Lyman Lube Sizer; but this winter intend to cast a few hundred to a thousand and see how it will work Powder coated next spring. I find it feeds well in a variety of 9mm pistols.

[asmith80]

After I bought the MP 359-125 HP I sold off all my other 9mm molds. It's a fantastic bullet, the molds are the easiest I've ever worked with, and the ability to choose whether you want HP or solid is really nice

https://preview.ibb.co/nGV83z/IMG-20180804-114228128.jpg (https://ibb.co/mjvaiz)

[Love Life]

I use the NOE 124 TC gas checked in a 5 cavity. I get better accuracy from gas checked boolits in my 9mm pistols.

[Forrest r]

Had a little free time today so I went to the gun club and did a bunch of test loads. Some of the test loads were 9mm's. Been meaning to run some loads over a chronograph using the power pistol/Taurus pt111g2 9mm combo.

https://i.imgur.com/1Le21OW.jpg

I did a 20-shot stings in that 3.2" bbl'd pt11g2 9mm.
The 110gr bullet is a cramer gallery bullet designed for "parlor" loads/shooting. They ran at 1300fps & change.
The 125gr Mihec hp's did 1130fps & change.
The 140gr mihec's did 970fps & change.

Those are some pretty solid #'s considering they are from a short bbl'd 9mm pistol.

There's a lot of good molds out there. Nothing wrong with the lee 120gr tc bullet, have a 6-cavity mold that rains bullets. For some reason I just never could get the accuracy out of that lee tc bullet that I do out of the mihec 125's. But that doesn't stop me from casting piles of the lee's for general range play/plinking.

[bob208]

I have one 9m/m mold a rcbs 124 gr tc bullet it works in all my 9's a luger a star largo astra in largo also my high-power. it also works in my destroyer carbine. I could not ask for better.

[Walks]

I've used the Lyman #356402 & #356242 for 50+yrs.
But lately I find myself using a Lee 356-125-2R, just because it's got 6 cavities. It's got a nice long round profile nose that feeds in anything. Add the Lee .45 RN in 6cav and you can turn out a LOTTA bullets Fast.