Taking the 9mm plunge....

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Never thought I'd start reloading 9mm. But I ordered a 6 cavity Lee 125 gr. round nose mold today so it begins. I have read a number of threads here on cast 9mm boolits so I am feeling well versed. Will slug the barrel on my M&P 9 Compact and go from there. I will cast, powder coat, lube and size. Got plenty of time these days.....

[mattw]

Sounds like a plan, but think about forgetting the lube step if powder coating. It will only make stinky smoke! Those little tapered cases can be a pain in the butt, but don't give up on them. The can be very accurate!

[BigAlofPa.]

Awesome enjoy your new adventure. 9mm and 45 acp is what i started on.

[Shiloh]

What mold??
Thr LEE 125 RN casts large enough if I add some linotype, or RotoMetal super hard. I need .357 to get results. Just under .358 is better.
Both LEE ALOX and 45-45-10 from Larsen's lube.

SHiloh

[Winger Ed.]

Years ago, I had a tricked out late 50's issue Browning Hi-power.
That thing could make Stevie Wonder look good at the range.

As time went on, the 9mm cases got more and more tedious to handle.
That's the only reason I went to .45ACP.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Years ago, I had a tricked out late 50's issue Browning Hi-power.
That thing could make Stevie Wonder look good at the range.

As time went on, the 9mm cases got more and more tedious to handle.
That's the only reason I went to .45ACP.

I remember guys trying to make major with their High Powers back in the day. There were those hit pendulums before there were chronographs. I shot many thousand cast 200 gr. 45 bullets but never thought about getting into casting. I'm hoping for better accuracy more than saving money on ball ammo.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

What mold??
Thr LEE 125 RN casts large enough if I add some linotype, or RotoMetal super hard. I need .357 to get results. Just under .358 is better.
Both LEE ALOX and 45-45-10 from Larsen's lube.

SHiloh

If i don't need to powder coat that would be great. Hoping they drop at .358 or so. Been using that 45/45/10 tumble lube and it works great.

[roysha]

Years ago, I had a tricked out late 50's issue Browning Hi-power.
That thing could make Stevie Wonder look good at the range.

As time went on, the 9mm cases got more and more tedious to handle.
That's the only reason I went to .45ACP.


Entirely too cool for school!:grin:

[MGySgt]

I went to powder coating because I HATE to size and lub those little 9 mm. Bought a Lee push through die to size at just under .358. They shoot great out of 4 9mm I have one of which is the Ruger PCC 9 mm.

[Petrol & Powder]

My experience with casting for 9mm is that I must cast and load for one particular pistol. For reasons unknown to me, 9mm barrels seem to be all over the map when it comes to dimensions. A cartridge with a cast 9mm bullet that will work in one pistol of my collection will not work in another. In order to get one that feeds, chambers, doesn't lead the bore, is accurate and ejects - I pretty much have to tailor it to a particular pistol. Other cartridges (or maybe I should say other guns) are not as picky.
This isn't the end of the world, but it does annoy me from time to time.
I have found the 120 grain TC style bullet to be the most universal bullet style when it come to 9mm pistols.
I'm also going to give a big shout out here for WSF powder. WSF is my Go-To powder for 9mm unless I'm really trying to squeeze those last few feet per seconds out of a load, in which case there are some other options. 98% of the time, WSF doe the job and it does it very well.

The 9mm isn't as forgiving as say the 38 Special or 44 Special, but it isn't the total bear that some make it out to be.

[Wisest.fool]

I agree with Petrol & Powder the 120 TC lee mold feeds better in my 9mm (cz75, walther ppq). I powder coat all cast bullets anymore. Shake and bake, size and load. havent had any leading issues like i had with pan lubing or tumble lubing.

[megasupermagnum]

There are 3 common ways to lube a bullet, and multiple methods of each. You can use traditional wax lube, tumble lube, or coat. For wax lube, the fastest way is a lubrisizer. Slower, but just as good is to either dip or pan lube. For tumble lubing, most use a form of alox that coats the bullet. Most often a bit of lube is added to a container with bullets, and spun to distribute, but an equally valid way is in a bag, and knead the bag. Coating seems to involve powder coating, hitec, or some other kind of bake on coating. The most common method is similar to tumble lubing, but then followed up by baking in a toaster oven. Also used is a spray gun to coat bullets. There are many, many other ways to do the job

I use both wax and tumble lubes equally as often. Tumble lubing is the simplest method in terms of time and equipment needed. All you need for equipment is a push through bullet sizer. I've tried pan lubing, but find it a PITA. I much prefer to dip lube. This is a very slow process, but produces great results. I normally use a lubrisizer. I've tried coated bullets, and they work fine, but they are not all that they are cracked up to be. If you shoot indoors, they may be an advantage. Outdoors, a good wax lube produces so little smoke you can't even see it unless it is a dead still day. If you are not a competition shooter, it is a moot point.

If looking for volume, I would steer you to tumble lube. Since you seem to want more accuracy than anything, I would say find a used Lyman 450 lubrisizer. You can try pan or dip lubing too. You can coat if you wish, but the cost of equipment turns out to be about what a lubrisizer does.

[Huskerguy]

I agree with Petrol & Powder the 120 TC lee mold feeds better in my 9mm (cz75, walther ppq). I powder coat all cast bullets anymore. Shake and bake, size and load. havent had any leading issues like i had with pan lubing or tumble lubing.

Is that a pretty accurate bullet?

[berksglh]

I also load for volume, looking for easy cheep and fast, yet accurate.

Have cast for many calibers, and just got into 9mm as well spring 2019. Have a Kimber micro 9 that is surprisingly accurate with them. I can hit a 8" plate 8 out of 10 shots from 40 yds. (Iron sights stranding no rest)

I use the lee 6 cavity 356-125 round nose mold, water dropped with COWW lead, tumble coat powder coat, then lee push through, ends up at 356. I use HP-38, but had good luck with HS-6 as well. Lee progressive press and HP-38, just finished loading up about 2000 rnds. Get a system and you can mass produce them fast.

I just ordered an M&P9 Performance Center M2.0 C.O.R.E. with 5" ported barrel/slide for a better plinking 9mm. Hope it runs the same ammo as well as the Kimber does.

I aso have a second push through lee sizer for .358 powdercoated from that same mold that i use for 38Spl and 357Mag.

All 3 cartridges (same bullet mold) shoot extreemly accurate for me.

Heres a speed ramp I came up with for push through sizing after PC that I use for 9mm and 45. Goes real fast.

https://youtu.be/F0mw3nBEFN4

Sent from my LGUS997 using Tapatalk

[Hanzy4200]

It's worth it! Especially when you see the craziness going on every year or so. Loading at $40 per K vs $220+ is still a good savings. Also great for customizing exactly what you want such as subsonics. I always keep a stash of nice mild loads to feed my elderly 80-100 year old guns. I still lube some as well as powder coat. Something just doesn't feel right with me to feed a P08 Luger a Ford Light Blue bullet.

[onelight]

berksglh
Your bullet feeder looks like it works great ! Good job.

[gwpercle]

Good luck !

Get something to flare the case mouths , every die set is made to load J-word bullets Not cast and Not powder coated ... the tight case wants to size down your boolit and scrape lead/powder coat off the sides . A Lee Universal Case Expanding Die helps but is actually only a flaring tool ... get it along with a NOE Expander Plug and it will save you a lot of grief ...trust me on this one !!!
Also make sure the boolits are started straight into the case (easier with the NOE expander plug) if started at an angle ...shaved lead . They must be started straight .
I used the Lee mould for awhile but soon discovered the NOE 358-124-TC-GC solved ALL my problems ...Yes the Gas Check , it protects the base when seating and allows a softer alloy to be driven over 1,000 fps ... I also load this boolit in 357 magnum and 38 Special +P loads ...
very versatile design and very accurate to boot .
Gary

[dverna]

There has been a lot posted on loading for the 9mm. It can be a challenge so good luck.

I have never cast for it, but used a lot of commercial cast bullets. I may have been lucky. No issues. Alloy 92-6-2 and hard lube. I load below max...4.1 gr of HP-38 (W231). 122 gr TC Magma bullet. Guns...CZ, Beretta 92, Glock , S&W 5906, Kahr and Kel-Tec Sub 2000.

You should have no problems with PC...no need to lube if you PC.

My reason for reloading with cast is different...saving money. I would shoot jacketed if they were cheap enough.

[fredj338]

Everyone talks about 0.358" bullets for their 9mm, but in my experience, not needed with modern barrels. I was running 0.357" in all my 9mm but getting issues with mixed brass in some guns. So I went back to 0.356", nothing changed accuracy wise in all my 9mm, Glocks, 1911 match. It just didn't seem to matter. So I would try 0.356", maybe 0.357" if powder coating, you might find you are good to go there without issues fat bullets can cause in some brass brands in some pistols.
FWIW, Is use range scrap & powder coat. I water drop out of the oven for a little bhn bump. I load with an old set or RCBS dies & a 'M' style expander from MBF on my 650.

[Burnt Fingers]

I have several "modern" 9mm pistols who's barrels slug at .356 or larger. One slugs at .358. I don't shoot that one very much.

I size my 9mm boolits to .357 and they work in all my 9mm firearms except for the one mentioned above.

[Petrol & Powder]

To build on what gwpercle said; the Lyman "M" style expander, or any of the expanders that utilize a "step" instead of a simple flare - are far superior when loading cast bullets. If using a single stage press, one of the many expanders that has the removable end that allows you to custom fit the expander to the application is THE WAY TO GO.
If using a Dillon progressive press with a powder through expander (Dillon calls that a powder funnel), Lathesmith (a member of this forum) makes an outstanding replacement Dillon powder funnel.

To address what fredj338 wrote - I'm not sure what he means by "modern barrels". My 9mm barrels are all over the map and while some were manufactured more the 45 years ago, I would still label them as "modern". I wouldn't say that "everyone" is talking about sizing to .358" but I can see a need for that in some pistols. I don't have any that large but I use .357" in one 9mm and cannot go any smaller without problems. Another gun will not even feed a .357" bullet and I must size smaller.
So, I don't believe the disparity of dimensions in 9mm barrels is a function of when it was made (modern ?). The differences seem to be more about who made the barrel.

So while fredj338 may have a collection of pistols that all work with bullets sized to .356" , I'm not sure that will work across the board for all users.

[Cherokee]

++What P&P said about expanders. I started with .356 and generally it worked fine but .357 has proven to be better in my 9mm's and is my standard now.

[GONRA]

See fredj338 - GONRA suggests (IF yer gonna cast) getting .356, .357, .358 inch sizing dies.
Over the years - probably WILL need every one of them!
Stick to 115 - 125 grain cast boolits for normal loads.

[Nobade]

I just started loading for my new M&P 9mm. The Lee 358-125-RF sized to .357", cast from water dropped wheelweights, and lubed with 50/50 NRA formula is working extremely well for me. M&Ps have real rifling in them and seem to like cast boolits just fine.

[fecmech]

IMO the most important item for 9mm cast is either a Lyman M die or NOE expander due to the tapered case and just enough taper crimp to remove the flare. The Lee 9mm 120 tc loaded to about 1.060 OAL and sized at .357 or .358 (if it will chamber) is an excellent and accurate design. Yes, barrels are all over the place. My Hipower was .358 and my Khar was .355 and others in between. Undersize bullets either by crimping or tapered case are the bane of 9mm cast.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Got the NOE expanders for my 30 caliber rifles. Will get some for the 9mm after I slug the barrel and see what comes out of the mold. Thanks guys!

[fcvan]

Wow, so many comments about ‘finicky, gotta do this and that’ and I just didn’t have the same problems when I started loading 9 mm. Of course, I didn’t know that 9 mm was any different than any other caliber. My dad taught me to load 38 357 and 41 mag, all straight walled cases. The first 9 mm I bought, my first pistol actually, was a Smith & Wesson 459 back in 85. I bought lee dies, the Lee 125 round nose mold, and I pan lubed with Javalina. Heck, I was just 23, married and had a little girl, and had just finished building my house.

I approached loading 9 mm like 38 special, I cast the way I was taught, and applied the same teachings I had learned. The lead I used was range scrap from work, where are all we shot for practice was 38 wadcutters, and that is pretty soft. I measured my bullets and as cast they ran .358. I had read somewhere that seating the bullet might swage down so I pulled one and measured it. It came out .358, and still, those loads shot well with no leading.

Many 9 mm pistols, and a few carbines later, the only time I ever had lead stuck in the barrel was when I switched and tried a .357 sizing die. I traded that off to a member here.

I used a Lyman 450 lube and sizing die for 30 years, and never had a problem with the 358 die. In my Marlin Camp 9 mm carbine I never had a problem with loading and feeding. When I built an AR 15 and 9 mm, loading beat the heck out of the round nose bullet. Once I started powder coating that problem was taken care of.

I still have a Smith and Wesson, although it is a 639 rather than the original 459 I first bought. I have several Glocks, some with factory barrels and some with drop in barrels for my 40 S&W Glocks, nobody told me that Glock barrels lead like the dickens and lead to Glock kaboom.

Since I didn’t know, I didn’t tell my Glock’s, so no leading, no Kaboom. Of course, my typical range day usually consisted of 500 rounds per handgun that I was shooting that day. That doesn’t mean I didn’t check my barrel frequently, something else my dad taught me.

Call me lucky, call me ignorant, call it what you will. Every suggestion I have read in previous posts have great merit and value. Find what works for you, find what works in each gun, but what I have done has worked in many more pistols than mine, because a lot of my friends would go to the range with me with their various pistols. I never had a problem, nor did they.

I always thought it was fun when a new guy bought his new pistol and showed up at the range with a couple boxes of store bought (shudder to think) factory. They would set the new pistol out on the new pistol rug, set they’re shiny new boxes of ammo on the bench, just as proud as can be. I would reach into the back of my pick up truck pull out a 5 gallon bucket half filled with loose 9 mm ammunition and tell them “put that away and shoot this.”

I converted many friends into avid casters, reloaders, and shooters, but mostly caught them what dad taught me about reloading. Dad also taught me how to be frugal because he was raising three boys at the time, and money was sometimes tight. Most of the new guys were just starting out like I did, and they liked the cost savings.

The most important thing is, if something is not working for you, take heed of the sage advice presented here, I do, but mostly I stick to Dads teachings 45 years ago. It works for me, your mileage may vary. PS, please don’t tell my Glocks about the kaboom thing, they still don’t know.