Suggest 9mm mold

[primerhead]

Hello Friends:
Want to start cast 9mm please suggest a good all around mold.
Thanks
primerhead

[Springfield]

LEE 120 grain truncated cone. Easy to cast, feeds in all the 9mm I have tried it in so far, ie Browning HP, Tangoglio, Astra A100, Polish Radom.

[TjB101]

LEE 120 grain truncated cone. Easy to cast, feeds in all the 9mm I have tried it in so far, ie Browning HP, Tangoglio, Astra A100, Polish Radom.

That’s a good one ... I also cast the 125-2R ... that one has to loaded pretty short - 1.075-1.085 for my Sig’s and saves on powder due to that ... very accurate with my P226

[mdi]

I have had good success with Lee's 125 gr RNFP (358-125-RF). Feeds well in my 4, 9mm pistols and also works well in my 38 Special and 357 Magnum handloads (nekkid and PCed). Just size accordingly and for the 9s, ignore the crimp groove...

[Ed_Shot]

For a first 9MM mold I agree with the Lee 356-120-TC. Easy to cast, easy to load, feeds well in everything, and its cheap.

[Rizzo]

I also recommend the Lee 356-120-TC for 9mm.
Other molds I tried had me seating the bullet too deep in order to pass the plunk test.

[toallmy]

The .356-120 tc with the standard lube grove works , if possible the 6 cavity .

[farmerjim]

MDI "I have had good success with Lee's 125 gr RNFP (358-125-RF)."

+1 for the 358-125-RF.
It works great in all my 9's sized .357, and .359 for my 38's, 357 mag, and 357 Max. I don't, but some also use it in the 380.

[Burnt Fingers]

https://www.mp-molds.com/product/357-359-125-flat-round-nose-flat-base-8-cavity-aluminum-no-lube-groove-mold/

Buy once, cry once.

This boolit has worked well in over two dozen different firearms. It's also very accurate.

[fcvan]

I have the Lee 356-125 2R, my first mold purchased. Along the way, I picked up the 356-102 1R, the 356-120 TC, and later, the 356-95 RF and the 358-125 RF. All of my 356 molds actually cast at 358 and I size for that. Every 9mm I have owned preferred the 358 diameter. Favorite is the 125 2R which has cast 750K over the past 35 years. It is also my go-to for 38 SP loads. Second is the 102 1R. All of the flat nosed boolits shoot fine in my pistols, not as good in the AR 15 9MM due to the use of Colt type stick mags that feed left-right. I may change to an adapter to take Glock mags that feed from the center.

It really depends on what you are shooting for, paper, tin cans, etc., and what you are shooting from. Heck, I even bought the Lee 358-105 SWC which prints great targets from my pistols, but won't feed in the AR. Of late, I mostly cast and load the 102 1R for plinking and lead conservation. I carry factory ammo as I carry concealed, and shoot my own loads for regular practice. YMMV

[Bashby]

I have a 35-125pz from Accurate. It is a round nose flat point. I powder coat so I didn’t want lube grooves that make it easier to swage the boolit. The tapered base makes it easier to start the boolit in the case. I’ve only tried it in my Polymer 80 but have had no problems feeding.
266637

[kevin c]

I second the recommendations on the MP and Accurate molds, with this caveat: you may not want to learn how to cast with such costly and finely made molds.

It's not that they're tricky to use; exactly the opposite! They cast beautifully, without any quirks or issues. It's just that, personally, I didn't really know how to treat them right in use or storage, so now I have molds that are damaged in various ways.

If you're an old hand to the art, or have a good mentor or are extra careful or have piles of money to replace whoopsies, then go for it.

[cstrickland]

I have to also recommend the lee 356-120-TC. I cast them by the thousands and have no issues. The lee molds are inexpensive and work great. I have a two cavity and a six cavity . I have loaded and shot this bullet in no less than 11 different brands and models of 9mm, and have not found one yet where it did not work .

you can typically pick up a two cavity for less than $25 shipped and try it. I started with the two cavity and a pot and ladle. I can get about 300 an hour with a comfortable pace pressure pouring with a ladle. With a 6 cavity and a bottom pour you can get close to 1000 an hour.

[gpidaho]

The Lee 120gr. TC or the Rcbs 124gr. TC if you prefer iron moulds. Pretty much the same bullet. My Lee mould casts a couple grs. heavier than my RCBS. Feeds great in every 9 I've tried them in. Gp

[pworley1]

All those mentioned are good choices, I will just add this one to the list: the Lyman 358242 120g version.

[Ed_Shot]

All those mentioned are good choices, I will just add this one to the list: the Lyman 358242 120g version.

My personal favorite for 9MM as well as its NOE clone 359-121-RN. I do believe that a double cavity Lee 120 TC for $25 is the best choice for a first mold.

[John McCorkle]

LEE 120 grain truncated cone. Easy to cast, feeds in all the 9mm I have tried it in so far, ie Browning HP, Tangoglio, Astra A100, Polish Radom.I second that. Get the regular lube version not the tumble lube version..seems to be more accurate

If you can swing a six gang mold do it....it'll make a pile of lead in a hurry and I feel that Lee's six gang molds are of better quality than the two cavity molds.

Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk

[Froogal]

I have the Lee 356-125 2R, my first mold purchased. Along the way, I picked up the 356-102 1R, the 356-120 TC, and later, the 356-95 RF and the 358-125 RF. All of my 356 molds actually cast at 358 and I size for that. Every 9mm I have owned preferred the 358 diameter. Favorite is the 125 2R which has cast 750K over the past 35 years. It is also my go-to for 38 SP loads. Second is the 102 1R. All of the flat nosed boolits shoot fine in my pistols, not as good in the AR 15 9MM due to the use of Colt type stick mags that feed left-right. I may change to an adapter to take Glock mags that feed from the center.

It really depends on what you are shooting for, paper, tin cans, etc., and what you are shooting from. Heck, I even bought the Lee 358-105 SWC which prints great targets from my pistols, but won't feed in the AR. Of late, I mostly cast and load the 102 1R for plinking and lead conservation. I carry factory ammo as I carry concealed, and shoot my own loads for regular practice. YMMV

Very interesting. I have some of those 358-125 RF that I cast for my .38 and .357, but experimenting a little, I discovered that the .358-125 passed the plunk test in my M&P 9mm. I will be loading and testing just as soon as I can get more primers.

[ioon44]

I have a 5 cav 35-130-c from Accurate. It is a round nose flat point without a lube grove and I coat with Hi-Tek, very accurate and feeds in all of my 9 mm's .

[gwpercle]

After working with the Lee 356-120-TC and several other designs I decided I liked the 120 gr, weight and Truncated Cone design best .
I also decided I wanted a gas check design , I wanted to cast them of softish alloy
(50/50 COWW - Lead) and I wanted to be able to drive them over 1000 fps and use them in my 357 magnum ... I find a gas check helpful So...ordered a 4 cavity NOE 358-124-TC-GC
Works perfectly in 9mm Luger , 38 Super , 38 special , 38 special +P , 357 magnum .
They drop .3579 , size .357 for the semi-auto's and run through .358 lube/sizer for revolver boolit .
You can order it plain base but I find the GC helps when seating boolits ...great design and the 4 cavity mould increases production a lot .
Gary

[nueces5]

I have not had a good result in my case with Lee's 120 TC. It gave me 355 boolits, and I could never get them to work better on my glock.
Much better result with RCBS 124CN, now I have to try MP 135 RNFP, which many say is very good.

[DeadWoodDan]

I will give another vote to start with the LEE 120 TC 6cavity. Something I don't think was questioned but indirectly mentioned, what is your plan after cast? Are you going to PC, lube and how? I cut my teeth on the 120 TC and powder and haven't had an issue. I will end up with a second mold only b.c. I want something with a different design. I hate the looks of the TC but it works all too well from casting to loading to target.

[gwpercle]

I have not had a good result in my case with Lee's 120 TC. It gave me 355 boolits, and I could never get them to work better on my glock.
Much better result with RCBS 124CN, now I have to try MP 135 RNFP, which many say is very good.

I got lucky ... the Lee double cavity #356-120-TC I got dropped them at .357 , which was perfect for sizing to .357 in my lube / sizer ! That doesn't happen often but in this case the sun , moon and stars all lined up for me .
Gary

[Sailormilan2]

I like Mihec's version of the Hensley Gibbs HG275. Basically a 9mm version of the pooular HG68 for the 45 acp. Their 8 cavity aluminum mold really rains the bullets.
Unfortunately, it appears that the flat base version is sold out, but they make a bevel base version.

https://www.mp-molds.com/product/9mm-38cal-swc-hg275-clone/

[nueces5]

If I had been that lucky, I would not have made so many changes to my pistol.
That's one of the two molds that have left my reload room.
I have not bought a Lee mold since.

[primerhead]

Hello Friends:
As the OP i failed to say that I will be using the shake and bake method to PC the bullets.
I will size if necessary using a Lee push through.
Sorry for lack of info.
Thanks for all the replies. Still trying to decide on mold/molds.
Suggestions greatly appreciated.
Will update once i pull the trigger.

[fcvan]

Very interesting. I have some of those 358-125 RF that I cast for my .38 and .357, but experimenting a little, I discovered that the .358-125 passed the plunk test in my M&P 9mm. I will be loading and testing just as soon as I can get more primers.

I have also use the Lee 358-125-RF and it shoots fine in everything 9mm I have, except the 9mm AR, hence the reference to RN boolits. I will tell you, the 125 RF is the bee's knees for the .357 SIG, same profile as factory 125 FMJ. Now that might make for a great AR 15 build!

[trixter]

I started out with the Lee TL 356-124 2R and it worked great. I still shoot a lot of them. Then I tried the Lee 358-105-SWC (H&G 68 clone) and I know this is a crazy reason, but I love the 'paper punch' holes that it makes in the target, so I have been making them and shooting them pretty much exclusively. I also cast the same style for my 45ACP. Great fun!

[pastera]

LEE 120 grain truncated cone. Easy to cast, feeds in all the 9mm I have tried it in so far, ie Browning HP, Tangoglio, Astra A100, Polish Radom.

2nd this

I cut the lube grooves out of my 2-cavity and upped the diameter it drops to .359 - coated in HiTek those bullets just simply work every time.
$20 well spent.
Lee's 452-228-1R (45) - toss that one in the woods and keep looking...

[Bashby]

I started out with the Lee TL 356-124 2R and it worked great. I still shoot a lot of them. Then I tried the Lee 358-105-SWC (H&G 68 clone) and I know this is a crazy reason, but I love the 'paper punch' holes that it makes in the target, so I have been making them and shooting them pretty much exclusively. I also cast the same style for my 45ACP. Great fun!

I tried the 358-105 SWC and could not get them to feed in my Polymer 80(Glock 17 sized). I might give it another shot, got pretty frustrating so I went with the RNF from Accurate that I mentioned earlier in the thread.

[lotech]

The most accurate 9mm bullet I've found has been cast using the obsolete Lyman #358212 .38 Special mould - 147-150 gain round nose, ww alloy. Size to .357". .358", or .359", whatever functions reliably and shoots most accurately in your gun.

[ABJ]

I agree with the truncated cone guys. A lot of 9mm have a 90 degree, chamber to leade which will scrape lead. In my testing a .357 TC worked in more guns than it didn't. Sometimes a .358 worked if the chamber would take it. Next best boolit was the round nose. Both in the 120/125 weight class. I have never powder coated so can't speak to that.
Tony

[Petrol & Powder]

9mm can be a bit of problem child but the most universal 9mm bullet I've found is the 120 grain TC style. That profile seems to work with most platforms.

9mm barrels are all over the place in terms of groove diameter, so measuring the bore is often a key step when making decisions on bullet diameter. A 9mm barrel should be .355" but they rarely conform to that standard; .356"-.357" is common.

[AKtinman]

I like Mihec's version of the Hensley Gibbs HG275. Basically a 9mm version of the pooular HG68 for the 45 acp. Their 8 cavity aluminum mold really rains the bullets.
Unfortunately, it appears that the flat base version is sold out, but they make a bevel base version.

https://www.mp-molds.com/product/9mm-38cal-swc-hg275-clone/

I bought one of the MP HG275 bevel base molds. I've owned more than a dozen MP molds over the years. Unfortunately, my Dan Wesson 1911's don't like this bullet. Keyholes at 10 yards. Sure makes a nice bullet, though.

The Accurate 35-130A has been accurate in my 1911's.

[metricmonkeywrench]

All those mentioned are good choices, I will just add this one to the list: the Lyman 358242 120g version.

+1 and ill add the Lyman 356402 120g Truncated Cone. My M&P loves em

[Wally]

I agree...have tried many bullet molds in the 9mm caliber and in my pistols the Lee 120 TC has always been a top performer.



LEE 120 grain truncated cone. Easy to cast, feeds in all the 9mm I have tried it in so far, ie Browning HP, Tangoglio, Astra A100, Polish Radom.

[Drew P]

MP 8 cav, let it rain!!

[mvozz]

Well for my 2 cents worth I just started casting with the NOE HTC356-135-RF-AH2 4 Cavity RG4 PB. Nice Hollow Point and my Beretta 92 just loves them sized to .355. I like the fact that I can do Hollow Points, Cup Points and Flat Nose with the same mould. I am not sure a beginner should start here though because the mould/pins have to be very clean to get good boolits. They also are great in my wife's EAA Witness. They are designed for Hi-Tek coating but I shake and bake them and have been very impressed.

[Hanzy4200]

I run the Lyman 147 gr RNFP. It shoots well out of almost all 7 of my 9mm's. Im thinking of adding a 124 gr option.

[Shiloh]

Depending on firearm, you need one to drop at least .357 boolits.
It is a rare 9mm that has a .355 barrel.

Shiloh

[asmith80]

I've got three versions of MPs 9mm Flat point design and I love them all. I've got the 4 cav brass mold for hollow points, an 8 cav lube groove version for volume, and I just got the 8 cav NLG version to try out. You can't go wrong with this design, it just plain works.

I also have the MP version of the HG275, and while I could get it to work for individual pistols, I couldn't figure out how to get it to work with all my 9mms, so now I just use if for 38/357 and it's great

[Shiloh]

.357 shoots OK. .358 is much better.

Shiloh

[Hutch556]

There are other great molds, but the Lee 356-120-tc is a heck of a value and a real good mold in 9MM.

[primerhead]

Hello Friends:

Been a while but I decided on the Lee 6-Cavity Bullet Mold 356-120-TC.
Sure took a long time to locate one for sale.
Thanks to everyone who responded with suggestions.

primerhead

[joatmon]

Wise choice! That mold should keep you well supplied in 9mm. You might want to read some of the stickies on mold prepping for some great precast mold tune ups.
Enjoy this adventure. Best prep advice under Molds Maintenance and Design. Aaron