9mm alloy

[porthos]

i've been casting for rifle for a long time; always use gaschecks. my alloy is around 18 bhn; i have around 600 lbs made up. but, i don't want to use this for 9mm (sig 210) i have pure lead and tin to mix with it. is that ok for 9mm velocity; 1000-1200 fps. what ratio? the commerical bullets that are available are "hard cast". does anyone make something less hard? wouldn't the "hard cast " be counter productive at 9mm velocity? i don't mind buying commercial until i decide on a mold to use.

[bangerjim]

I shoot 10-12 hardness in all my 9mm rounds then PC them for perfect accurate smoke-free, leading-free performance.

No water dropping alchemy used at all................anytime!

You do no need hard lead today....."FIT IS KING" , not hardness. I use a standard ratio of Pb, Sn, and Sb, normally COWW's mixed with pure. Since you do not know your ratio in the huge batch of alloy you have (why I never mix up huge batches of something), you will have to play around with the additives.

Check the alloy mixing chart found on a sticky in this forum for ratios.

bangerjim

[toallmy]

Try a mix of 50/50 your hardened alloy / pure your softer alloy , or 2 part hard / 1 part soft your call they will probably work fine . I use coww/ soft 50/50 mix with good results . But honestly only way to find out what is best is to try some
Bangerjim every time I see you post I want to thank you for constantly posting to preheat your molds .

[Conditor22]

I gave up on mix ratio.

you have 18 bhn
you have 5 bhn (pure)
you want 12 bhn
1 pound 5bhn+1 pound 18bhn= 23 / 2 =2 pounds 11.5 bhn throw in .5 oz tin and call it good.

My sig likes both .357 and .358 I'd give you more details but I bought it secondhand and found out SIG ONLY WARRANTS THEIR GUNS TO THE ORRIGINAL OWNER. Got my gun at a good price and found out why, I got better groups with my shotgun no matter what I fed it. took it to a gunsmith who told me the barrel was bad from the factory. I called and told Sig that. they said it would cost me (apr) $150 just for them to look at it. I recently bought a new barrel and now it shoots great with both .357 and .358. I haven't done any load development with the new barrel so can't give you an exact answer.

You need to find what works best for your gun.

I do have a gun that only I can only get good groups with PC'd - quenched (apr 20 bhn) sized to .358

[Burnt Fingers]

Almost all my pistol boolits run about 11 BHN. 9mm for sure. No water dropping, no gas checks. Just Hi-Tek.

[FergusonTO35]

I've been using range scrap ingots of varying hardness in my 9's for years with good success. In fact, I get better results with it than commercial cast slugs. I think size, lube, and powder charge are key. .357 with a fairly soft lube like RCBS 80008 works really well for me. Dipping the boolits in LLA works great too. Range scrap ingot prices have been getting silly lately. I got some magnum lead shot for cheap the other day so I am going to try that.

[bangerjim]

Try a mix of 50/50 your hardened alloy / pure your softer alloy , or 2 part hard / 1 part soft your call they will probably work fine . I use coww/ soft 50/50 mix with good results . But honestly only way to find out what is best is to try some
Bangerjim every time I see you post I want to thank you for constantly posting to preheat your molds .

We all learn from other's doing & sharing. I am glad to share my experiences with others on here and improve their casting experiences! I too have learned a ton of valuable info from other comments and posts on here.

banger

[porthos]

thanks guys. wonder why the commerical casters use such a hard alloy?

[gnostic]

thanks guys. wonder why the commerical casters use such a hard alloy?

They do it so the bullets don't get damaged in transit....

[Newboy]

Like bangerjim, mine are pure lead with just enough tin, powder coated.


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[ioon44]

I have been cast my 9 mm arround 12 BHN and coating them with Hi-Tek, the bullet needs to be at least .002" over what the barrel sluggs , fit is king no matter what the alloy.

[rfd]

i have long since given up on casting alloy for handgun cartridges and j-word pills are totally out for me. commercial hi-tec coated bullets are relatively cheap in the large quantities i require, offer no leading, obviously no copper wash, they just work.

[porthos]

where do you buy your coated bullets? another question: i just bought 3000 once fired mixed headstamp brass. at the close handgun ranges (25 yds) would accuracy be affected by mixing brass? since i am anal; i know that i will seperate by headstamps, but i am curious?

[rfd]

https://precisionbullets.com/

http://www.acmebullet.com/

[popper]

IMHO the case is some of the 9mm problem - soft alloy gets swaged down in loading so OPs go to harder alloy.

[rfd]

guess i'm lucky as i get all my 9mm brass off the town police range brass bucket. :D