358105swc and 9mm

[Jal5]

I know there has been a bunch of posts about using this boolit in a 9mm. I would like some feedback on my thinking process with this boolit. I have loaded up a bunch of them using 3.6 of BE and CCI 500 primers, the boolit sized to .357 and 2 coats of 45/45/10 lube. COAL is 1.050
That is much below the max of 5.1 BE for the Lee 356-102 1R boolit in the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook.

They fire out of my three 9 mm guns, but with problems either loading or ejecting in each gun. the guns are: S&W Shield, Beretta 92F, and P38 from WWII. I would like to adjust the COAL smaller to see if it reduces these problems. the Lee 356102 1R was 1.030 OAL in the Handbook. I think going to 1.040 or 1.035 would be safe given that my amount of BE is so far below the max of 5.1 Pressure will rise but in each gun the reduced pressure is probably causing some of of the feeding/ejecting problems too.

Am I thinking correctly?

Joe

[Texas by God]

I seat them like this and use 4.8 grs of Bullseye and they function great, lock the slide back when empty, and are accurate in my Shield.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210103/ae10f4e54747524622702e3608a3b418.jpg

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[Jal5]

Thx. What’s the COAL on those?
Joe


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[charlie b]

That's kind what mine look like at 1.00 OAL.

Are you sure the malfunctions are due to the OAL? I find I need to be closer to max load velocity to get the slide fully to the rear.

[Cherokee]

I would suggest you up your powder charge until you find a level that works.

[slohunter]

That's the number one boolit I cast for my 9 mm's.

[Texas by God]

Thx. What’s the COAL on those?
Joe


Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkSorry, they are .976" OAL. Just a fingernail of the driving band showing, the same as I seat 200gr SWC in .45 ACP.

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[Jal5]

thanks, I am going to try the OAL adjustment first since I have a bunch of these made up already. I think I can seat that boolit a little deeper, maybe not, but that will be my first try to use these reloaded rounds. all new reloads will be at a smaller oal than what I had been using for sure.

[Fireball 57]

I load that Boolit in my Walther P99, Taurus G2, and the new addition, Wilson Carry Comp. The OVL I use is 1.036". I use various loads but, 4.6grains of Bullseye will get the job done and functions the actions. Have a great day! Fireball 57

[Finster101]

I seat mine as shown above and use 4grains of Red Dot or Promo. It has worked well for me.

[onelight]

Does 3.6 grains of bullseye lock the slide back on each of your guns ?

[Jal5]

No and Ibelieve that’s part of the problem. Other people have used quite a bit more powder at a smaller COAL to get them to function. I need to do more testing of both. Joe

[onelight]

No and Ibelieve that’s part of the problem. Other people have used quite a bit more powder at a smaller COAL to get them to function. I need to do more testing of both. Joe
Just a suggestion , but I would work up to the point you get it to fully cycle the slide before I spent to much time trying to get it to feed , I find the longest OAL that will plunk test and work up a charge that will lock back the slide back . Your feeding problems may go away . If they do you look for a powder charge that satisfies your accuracy and power requirements .

[Jniedbalski]

I used 4.2 of bullseye and a oal of I think of around 1.018 right to the top of crimp grove. I had problems of not chambering all the way sometimes in one of my 9 mm. I shortened them to .995 and they now chamber all the time. I also lowered my charge to 4.0 and they shoot fine out of my star and high point.

[Jal5]

I used 4.2 of bullseye and a oal of I think of around 1.018 right to the top of crimp grove. I had problems of not chambering all the way sometimes in one of my 9 mm. I shortened them to .995 and they now chamber all the time. I also lowered my charge to 4.0 and they shoot fine out of my star and high point.

I'm thinking that about 4.0 BE and a shorter OAL will be about right in my guns too. about 1.00 OAL should work. I will make up some dummy rounds at that OAL and see if they plunk in all the guns. then it is a matter of adjusting the powder up to a good accuracy and functioning level as far as chambering and ejecting, etc.

[gwpercle]

My WWII Walther P38 loves the Lee 105 gr. SWC with 4.8 grains Unique , size boolit to .357 and seat until it passes the plunk test... top edge of case about a thumbnail thickness below top driving band of boolit . Feeds , fires and ejects 100% and will print a 15 shot group into one ragged 1 1/2" hole ... it shoots to my pistols iron sights with a 6-O'Clock hold...which I just love !
My P38 has a generous throat and boolits can be seated out farther but newer and compact pistols have little or no throat and must be seated rater short .
Gary

[fcvan]

When I first bought that mold (1986?) I loaded it for a S&W 459. I seated to where the case mouth was centered on the front driving band, powder was 5 gr of Unique, same charged I use on the Lee 356-125 2R. I settled in the mid front band by plunk test and cycling dummy rounds until they worked. I sized both at 358 and still do mostly because they both actually cast at that size, as did the Glocks, Marlin Camp 9, AR 15 9mm. Anything I sized smaller just didn't work in any of my 9s.

[onelight]

If you seat the finished crimped rounds deeper you will likely scrape lead and powder coat in front of the case mouth which adds another issue to correct chambering .

[Jal5]

Tried the reduced size rounds today in Two guns. They shot fine and pretty accurate in the Beretta 92f but didn’t eject properly. In the S&W Shield it jammed up the gun. I still have to safely unload that one.

Back to the drawing board I think.


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[Lloyd Smale]

the stange and ugly lee 105. Its but ugly but very accurate if your gun will run it. Some of my 9s run it great. My wifes lc9 even runs it with pop gun loads but my M&P full size wont run 3 in a row and my 3 shields rarely run a full mag. My glock 19 and 43 run it great. Maybe a bobble in a couple hundred rounds but that lcp just eats them for lunch. I think thats kind of the nature of that bullet. Either your gun runs it or it wont and i dont know that its worth wasting the primers and powder thats so hard to find today to keep trying to force it to run. To many other bullets that shoot fine in them. About the only 9 i use them with anymore is that lc9. Ive got mild loads my wife uses to practice that dont recoil much more then a 22.

[Jal5]

Lloyd has a good point. I do have better boolits for that 9mm. And luckily I didn’t pour too many 105s. May try them in my SIL S&W SD9VE when I see him next month.


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