Moulds and size?

[Shadow9mm]

I am going to be getting into bullet casting hopefully in the next couple weeks. Can't find the bullets I want, and the ones I am finding are more than I want to pay.

I currently reload for 9mm and 38spl/357 mag

For 9mm the barrels slugged at .356, so I will need .357 bullets
for 38/357 the cylinder throats will pass a .358 bullet with light finger pressure but a .359 will not fit. so I will need a .359 right?

I was looking a the lee tumble lube type moulds to start out just to keep things easy and cheap. hoping to get some custom moulds from NOE and doing traditional lube or powder coating.

are lee moulds over sized? If I order .356 and .358 moulds will they be over sized so I can size them down to the size I need, .357 and .359?

Doing a lot of learning, thank you.

[Gofaaast]

If you wanna be cheap buy just the larger size mold and size both to .358 or shot as cast (assuming .358 reliably chambers in the 9mm). Ideally most will say you need to size to .357 for your 9mm and .358 for the throats your revolver has. Molds typically cast a tenth oversize depending on alloy and casting temp.

[Shadow9mm]

If you wanna be cheap buy just the larger size mold and size both to .358 or shot as cast (assuming .358 reliably chambers in the 9mm). Ideally most will say you need to size to .357 for your 9mm and .358 for the throats your revolver has. Molds typically cast a tenth oversize depending on alloy and casting temp.

That is why I was looking at .359 for the 38/357. A .358 will pass through the throat with light finger pressure but a .359 will not, so i figured the .359 was the 0.001 over that I would need.

I have the lee APP and have the sizing kits on order. The moulds seem to be the tricky part so far.

[243winxb]

Lee has 2- 9mm - 124 gr. TL molds that may work in both 9 & 357 for you. ? My 356-120-TC mold as cast diameter is .358" But i add some linotype. Antimony in the linotype makes larger bullets.

Sized diameters to fit guns-
My 9mm diameter is .3568"

My 357/38 is .3575"
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?media/9mm-120gr-vs-358-158gr.3631/full

[wv109323]

My Lee 6 cavity 124 TC mold casts right at .356 and no more. I went with a 358 rnfp for the 9mm. You may get away with a .358 bullet in the revolver but .359 is good insurance it will work.
You can powder coat with the shake and bake method and make about any mold work. You can get custom molds in any size up to .360.

[GregLaROCHE]

If you have an aluminum mold that you want to throw larger boolits, people say they have honed them larger. You put some lapping compound on one of your boolits, screw something into it so you can chuck it in a drill, close the boolit in the mold and away you go. It could work in an aluminum mold, but sure didn’t when I tried it in a steel mold. I just ended up with a really shiny boolit.

[Conditor22]

I've always sized all my 38 spcl/357 mag to .358.

9MM is a totally different story. I had 9MM's that like .356 up to .360

You have to find out what size/hardness your gun likes best. .357 would be a good place to start, .358 might work for the 9 also.

You can powdercoat ANY clean boolit

[Shadow9mm]

For now I have a plan. I am going to use the basic lee moulds and powder coat the bullets. This should let me get my feet wet and get some experience casting and get a preferred alloy figured out. The powder coating should address any issues with the bullets being too small and I can size them as needed. After I get that figured out I will get a nice custom mould.

thanks for all the help!

[Keith357]

Shadow9mm
I just thought I'd mention the Lee 358-125 RNFP mold.
I use it for 38 special and 9mms (the crimp groove is slight above the case mouth for 9mm, I close the mouth on the flat)

[oley55]

That is why I was looking at .359 for the 38/357. A .358 will pass through the throat with light finger pressure but a .359 will not, so i figured the .359 was the 0.001 over that I would need.

The .001" over is for the groove diameter of the barrel, not revolver throats. Going .001" over the throat size does nothing for you as the throats will size your bullets back down to the .358".