Saeco 9mm Mold #377 Question About COAL

[G. Freeman]

Hello Folks,

I'm considering this mold for my 9mm pistols. I'm hoping to be able to PC and size to .357-358". But in order for this to work in my pistols with a shorter leade, I would have to crimp the bullet at the front edge of the bearing surface.

I read on some posts that this is a short bullet. Will this lead to a very short COAL?

I tried using a dummy round using a .358" 125 gr flat point cast bullet (have a few samples; magma engineering I think). In order to chamber in my Kimber and CZ my coal has to be a very short .900"!

Wondering I will end up with the same problem with this #377 Saeco mold.

Thanks in advance!

[lotech]

This was one of the first moulds I used for loading 9mm. I haven't used it in a long time as I prefer heavier bullets, but #377 bullets feed fine in any 9mm pistol I've tried them in.

I seated to an OAL of 1.08", but this OAL may require slight variation in some pistols. Never tried seating to .900", but it might work. I'd probably try another bullet design if I had to seat that deep. I don't powder coat, only use conventional sizing and lubrication.

I like a .358" bullet and my #377 mould casts undersize at about .356", maybe a little more. However, I got good accuracy with a few loads if I pushed them fairly hard but not maximum. I guess the undersize bullets obturate with adequate pressure. I noticed this with both ww and lino bullets.

[rintinglen]

Danger, Danger! Will Robinson.
Unless the load is drastically reduced, a COAL of .900 will almost certainly be above the red line pressure wise. And it will be difficult to find loading data for this venture.

Rather than chasing an expensive mold that might not work, fix the gun. Contact Doug Guy and have him throat your barrel to allow you to load to a more normal OAL. Then you'll be able to use whatever mold you like.

[lotech]

Regarding AOL with the SAECO #377 design... when I had .380s some years ago, I used this bullet in them, seated to give an OAL of .960". Again, this was for the .380 cartridge, not 9mm. I've never seen 9mm loading data for the #377. I had to come up with my own when I began using this mould about 1988. Maybe there is data nowadays.

[Kosh75287]

Rim Rock Bullets makes that projectile, or one remarkably similar to it and I use it extensively.

https://rimrockbullets.com/xcart/tsh-9mm-122-gr-tc-per-00.html

The overall length on which I settled was 1.0215", with the shoulder extending above the case mouth about the width of my thumbnail (0.024" for MY thumb). This round "plunks" into the barrel of my P-35 freely, and functions in it without issue.
I DID consider seating the bullet deeper, so the shoulder is flush with the case mouth, but was so pleased with function at the current o.a.l. that I elected to not tempt fate. If the chamber in your CZ is shorter than mine, I do not think anything would be lost if you seat the projectile flush with the case mouth (0.9975" o.a.l.), assuming that your propellant charge is in the "moderate" range.
Anytime a seating depth is increased in a cartridge with high pressure and low case volume, there WILL be SOME pressure increase, so be careful. Consider dropping your charge weight 0.2 gr., if you seat these projectiles to a shorter o.a.l.

[243winxb]

Bullet diameter needs to be smaller then the throat, to find the correct OAL. This one in a short chambered Taurus G3C needs a OAL of 1.045" https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?media/9mm-lee-356-120-tc.3597/full

Sized to .3562" Throat measures .3568"

[G. Freeman]

Thx guys for giving me sound advice. Yeah, this mold is a no go for how I want my bullets' coal and diameter. I think a Lee 120 gr TC mold may work better with it's shorter bearing surface and longer nose.;-)

[243winxb]

Saeco makes good molds. Have 3 older ones. At today's prices, the Lee mold was a better buy, if not a high volume shooter.

I didn't fine the 9mm Luger hard to cast or load for. Did have a gun problem when grandsons magazine release button & spring fell out of the gun, while shooting, 150 rounds down the tube. Magazine fell out too.


Photos at link. https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?media/albums/taurus-g3c-9mm-luger.317/