Saeco molds?

[SnakeWrangler]

I am new to casting boolits, but I have plenty of experience casting fishing weights and I have been searching for a mold. I think that I have narrowed the field down, but would like some input from some of you.

I like the Saeco 3 cavity #929 (9mm, 145g, semi-wadcutter). Is this a good mold? My second question lies on where to purchase this mold? I found it on MidwayUSA, but that site said it would take up to 90 days. My secondary option for a mold looks to be the Lyman #356637 (9mm, 147g, Flat nose Bevel base). I was also wondering if I should go with a .358 instead of the .356 and how to determine which is better. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Kyle

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Hi and welcome to the forum. To answer some of your questions; Saeco molds are good stuff, but they aren't cheap. The 929 SWC is a good design. As to where to purchase it, Midway carries the full line of Saeco, but I have not seen it in the Midsouth catalog. Other mailorder firms may have Saeco molds...you have to wait for answers from other forum members and then compare prices. 147 grain will work fine in the 9mm. Bevel base vs flat base is a whole can of controvery worms, as well as whether .356,357,or .358 (which one works best in 9mm). You'll get a lot of opinions coming your way on those issues. Ways to help find out what is best are, A) slug the barrel, B) mike the bullet that comes from the mold, C) vary the sizing diameter of the bullets, and D) watch your groups. What works for someone else and their gun may not work for you and yours...there are just no shortcut answers. There are many choices among the moldmakers regarding 9mm bullet designs; my suggestion would be to stay among the "iron" molds. Fishing weights is one thing, but producing quality bullet castings is quite another as there are a lot more variables involved. Do a lot more reading if you can and keep asking lots of questions; someone will always answer and help you. LLS

[Buckshot]

............The 9x19 can be a booger. Guns for it have been made all over the world. The same for ammo (cases & bullets). So far as guns go as Le Loup Solitaire said, Slug that barrel"! That's the baseline. If it's .356" you'll want a .357" boolit if at all possible. Depending upon how the chamber is cut you might have to do some juggeling with cases. If the chamber is tight you might be looking for brass with thin walls at the mouth in order to fit a .357" cast boolit. Above all else, a cast slug needs to seal the bore. If it doesn't, high pressure hot gas will flow past it anyplace it can find and it will cut a lead slug to ribbons.

The reason Midway may show a 90 day wait for that mould is that it may be a Special order from Saeco. They have several. So does RCBS. They also generally cost more. BTW, I have that Lyman 356637 mould and it does very well in my 38 Super.

..............Buckshot

[Hardcast416taylor]

Check out Graf & Sons. WWW.grafs.com They have your mold, only it is 2 cavity.Robert

[fredj338]

Saeco makes great molds, I have a few 2cavs for my Magma Caster. The 3cav is a good compromise in weight vs speed. Iron 4cav molds get pretty heavy to work with. The 3cav is an odd duck so likely not in stock anywhere. You can try Redding/Saeco direct http://www.redding-reloading.com/online-catalog/87-saeco-precision-bullet-moulds (special order) or a 4cav (cheaper too) from:http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm?viewfrom=13&catid=67&step=2

[Edubya]

I am new to casting boolits, but I have plenty of experience casting fishing weights and I have been searching for a mold. I think that I have narrowed the field down, but would like some input from some of you.

I like the Saeco 3 cavity #929 (9mm, 145g, semi-wadcutter). Is this a good mold? My second question lies on where to purchase this mold? I found it on MidwayUSA, but that site said it would take up to 90 days. My secondary option for a mold looks to be the Lyman #356637 (9mm, 147g, Flat nose Bevel base). I was also wondering if I should go with a .358 instead of the .356 and how to determine which is better. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Kyle

I have that mould in the 2 cavity. I sized my first bunch to .356 for my Springfield XD9. They leaded badly and I put about half of what I had cast back into the pot. The next bunch were sized to .3575. I'm satisfied with them but not elated. I have been playing with some new toys and have not really developed a load for the 149 gr that they cast with my alloy. I have three Mihec moulds in 9mm, .44 and .45 that I'm loving. Maybe I should go back and try a bunch of those in the SAECO 9mm or maybe I should sell all of the moulds that I seldom use now that I have these new toys.

EW

[SnakeWrangler]

Thanks for the information guys, One more question though: if it measures out at .3567 then the .358 mold would probly work better, but have yall ever heard of shooting a 158 grain bullet in a 9mm? I keep 147 grain GDHP's for my pistol. Thanks again

kyle

[Buckshot]

Thanks for the information guys, One more question though: if it measures out at .3567 then the .358 mold would probly work better, but have yall ever heard of shooting a 158 grain bullet in a 9mm? I keep 147 grain GDHP's for my pistol. Thanks again

kyle

..............I don't know why you couldn't. I don't know what you'd have to hold the OAL at in order to feed from the magazine, but that 158gr slugs design would play a large part in the OAL and how much case volumn you have left to work with.

http://www.fototime.com/94E23D0AC147FC1/standard.jpg

I know there is load data for the 38 Super and 160gr slugs, so I don't know why the 9x19 wouldn't have data. This is the RCBS 38-162-SWC I shoot in my Super. The load is 7.4 grs of surplus WC820.

...............Buckshot

[casterofboolits]

Saeco molds are excellent molds. The 145-SWCBB #929 is a great boolit for the 38 Super. I have an eight and four cavity mold for the #929 and size them 357 for my Colt and EAA autos. I have not used the #929 for 9mm.

I also have two of the Lyman four cavity 147 grn 9mm molds. The boolits from the Lyman molds will not fully clean up if you try to size them .357, only .356. I cannot reccommend the Lyman molds if you need boolits larger than .356.

The Saeco #929 dropped from my molds can be sized .358. YMMV.

[SnakeWrangler]

Thanks again for the information, I didnt think you could size up, gona place an order for that Saeco and play the waiting game for a while then.

kyle