Looking for suggestions on a 9mm plinker mold

Hey all, I'm still a bit of a casting newbie and I'm looking to buy a new 9mm mold.

I currently own a Lee 120 TC six cavity and a H&G 115 which was custom ordered to be undersized for some reason. My Lee works but is overall kind of a crappy mold.

With so many choices.. RCBS, MP, Lyman, Accurate, and many others I'm forgetting I am unsure of where to begin. I wouldn't mind buying used but I'm leery of eBay sellers and damaged molds.

I'm looking for "buy it for life" quality. I know quality=$$$.

Looking for something that I can lube size to .358, 120ish range weight, and I do like SWCs but I'm fine with round nose. Currently eyeing up the Lyman 120 TC. They may pull double duty in 38 Special as well, although I inherited about four soupcan molds that I can use for that.

Thanks!

Accurate 35-120H is my design for a general-purpose bullet Attachment 312378for use in either auto pistol or revolver. Feeds well in original Ruger LCP, Beretta 1934 and SIG P230 in .380 ACP with 2.5 grains of Bullseye and most 9mm autopistol and .38 revolvers with 4 grains of Bullseye.
Large meplat is effective on varmints.

I have bought used molds from the members on this website and each and every one of them were just as they described and fully usable without any issues. 4 of them were steel molds that will last a life time if taken care of. I encourage you to check out the Swapping and Selling page, every few days new sizes apprear and reasonable prices.

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Originally Posted by 302w

Hey all, I'm still a bit of a casting newbie and I'm looking to buy a new 9mm mold.

I currently own a Lee 120 TC six cavity and a H&G 115 which was custom ordered to be undersized for some reason. My Lee works but is overall kind of a crappy mold.

With so many choices.. RCBS, MP, Lyman, Accurate, and many others I'm forgetting I am unsure of where to begin. I wouldn't mind buying used but I'm leery of eBay sellers and damaged molds.

I'm looking for "buy it for life" quality. I know quality=$$$.

Looking for something that I can lube size to .358, 120ish range weight, and I do like SWCs but I'm fine with round nose. Currently eyeing up the Lyman 120 TC. They may pull double duty in 38 Special as well, although I inherited about four soupcan molds that I can use for that.

Thanks!

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Define the term "plinking"? I know what most people mean when they say that - a general round that is good for most target practicing. Close?

I too am looking to expand my 9mm options for my CZ 10C. No matter what caliber I cast for, however, I demand a bullet that both feeds and shoots accurately. I purchased a 148 grain SWC bullet from a well known maker and I couldn't get anything close on paper with my Smiths. I gave what I had left to a buddy who loads and shoots Colts and others and he said it worked great for his guns. Fine - it didn't in mine, and that is all I care about. If a bullet is not accurate along with feeding, that mold sits on the shelf or is gone for me. Someone else can find its sweet spot with firearms.

Look at the NOE #358-124-TC design . It weighs 124 grains and is a Truncated Cone profile . A sort of modified SWC it works well .
I ordered a Gas Check design to prevent leading with the softish alloy I use .
Cast of 50-50 , COWW & soft lead ... bhn about 9 but GC allows near 1,000 fps velocity w/o leading . The GC is a help in seating the boolit in 9mm luger tapered case .

Sized .357" : I load them in 9mm Luger and any other 9mm appropriate round .

Sized .358" : I load these in 38 Special , 38 special +P and 357 Magnum . I use my 9mm Luger seat/crimp die on the revolver rounds , the boolit has no crimp groove and the 9mm seat/crimp die works like a charm .

NOE makes a great mould and should last . I nabbed mine in 2015 and have lost count of how many boolits I cast with it ... 9mm luger / 38-357 are 90 % of what I shoot ... it's about the only boolit I cast any more .
And accurate loads are easy to work up with this boolit !

This was how I solved the one mould for several cartridges and it works just fine .
I like the Gas Check because I have a lot of soft alloy but a plain based mould is available .
Gary

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Originally Posted by Huskerguy

Define the term "plinking"? I know what most people mean when they say that - a general round that is good for most target practicing. Close? .

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Yes.

To everyone: thank you for your suggestions so far.

I still have a lot of homework to do, but I like the low cost/quick ship of MP molds so far.

"I'm looking for "buy it for life" quality. I know quality=$$$."

I would suggest Accurate Molds, the ones I have will outlast me.

I just bought a Lyman 356402 mold from a member. I did a good bit of research on the boolit. It's considered a classic and said to mimic the original 9mm cartridge profile. It's a TC, 120 grains. Like the NOE mold that gwpercle mentioned it's sort of a "modified semi-wadcutter." If you search 356402 on this forum you'll find lots of folks saying it "feeds in every gun I've ever tried it in," "flawless feeding in 10 9mm pistols," you get the idea.

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Originally Posted by 302w

Yes.

To everyone: thank you for your suggestions so far.

I still have a lot of homework to do, but I like the low cost/quick ship of MP molds so far.

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MP molds are excellent.

This isn’t the mold you want for traditional lubing but it’s the one I have for 9mm, it is outstanding.

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Originally Posted by openbook

I just bought a Lyman 356402 mold from a member. I did a good bit of research on the boolit. It's considered a classic and said to mimic the original 9mm cartridge profile. It's a TC, 120 grains. Like the NOE mold that gwpercle mentioned it's sort of a "modified semi-wadcutter." If you search 356402 on this forum you'll find lots of folks saying it "feeds in every gun I've ever tried it in," "flawless feeding in 10 9mm pistols," you get the idea.

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You are quite correct about the flawless feeding of this design ... the NOE mould is a slightly improved design of the Lyman 356402 design ... I have this in a 2 cavity but cosider the NOE to be an improvement . 357 Mag. loads with these boolits feed well in lever action rifles also !
Gary

I really like the 136gr NOE RF bullet. Having said that, I think the truncated bullet design is sweet, and my buddy who just got into casting to cast with me for himself bought that same 6 cav lee mold. I have the 45 and 40 version and they've always shot nice for me.

I've made my first handful of buys off the swapping and selling from here the last several months and two of them were molds that were in great shape as described.

As far as ebay goes... there once was deals to be had especially for single and some double cavity molds. Now some of the most common ones are being sold for ridiculous prices... or rather trying to be sold for ridiculous prices...

I did pick up a lyman 410459 for $40 +$12 ship last year which I didn't think was to bad so still doable just probably not in the higher cavity molds.

I convinced myself to buy an MP H&G 275 mold. 8 cavity, aluminum, H&G design, what's not to love?!

I’m in the 120~124g RN/TC camp from any manufacturer, none are wrong.

I’m not much of a fan of using semiauto slick side bullets in .38/357, though they will likely work fine with a taper crimp, I’m just a traditionalist for wanting a crimp groove in straight wall pistol cases.

Just bought a 9mm mold on Ebay, Montana maker. 6 hole, casts hollow points or flat tip, .358 as cast, about 128 130 grn using wheel weights and hollow points, will size down for 9mm, shoot as cast for 38/357 I intend to use this bullet for all kinds of shooting in several guns. Not my only mold, but it is one I expect to use a lot.

I kinda like the 147 gr. Just saying.

35-135S in 2 9mm pocket pistols, XDs and 938. PCd with decent alloy. plinking, SD or hunting in an emergency. Shoots fine.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gwpercle

Look at the NOE #358-124-TC design . It weighs 124 grains and is a Truncated Cone profile . A sort of modified SWC it works well .
I ordered a Gas Check design to prevent leading with the softish alloy I use .
Cast of 50-50 , COWW & soft lead ... bhn about 9 but GC allows near 1,000 fps velocity w/o leading . The GC is a help in seating the boolit in 9mm luger tapered case .

Sized .357" : I load them in 9mm Luger and any other 9mm appropriate round .

Sized .358" : I load these in 38 Special , 38 special +P and 357 Magnum . I use my 9mm Luger seat/crimp die on the revolver rounds , the boolit has no crimp groove and the 9mm seat/crimp die works like a charm .

NOE makes a great mould and should last . I nabbed mine in 2015 and have lost count of how many boolits I cast with it ... 9mm luger / 38-357 are 90 % of what I shoot ... it's about the only boolit I cast any more .
And accurate loads are easy to work up with this boolit !

This was how I solved the one mould for several cartridges and it works just fine .
I like the Gas Check because I have a lot of soft alloy but a plain based mould is available .
Gary

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I have that exact mould. Mine drop around 127 grains, so close enough. I too use if for 38/357 although so far, with limited testing, it hasn't measure up to my RCBS 358-150 KT SWC for accuracy, I know it is heavier. I just finished loading a bunch of these to shoot in my Ruger Carbine, 9mm. I use 3.7 grains of TG, small rifle primers and it will shoot one single hole at 50 ft, our max at the indoor range. I am now seeing if I can get this thing to shoot well in my CZ's, a 10 C and and 75 Phantom. So far, no joy. I do powder coat and size the 9's at .357 which works well.

Still looking for the perfect bullet for my firearms. This should keep me busy for a long time. :)