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I have a few people asking me to make RN boolitsfor their 9 mms. They shoot them mostly in their 357/9mm convertable black hawks for cowboy shooting, but would also like to shoot them in 9mm bottom feeding brass pukers.
I have a couple molds that would work, but they are only double cavities, and this is looking like ALOT of bullets to cast! I'm hoping to find a 4 or 6 hole mold that throws something in the neighborhood of 124 grn RN boolits.
Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance.
I bought a 4 cavity saeco 122 grain 9mm roundnose boolit, it runs .359 in WW si I can use it in 357 if I so desire or size it .356 for 9mm
I only shot a few in 357 but lubed with LBT and pushed by tons of 296 they didnt lead my 4" ruger sec. six.
you can easily cast 750 an hour with a saeco 4 cavity bruce b style
Bill
Thanks Bruce! That's just what I need....did you order it direct from them? Or is there a distributer that is cheaper?
What was the mold number?
Thanks alot!
...........Lee makes four 6 cavity moulds labeled FOR 9mm:
356-120-TC
TL356-124-2R
TL356-124-TC
356-125-2R
I only have experience with one, the 356-125-2R and it shoots real well in my 38 Super.
They also list 2 in the 38 -357 mag section that would also be suitable for the 9mm in sub-sonic applications:
358-150-1R
358-150-SWC
..............Buckshot
I have both the TC and RN Lee designs, and both shoot well from my three 9mm's. They cast fat enough to size at .357", which is a more realistic sizing diameter given the throat and groove diameters many 9mm's run with.
Most 9mm's feature a 1-10" twist rate, so relatively hard metal and relatively soft lubes do the best work for me. 9mm's can be successfully loaded and fired with cast boolits, but a 38 Special they're not. If someone treats the caliber like a 38 Special to reload, they are likely to encounter disappointment both downrange and inside the bore, especially if they are trying to extract every bit of velocity from the cartridges. Using factory barrels, it is best to find a load that provides functional reliability and stop there. With Bullseye and WW-231, this occurs at about the 1000-1050 FPS level with the 120-125 grain cast boolits. If a reloader wants to maximize performance with the 9mm, an aftermarket barrel will relieve a lot of headaches.
One of my reasons for favoring the 10mm over the 40 S&W is its 1-16" twist, as opposed to the 40's 1-10". MUCH easier to work with--the 10mm is pretty easy to take to full potential with cast boolits, while the 40 Short & Weak shares the problematic nature of the 9mm to some extent.
My name is Bill hehe,
anyway that is a Saeco #115 from Midway, I remember now I bought the saeco because I bought the mold to cast boolits for sale, and my customer wanted a bevel base, and lee did not make a RN bevel base.
I have been very happy with the mold and handles, saeco handles are built like a tank...one cavity shows a slight tendancy to stick but smoking or application of pencil lead keeps it running nicely. This is the first saeco mold I have owned, and I noticed the sprue plate design seems to do a nice job of scraping any lead smears off the tops of the blocks. Running my rcbs promelt set at 850 and running boolits like a raped ape you can't overheat the blocks, to run 750 an hour you do need to quench the sprue plate on a wet terry cloth towel Bruce Lee style
Bill <<----------
Saeco offers #384, a 122 gr. RN, the afore-mentioned 115 which appears to be the same bullet with a bevel base and Lyman has 356242, a 120 gr. RN. All should be available in 4 cavity. If you're interested, I have a SAECO 384 4 cavity, with 1 slightly damaged cavity, the last one, as I recall. It casts okay, but it's a little difficult to get that last bullet from the mould. The bullet from that cavity is usable, and the ding in it's base pretty much sizes out in your sizer. $40.00 shipped to the lower 48.
Sales pitch aside, I usually can cast a little faster using 2 identical 2 cavity moulds. It's also less tiring. So if you already have a 2 cavity mould you like, it might be cheaper to buy another 2 cavity just like it. Using 2- 2 cavity moulds is also a lot less tiring (for me).
Bob
Thanks Bob, I'll take you up on your gracious offer!
If you don't mind emailing me:
bcote14221@charter.net
with the information concerning how you want me to send you payment, I'd appreciate it!
You might be able to find a Lyman 358242 or a 356/8402 in a 4 banger configuration off E-Bay if you're lucky. Both will work fine in the Blackhawk or a bottom feeder.
Try GAR for the Saeco. He was trying to go out of business but still may have some moulds or can order one for you./beagle
garreloading@aol.com
Thanks for the lead Beagle, I just shot GAR an email.
NEI will make 4 or six hole 9mm molds in several styles, aluminum or iron.
www.neihandtools.com
Cayoot:I'm long an NEI 4c(aluminum block) stamped "120 356" but it is not a round nose..(you can see it at their website) ..Onceabull
E-mail sent!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Cayoot
Thank you,
Bob
Thanks everyone....Bob came to my rescue.
I appreciate everyones input. Great group of folks here on Cast Boolits! ;-)
If GAR's still staying in business, please make a new post so everyone will know.
I haven't corresponded with him in a while./beagle
inspite of some of the cautions, i maybe the exception. i used to shoot a cz85 in 9x21...a hot 9mm. i shot 135 condoms at 1300 fps, and for practice 135 lead at 1250 or so....... aa5 powder.............std primers tho some ran small rifle primers...stronger, needed a stron firing pin spring.
while this is not a recommended load the gun ran well and shot well....a fitted bar-sto bbl.
the load was published in a mag back when 9x21 was popular....
hard is the clue.......
Quote:
Originally Posted by beagle
I sent him an email right after you posted his address, he hasn't responded yet, but I didn't get the email returned as "undeliverable", so I don't know.
If I get a response, I'll let you know.
Thanks
Well guess what? After I posted the last post, I went back and checked my email one last time b4 shuting down and I found a reply from GAR.
Here it is:
Quote:
We no longer stock molds but can order them from Lyman and Saeco for you
if you like, and will do so as long as we keep getting dealer's discounts.
Lyman makes a 120 grain round nosed 9mm mold, the #356242-Heavy (they also make a #356242-Light). The molds come in 2 or 4 cavities, not six. A 2 cavity
Lyman mold would cost $48.00, a 4 cavity would cost $69.00. Redding-Saeco makes two 122-grain round nosed 9mm molds, the #115 and #384 (the only difference between the two molds is that the #115 makes a beveled base bullet and the #384 makes a flat base one.) A Saeco 2 cavity Mold costs $63.00 and a 4 cavity costs $116.00.
They also make you wait eight or nine weeks to deliver it.
These prices do not include shipping.
Hope we can do business with you
So there ya go!
Have mold........... will deal
Would like another 7mm mold.
Have Lee's 140
rodney@frangiblebullets.com
Captain