.40 S&W severe leading problem. Help a newbie out?

[destrux]

What I've found works in my .40 (after much trouble) using that same lee 175gr TC mould is this "formula".

First off, I use air cooled clip on wheel weight lead (sometime as is, sometimes with a little tin if my mould is giving me fill out problems that day). I prefer to air cool them because water dropping is messier and there's no need to harden them for pistol use anyway.

Then before sizing I clean them with some 91% rubbing alcohol in a plastic container and then air dry them, then I powder coat them and then I size them to .401" with a lee sizer die like you're using... no lube is needed because of the powder coating. Then I load them over 5.2gr of Unique at a 1.135" OAL.

Also, I've powder coated my expander plug so that it expands them a little more below the mouth flare. It's important to flare/bell the casing enough that it doesn't shave the powder coating off the bullet when you're seating the bullets. I also only set up the crimp so that it takes the bell off the case mouth... I don't crimp the bullet. I haven't had any problems with bullet setback.

I also had no luck with Lee Liquid Alox, no matter what I did. I was even running bullets as large as .404" in my gun with 50/50 beeswax/vaseline lube and was still getting leading. I had tried various charges of Bullseye and Unique and nothing was getting rid of the leading. The powder coating did the trick though, but it's not fast and easy like the lee liquid alox. Hi-Tek lube from bayou bullets seems a lot easier than powder coating, so maybe give that a shot if you can't get rid of the leading with normal lubes.

[RobS]

People have been using normal lubes for many, many years and don't have leading issues in the 40 S&W cartridge..............and accurate groups too. If people want to use a powder coat, epoxy paints or other non traditional lubes that is fine as that works well too but it's not the lube as the sole issue. Many people have been able to use tumble lubes too with no issues.

As been stated by others as well as myself, there are many variables.

[RobS]

Some good lubes that have been noted to work:
Recluse 45-45-10- Personally I don't know with this one as I've never used in it higher pressure rounds
White Label lubes
Randy Rat Lubes
The Bullshop lubes
Lithi-Bee lubes
Ben's Red
FWFL
among many others including the most recent non traditional lubes (powder coating, piglet coating, epoxy paint etc.) that are in the bullet lube section.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/foru...8-Boolit-Lube-!
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...s-Lube-recipes

[afish4570]

Using Acc. # 5, 5.7 gr.,with Lee 175 FP mould. Actual wt. about 183 lubed. Water dropped and sized at .401 with Lars 2500. Also used Lars Xlox sized in Lee die to 401 and lubed with Xlox again. Lead is range lead......nothing special. Starting with a clean barrel and cleaning after every shooting session with a min. of leading. Using copper chore girl on patch (dry, no solvent) will remove whatever leading you have. Barrel seems to be seasoned and easier to keep lead free as time goes on. Gun used is a 96 Beretta.Don't crimp using the Lee Factory Crimp Die.....Min. crimp so as not to crush bullet and make it undersized. Works for me. afish4570

[RobsTV]

There is also another possibility that might work for a quick and easy solution. Pre-made PB GC from sellers here. For less than 2 cents a round, these easily swag onto plain base boolits during the normal sizing step. Lead hardness, powder burnrate, lube and speed shot at, and GC might remove leading from the equation, so you can concentrate on accuracy or other items important to you. I have tried them in a problem 9mm with great success.

[Mactrekr]

Ok, so I loaded down to 4.4gr of W231. Haven't been out to the range to try yet. I'll keep y'all posted.

[popper]

Recluse 45-45-10 I tried it, no go. Same with diluted Lee LLA. 4.4gr of W231 my normal range load. I'm now using the H-T coating on 9mm & 40SW. XDS9 - 1' group @ 7 yds first time. XDM 40 - 2" @ 25 on a good day, PX4 40 which always leaded until I H-T lubed. Just too easy and solves the problem. I was leery of the hype about it until I tried it. $50 for 1/2 liter at your door, $50 for a toaster oven, Alum. foil lined cardboard tray and you are ready. Lube 500 in an hr. Yes the old timers may not like the idea of 'non-traditional' stuff. The 'T' was a workhorse but my truck is more comfortable and easier to drive (& start).

[geargnasher]

One can build successful loads using just about any reasonable powder, alloy, lube, or boolit style in the .40, the trick is how you put it together. There isn't any magic to it, just little margin for error of loading techniques when compared to the low-pressure .45 ACP. Think outside the component, name, or brand box and start thinking about how to make the components work together. Want to eliminate leading? Balance the load to the alloy for a gentle launch and make certain your boolit is fitting the barrel properly from case to muzzle exit. I hate liquid Alox, but guess what? It will work fine with the .40, even if you don't make the superior (IME) Recluse lube with it. There are some limitations, but it works IF you fit things and put them together correctly. Watering down WW with pure lead and water dropping them for hardness is actually a very good idea for this picky little cartridge, unless you are trying for more comfortable, midrange loads. One thing's for sure, the .40 will show you how much you really know about shooting lead, and give you one heck of an opportunity to learn how to do it better.

Gear

[popper]

Gear is correct. Sometimes that path is frustrating. Are you sure your boolits aren't too big? I've had trouble with chamber shearing and it leaving strips at the muzzle end. For some reason, seating deeper helped.

[randyrat]

I'm not sure if anyone suggested it yet....Pull a couple seated/loaded rounds and check them for size...The forty empty case may be squeezing them down and Walla your problem.
Kinda what Gear said; from case to muzzle. You may need to expand your brass a bit more before loading or seating your bullets. Very common problem that will cause baldness, gray hair and TMJ at night

[randyrat]

Here is a good article on accuracy for revolvers. There is some good cross over info for autos also...Read the section on bullet seating.
http://www.levergun.com/articles/thoughts.htm

Credit M.L. McPherson
"For standard loads (not benchrest type), the basic rule is quite simple – always use the most neck tension feasible without significantly damaging bullet during seating (swaging it smaller or significantly upsetting nose). I pull many bullets for examination and have a good selection of expanders. This might seem unnecessary but you should have an expander matched to each case and bullet combination. You could end up owning and using three or four expanders in each basic size."
Take what you want out of it may help you

[gimling]

I actually have the same mold and same gun, I also have the same sizer. I am using hogdon HP-38 with a 4.5gr load. For 1 if your using wheel weights don't water quench that's almost doubling the hardness. I use almost pure lead that I water quench and end up with 10-12 BHN, sounds like your load maybe a bit hot, what is your crimp measurement on the brass? I don't see why your lubing twice its not nessesary, I personally have switched to Powder coating, its super easy and keeps barrel clean as a whistle/

My measurements
OAL 1.134
width .424
4.5grn hogdon HP-38

almost tacking from benchrest at 7yards.