I've decided to quit participating in the ammo shortage and start casting/loading again. I had quit before (like an idiot) because it was too easy and I didn't appreciate it (I shoot at my house). But, back then, I was getting to the point that I wanted to take it to the next level and life was getting in the way along with the elevated time requirements and so on... I was loading 45 acp and 270 Winhester. I used factory jacketed for both and PC cast WW for the 45. I also did 380, but I hate that gun. Anyway, my WW alloy is all much softer than what Lee recommends for the advertised pressures on my loads. Lee says that my 45 needs about 15 bhn and 9mm needs something close to what I get from straight pewter! But I see posts where guys are shooting PC'd lead that's anywhere north of 10. Some guys don't even test for bhn. The hardest WW batch I've ever gotten is 11 and most is sub-10. I didn't have any problems in my Glock.
Now jacketed (I haven't tested it) I KNOW is a LOT harder than any lead alloy. And to raise a batch of WW lead up to 15 took 1/2 my pewter! That's not going to be cost effective - especially if I want over 20 for 9mm. So I started looking around some more. Some guys are putting in .5% - 2% Cu and some are even using .5% Zn on purpose! Cu is cheap, but the guys using Cu haven't reported back any numbers which makes me question if it's even worth it.
Elvis Ammo amd Fortune Cookie both seem to say that they are using alloys in the 20's - which is A LOT of tin unless they are getting there with antimony. But that makes me question all the guys thst seem to be fine with WW as they come.
So... does BHN matter in a pistol with PC?