RCBS gas checked 125 grain bullets

[dahermit]

I don't see this RCBS Mold listed anymore... I suspect that RCBS has dropped it from their line-up. Nevertheless, I like it for my Colt .38 Super Combat Commander. I use a Lee plan base bullet for my 9mm H.P., but use the RCBS bullet in the .38 Super because I push it a little faster than the 9mm.

Does anyone else use the RCBS gas check design? If so, what has been your experience with it.

Note that I have been powder coating all my pistol bullets for a few years now.

[marlin39a]

I’ve never seen that RCBS before. I run a 38 Super with the NOE 358-124-TC GC. Just a Truncated Cone design, with a gas check, instead of a Round nose. Runs great.

[dahermit]

One of the first cast bullets I ever cast was a Lyman cone-shaped 9mm (about 1963). My biggest problem with it was that I had difficulty handling them. The cone shape seemed to always slip through my fingers. Other than than, they functioned well in my WWII Walther P-38.

[dahermit]

I’ve never seen that RCBS before.

I have two... pour the first, set it down, pour the second, set it down. Being that they only have two cavities (each), production is a bit higher than if I only had one. And yes, I think RCBS stopped producing that style a few years ago.

[winelover]

Yep, I have one. Purchased in the 70's. One of the first bullet moulds I bought. Other was the 158 grain SWC GC for 38/357 Magnum. Still have both, hardly ever use them anymore, since turning to custom makers. RCBS produces fine moulds but tend to cast undersized...............they are proofed with harder alloys that drop larger bullets. For what they ask for then, nowadays, it makes more sense to just purchase from custom makers.

Winelover

[dahermit]

As much as I like powder coating, it seems to precludes heat treating to get harder bullets. And with the scarcity of Antimony/Arsinic lead alloys, the 9mm cast bullets are not likely to be hard enough for top performance. That being said, if I felt that my situtation changed from just fun shooting with my .38 Super to defense shooting, I may for go powder coating for heat treating, 50/50 NRA formula Alox for top performing bullets.

I am doing this today. "Shake and Bake", standing them up on parchment paper, one at a time. Such a system may not be ideal for others, but for an old retired guy with a lot of time, it works for me.

[dahermit]

Just a note: Copper 35 Caliber Gas checks from Sage's Outdoors fit the RCBS bullets way better than Hornady gas checks, even when I anneal the Hornady gas checks first. Sage's gas checks do not need to be annealed to fig my cast bullets.

[ddixie884]

Just a note: Copper 35 Caliber Gas checks from Sage's Outdoors fit the RCBS bullets way better than Hornady gas checks, even when I anneal the Hornady gas checks first. Sage's gas checks do not need to be annealed to fig my cast bullets.

Good info.......

[gwpercle]

I also use the similar NOE 358 - 124 - TC GC version . With the gas check I can use a softish alloy .
Sized .357" use in 9mm Luger , 38 Super , 38 Super +P
Sized .358" load them in 38 Special , 38 Special +P and 357 Magnum .
Since most of my shooting / reloading is with those calibers ... the 4 cavity NOE mould sees a lot of action . A while back I got in on a Gas Check group buy, when I realized how cheap the checks were by the thousand ... compared to Midway ... I doubled my order and so glad I did .
In RN or TC form those are good and useful boolits be it pistol or revolver , my 38 specials and 357 magnums love it .

I have the RCBS Cast Bullet Manual #1 that has 9mm Luger data for that boolit
( 9mm - 124 - RN GC ) it is dated 1986 and has data for 8 powders if you need any data , let me know .
Gary

[winelover]

This mould has a GC, no need for alloy to be harder than air cooled wheel weights. Shot tens of thousands of the RCBS 125 RN GC in my 9 mm pistols and carbine. Used Hornady checks for years, before I discovered Gator's and Sage's. Cost savings is the only advantage of the off brands.

Winelover

[dahermit]

I have the RCBS Cast Bullet Manual #1 that has 9mm Luger data for that boolit
( 9mm - 124 - RN GC ) it is dated 1986 and has data for 8 powders if you need any data , let me know .

I have the RCBS Cast Bullet Manual #1 also. However, the powders used are dated... 630 seems to be the top performer in both 9mm and .38 Super and 630 has been gone for years. Also, none of the higher performing pistol powders (Power Pistol, etc.) are in the RCBS manual so that cast bullet manual's utility is limited.

[dahermit]

This mould has a GC, no need for alloy to be harder than air cooled wheel weights. Shot tens of thousands of the RCBS 125 RN GC in my 9 mm pistols and carbine. Used Hornady checks for years, before I discovered Gator's and Sage's. Cost savings is the only advantage of the off brands.

Winelover

In the "old days" wheel weights were not considered to be a "good" source of bullet lead... printing operation lead alloys were considered to be ideal. However, nowadays there are not a whole lot of wheel weights to be had. At least with wheel weights, one could oven-harden them. Harder bullets = better accuracy.

[winelover]

I've been at this bullet casting thing neer on fifty years.................which old days would you be referring to? No need to oven heat treat pistol or carbine bullets, ever. I will not water drop at all......nor powder coat. Some rifle bullets get oven heat treated. Nothing that I would hunt with, though.

Winelover

[dahermit]

I've been at this bullet casting thing neer on fifty years.................which old days would you be referring to? No need to oven heat treat pistol or carbine bullets, ever. I will not water drop at all......nor powder coat. Some rifle bullets get oven heat treated. Nothing that I would hunt with, though.

I have only been casting and handloading for 56 years. Back in those "old days" printing processes were still being used and thus, printing alloys (linotype, monotype, three kinds of foundry type, etc.) were still to be had.

During those years, being a experimenter, I found that when soft lead was used for .44 magnum bullets and warmish loads were used, the recovered bullets would have rifling marks on the nose indicating they soft lead is subject to plastic deformity when pushed vigorously.

I also noted that accuracy suffered in those deformed bullets. I likewise found that hardened 9mm bullets shot significantly more accurately than did those of softer alloy. That is what I was referring to.

As for powder coating, I like it inasmuch as compared to my life-long reliance on NRA Formula 50/50 ALOX, it does not result in the carbon sludge build-up in my handguns as did the ALOX.