Casting and loading 9mm

[243winxb]

Nice workup. Great accuracy.

[littlejack]

That's nice!

[BJung]

Here is my limited experience with 9mm. I started with the Lee 6 cavity 122gr TC using range scrap. Molten lead was poured into the cavity, opened the sprue plate, and dropped my bullets. If I took a break, I set the mold under the lead pot. My bullet weights varied. Months past and I had a MP 2 cavity 125gr brass mold using .22lr lead, Molten lead was poured onto my sprue plate and spiraled into the cavity, opened the sprue plate, and dropped my bullets. If I took a break, I set the mold on a hot plate. The weights were almost all the same.

[fredj338]

Has anyone ever tried the black Graphite spray booms, as a lube...won't be as good as PC but would it work?

It might work in low pressure/vel loads but I would just go lubed then. Alox is pretty simple to apply.

[jdgabbard]

There has never been a round that frustrated me with cast as much as the 9mm. Of course, I find a lot of things frustrating about the 9mm. Such as the good old 4.0-4.5gr Red Dot over a 115gr FMJ filling the case to the point that it's technically a slightly compressed load. I have to load them beyond OAL just to keep pressures down - which is surprisingly the most accurate FMJ load I have. However, I also see the same thing with 4.0gr of Unique and the 120gr 358402 - which is below the starting load for the Lyman Manual. I'm not sure if powder has just gotten fluffier over the years, or the powder is fluffy enough that tamping it down with the boolits makes little difference in the load. Either way, it always makes me nervous when I see that. Though it does specify Winchester Brass - which actually has a lower volume than the Federal brass I typically use.

I've worked up loads before with the MP-125 HP, as well as the 358402, Lee 105gr SWC, and the 358242. I'd say for everyday plinking the 358402 is probably my go-to, as I don't have to change anything other than the Auto-Disk plate for switching between 115gr FMJ for my AR9s and the 120gr 358402 for my pistols. As the resulting OAL is exactly where it needs to be without fiddling with dies. However, to my distress, I have always experienced leading with anything in the 9mm. Just switching over to PC my boolits, so we'll see how that goes.

In short, I'd take any win I could get with the 9mm and cast. I've never shot the 125-2R, but that group certainly looks like a win to me. If it works well, I'd take it!

[littlejack]

Jd:
Do you have a chronograph to check the velocities of your loads? That will tell you if your loads are above safe pressures.

[jdgabbard]

Jd:
Do you have a chronograph to check the velocities of your loads? That will tell you if your loads are above safe pressures.

No, I do not. Though I’ve considered buying one for years. I’ve always relied on published data, observations while loading and shooting, as well as anecdotal information such as felt recoil. So far so good. But I’ve always had concerns over Red Dot and Unique loadings at given OALs. Loading a bit long works for pistols, and at published OAL for PCCs since since my longer OALs are too long and engage the rifling upon chambering.

[michael.birdsley]

GWPercle,
I will eventually gas check some soft alloy Bullets and tip the powder can for velocity and expansion. Thank you sir. First thing I’m going to work out though is something easy shooting that is accurate with very little recoil and fun to shoot. I am still undecided if I’m going to cast 147’s with straight clip on wheel weights or make some Lyman no 2 and buy the 6 cavity Lee 125 grain round nose.

243winxb.
Thank you for making mention of the 10 twist in your Taurus sir. Ive never used a mandrel expander loading pistol ammunition. Cast or jacketed. Run out or the brass swaging my cast Bullets has not been problematic for me. The only place I use a mandel expander is with jacketed Bullets in bottle neck rifle cartridges loading precision long range ammunition. Uniform neck tension with little to no runout and velocity spreads lower than matters at the ranges I shoot my cast ammunition is what I’m after when I process brass with a mandrel expander. Kudos to you sir for your attention to detail. No such thing as producing ammunition that is too good!

Michael birdsley,
Which mold? The local reloading shop stocks a very good selection of molds. I plan to pick one up tomorrow. I already have two particular molds in mind. If the misty fog we have had all day clears out, I hope to be shooting a load work up by Sunday afternoon…
Thank you all for responding.
Willie

So the mold I was using was a Lee 356-120-TC with tumble lube grooves. It appears Lee does not catalog that mold any more. They have replaced it with a 356-120-tc with regular lube grooves

I believe it’s designed for the .38 special. Not really knowing what I was doing at the time ordered it. However, I was able to get it to work well with powder coating. I could not get it to work well with out leading while tumble lubing. I was working up loads with bullseye and unique. I’m at the hospital at the moment so I can’t comment what the charge weight was.

I believe I made a thread about it here on cast boolits

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[dogdoc]

Excellent groups! I have not cast much for nine either but have purchased cast bullets and achieved ok accuracy . I have had the best accuracy with 145 grain bullets. I have not done a lot of load development but got some good loads with sport pistol powder in my smith 929 revolver. I have some glocks, springfields, and 1 cz I need to work with and may try some 231 as it always seems to produce decent groups

[Mandoair]

Just starting to cast for 9mm got a brand new 130 gr 8 cavity RP no lube grove aluminum mold from MP.
Any one know what the boolit jump distance is that works good for the 9 ❓ thanks.

[smokeater]

I cast 9mm for 4 Glocks and never have had any problems. I cast 120gr that Erik hollowpointed for me and a 125gr RN. Both molds are LEE molds. Maybe I'm lucky but never had any problems with cast in a 9mm. I size .356 diameter.

[Willie T]

Just starting to cast for 9mm got a brand new 130 gr 8 cavity RP no lube grove aluminum mold from MP.
Any one know what the boolit jump distance is that works good for the 9 ❓ thanks.

Every firearm is a rule unto it’s self. 9mm is pressure sensitive to seating depth. When you start comparing published data you will find data sets using the same components with a published starting load in one data set listed as a maximum load in another data set with the bullet seated deep. With a minimal powder charge, work out the OAL your pistol is agreeable with. Once you settle on an OAL, re-visit published data and you will have a better idea of what may be close to what you are doing.
I know that didn’t answer your question but it is all I’ve got.
Willie

[243winxb]

Just starting to cast for 9mm got a brand new 130 gr 8 cavity RP no lube grove aluminum mold from MP.
Any one know what the boolit jump distance is that works good for the 9 ❓ thanks.

Place bullet ogives just a tiny amount above the case mouth. Very little .355" or .356" diameter exposed. Reload left, factory on right.

[Mandoair]

Thanks for the feedback on 9mm seating depths. I have done the math and know the “0” clearance col for my given bullet rmr p fn 147 gr It is 1.130 ~ which is where I inadvertently started my tests. My next batch of tests are at col 1.100 1.110 1.115 still only > around.020. Seems tight but better than an interference fit on -.??? Thanks. Reed

[243winxb]

Thanks for the feedback on 9mm seating depths. I have done the math and know the “0” clearance col for my given bullet rmr p fn 147 gr It is 1.130 ~ which is where I inadvertently started my tests. My next batch of tests are at col 1.100 1.110 1.115 still only > around.020. Seems tight but better than an interference fit on -.??? Thanks. Reed

This proves that not all chambers are the same. I knew this. My Tarus G3C has very little room to play with COL.
Some reloaders, presses have a variation of COL, as much as +/- .005" I have to watch for bullet lube build up in the seating plug.

[Mandoair]

This proves that not all chambers are the same. I knew this. My Tarus G3C has very little room to play with COL.
Some reloaders, presses have a variation of COL, as much as +/- .005" I have to watch for bullet lube build up in the seating plug.

I only see variations when I don’t keep all the cases the same length per batch. I noticed in western load data some 147gr 9mm are as long as 1.167. I pushed one in to the ogive and got 1.036 col seems short and a long way in at least the powder wouldn’t be shaking around in there.

[sigep1764]

Folks, this is all just math and observation. What is the bore/groove diameter? How long is the boolit? This leads to how deep and wide the expander needs to go into the case. Does the chamber support these measurements? If it fits in the chamber, it works, with good lube and proper powder load. Start at the bottom of load data and move up to functioning first, then accuracy. If it requires short loading, then it requires short powder.

[Charlie Horse]

My vote goes with powder coating.

I wish I could get the Lee 105 swc to feed, but neither my G26 or Taurus 92 will do that. And I've tried and tried.

I've relegated that boolit to revolver loads and my Rossi lever gun.