What is your favorite cast bullet/mold for use in a 9mm semi-auto and to what diameter do you size?
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What is your favorite cast bullet/mold for use in a 9mm semi-auto and to what diameter do you size?
AlanF: The lee six cavity 120gr TC sized .357. Not an expensive mould, casts great bullets and shoots well in all my 9s. Gp
Seconded. I shoot tons of 120 TC sized to .357.
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I use the Magma 122 TC because it is commercially available. Sized to .356 it has worked well in every 9mm I have used it in.
Lee 120 TC as cast and dipped in LLA. Also, Arsenal Molds 358-130-RF sized to .357. I load both to 1.068 with the same charges.
I have a Lee 6 cavity 124gn RN mold I got from a fellow reloader. They work well enough and the bullet weight is real close to what you expect on most factory ammunition around here. It's a very practical clone of most round nose bullets out there.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/101021290?pid=658356
As of now my double cavity Lyman #356634. Adding extra lead to normal hardball alloy has fattened the as cast boolits up to .358 + and weighing in at 132-134 grains. My Browning HP likes them and my former Ruger Carbine. Hopefully my future CX4 Carbine 8000 Cougar and M9 will also like this boolit.
All boolits sized to .357" for use in 9 mm Luger :
Lee 358-105-SWC ... more of a truncated cone and great for light loads .
Lee 356-120-TC ... a nice feeding design , cuts clean holes .
Lee 356-125-2R ... good feeder but I don't care for RN designs , a friend likes it for his 9 mm Luger.
NOE 358-124-TC 4 cavity GC ... my favorite ! I use this one in 38 Special+P , 357 Magnum , 9mm Luger and 9 mm Super . I use a rather soft alloy , the gas check allows velocity of 1200+fps with no leading and good accuracy . I'm a believer in gas checks , have bought them in group buys and use them . The 4 cavity mould allows a good production per session .
It drops from the mould right at .358" (.3578) so sizes at .358" or down to .357" easily .
This boolit will feed well in 38/357 Lever Action Rifles also ... the flat point allows it safely .
Gary
Lee 356 120 TC
Lyman 356402
NOE 358 135 RF
I have several others but these get used the most.
I have barrels that run from .354 to .357. Chambers that run from tight match tolerances to kind of sloppy. The larger chambers are with the larger diameter barrels.
I size to .357 because they will feed and chamber in any of my 9mm handguns.
I am running this MP mold https://www.mp-molds.com/product/357...e-groove-mold/ the 8 cavities make quick work of a casting session.
Hensley & Gibbs #331 125gr RN sized to .358
NOE 360-128-SWC
sized to .357
Ly356402, NOE 135, 124 gr 358242. I size 9mm to 0.359 though it doesn't touch the sides.
Another with the Lee 120 TC.
CD
Mp 275 copy,,133gr,sized .357,,,shoots awesome in my 1 and only 9mm,sig210
Most of my 9mm shooting is with Beretta 92 and Walther P38 pistols. Both have a groove diameter of about .3575". To conventionally lube a bullet in a Star machine, I need a bullet that drops from the mold at .358" or .359". Lee has a 6-cavity 125gr Cowboy .38 Special flat-tipped round nose, which has given me excellent results. I seat it such that the mouth of the case is at the crimp groove, which looks strange, but shoots great.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1010217343?pid=916523
All molds listed are great choices.