9mm cast size

[JesseCJC]

Just for my curiosity what are you 9mm guys sizing your boolits down to and the weapon you fire it out of if you please. Just trying to see how much it varys here on CB. I was under the impression .356 was the "norm" but see a few places state they go .357 and some even .358?

[Buckshot]

...............If my 38 Super qualifies I size to .357" for my Witness.

.............Buckshot

[legi0n]

slug your barrels
My 9mm is actually .357 so I size to .359

[Recluse]

The Taurus 92 and Browning FN Hi-Power are both .356--but it simply doesn't matter what I size the boolits to. Accuracy with lead sucks with both of them. The Sig P226 slugs to .357, but unbelievably, a .356 shoots better than a .357/8--which isn't saying anything because accuracy sucks.

The HK P7 slugs .3557 and it actually shoots a lead boolit slightly better than the above-mentioned guns, but that too isn't saying much. It's other-worldly accurate with jacketed rounds, but with lead it's basically a paper weight.

Basically, I've given up on 9mm and lead in terms of any accuracy.

I simply keep the molds around and around 1K cast/lubed boolits "just in case" jacketed bullets dry up at the same time Bad Things start happening.

[NuJudge]

It's not just what your barrel groove diameter is, it's also what your barrel will chamber. Sometimes a barrel's chamber will not allow chambering of a cartridge with a bullet big enough to fit the grooves.

My Beretta 92FS needs a .359" bullet. My other 9s are somewhat smaller.

[rhead]

The largest that will chamber freely. 2 Ruger P89s want a .358 boolit. My Norinko requires a .356.

[BarryinIN]

I'm sizing to .358. Most of it goes through Browning HiPowers and a little through my Sig P-210.

[goste]

My Lee 125 non TL, drops at .358+ depending on alloy. I tumble with 60% JPW, and 40% alox thinned 25%. No leading in 5 Diff. pistols. Hi Power Practical, CZ75B, Berreta 92, Witness P compact, and My Fav., SigmaVE

I load as dropped, without sizing. My Sigma is the smallest at .356+, My Hi Power is the largest at about .358. I get outstanding Accuracy, with all, with the Sigma (oddly enough), out shooting all but the Witness

I load 4grs HP38, with COl of 1.15 for all but the CZ....I have to seat to 1.10, and load 3.6grs HP38. It seems to have a short chamber (throat?)

I use to have rotten luck with commercial cast in 9mm, and the other day I found and measured an old boolit, and it was .354...yes,Thats how I learned to clean a barrel with chore boy...

[lwknight]

The 9mm barrels all vary greatly even from the twin to your gun ( whatever it is)
I have a taurus that slugs out at 0.354 and a highpoint rifle that slugs 0.359
My Ruger is 356 and the extra barrel I got is .355 like it is supposed to be.

[Edubya]

My moulds drop a .3575 and I tried 'pan lube'. It worked so well that I tried them again in my old barrel, they worked! I have since gone to the .358 die and run them through the Star for faster lubing and shoot the same boolits out of my .38 special. It might be the lube, I've been playing with different blends and have just added a little vaseline and high temp grease to my Carnuba. Not scientific or recommended, just playing around.

EW

[Cherokee]

My 9mm's are Briley match barrels in 1911's and .356 bullets shoot with just a trace of leading. 38 Super 1911's are a King match barrel and a Briley match barrel. 356 bullets also shoot with just a trace of leading. Accuracy is worse than the j bullets is all of these. Tried 357 & 358 (tight fit) and no better. All barrels are .355. I go to 45 ACP for accurate lead loads.

[Echo]

My constant advice, for autoloaders, is to load the fattest boolit that will reliably chamber in your piece.

[chris in va]

I had severe accuracy issues with boolits at .356 in my CZ and carbine. Some amazing people on here suggested I get a 38 special mold and size it to .358. Not only did it cure my accuracy problems, but I get very little leading as well.

My barrel slugs at .355 by the way. They chamber fine in my carbine, but the CZ required me to use a 1.01oal as it has a very short throat.

[Shiloh]

.356 to .358. One poster here reports .359.

Shiloh

[armoredman]

goste, yes, the CZ has a shorter chamber, but I work around it.
My lee 124 356 TL drops at .360, so I size .358 for 38 special and .356 for 9mm. No issues. Wheel weight alloy, towel dropped.

[goste]

"goste, yes, the CZ has a shorter chamber, but I work around it. "

Hey Dave......Out of curiosity, what do You seat to, for total length?

[Eagles6]

Lee 125 gr TC TL cast from straight WW, water dropped, lubed with Liquid Alox thinned with mineral spirits. They drop .358+- and I shoot them in a S&W 469, barrel slugged at .356. Excellent accuracy and no leading.

[Dannix]

Basically, I've given up on 9mm and lead in terms of any accuracy.

Interesting. I'm actually considering casting for my 9mm Glock. I'm thinking either lone wolf and the Lee route, or spending the money on a fitted Jarvis barrel and a BRP 358-136PB mold and Carnauba Red lube. Could just put that money into a 1911 though...