158gr LSWC uses - 9mm?

[AzShooter1]

I've shot thousands of heavy bullets out of my 9 mm. The trick is getting the proper LOA for the profile of the bullet. I've shot truncated cones with no problem at 1.16 inches. The longest I've gotten to work is 1.9 but they get tricky.

Heavy bullets require a lot less powder.

My groups are tighter with 160 grain bullets.

Just my observations.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I've shot thousands of heavy bullets out of my 9 mm. The trick is getting the proper LOA for the profile of the bullet. I've shot truncated cones with no problem at 1.16 inches. The longest I've gotten to work is 1.9 but they get tricky.

Heavy bullets require a lot less powder.

My groups are tighter with 160 grain bullets.

Just my observations.

Do you happen to know the velocity of that 160gr load? All of my 148gr lead t/c loads have been right at 1.09” with right at 3gr of Red Dot from a BHP clone (Hungarian FEG) at 800fps. If I push them much faster the barrel leads up pretty bad.

 

[cfullgraf]

I have a 38 Super 1911 that had one of the old "headspace on the rim" barrels. I could load 158 grain semi-wadcutters in it. They fed well, shot accurately, and left the cases in a pile just to my right.

I replaced the barrel with one that headspaces on the case mouth. The semi-wadcutters no longer would chamber as the shoulder on the bullet contacted the end of the chamber. I did not try seating the bullets deeper so that the bullet shoulder was at the same position as the case mouth.

I suspect one might find similar problems with trying to seat 158 grain semi-wadcutters in 9x19.

 

[.308 Norma]

I have a decent amount of 158gr LSWC for loading .38 special.

He’s talking cast bullet and many 9mm work with 358

Not necessarily. The first bullets that came to my mind when I read "158gr LSWC for loading .38 Special were those swaged (not cast) lead bullets from Speer. I've used a bunch of them in 38 Special and light 357 Magnum loads.

 

[forrest r]

——
Loading heavy cast in 9mm used to be “a thing” so there are published loads. The Lymans 44th lists loads for their #358311 bullet - a typical RNFP service bullet.
Starting loads are 3.0 gr of Bullseye or Red Dot or 3.5 gr of Unique. Those would make great loads for a suppressor round.

Back in the 90's we'd fit our 5" bbl'd 1911 38 super race guns with 6" 9mm bbl's and use that 358311 158gr rn bullet in them,

 

[AzShooter1]

They average about 780 fps. I use them for International Confederation Of Revolver Enthusiast (ICORE) and USPSA matches. They make minor and are very accurate.

Do you happen to know the velocity of that 160gr load? All of my 148gr lead t/c loads have been right at 1.09” with right at 3gr of Red Dot from a BHP clone (Hungarian FEG) at 800fps. If I push them much faster the barrel leads up pretty bad.

 

[stillquietvoice]

Never tried loading a 158 lswc in 9 mm, but did try some 148 hollow base wadcutters, back in the 90's, in a Taurus pt99 afd. Iirc 3.0 gr red dot fed, cycled the action in my pistol, but caused the bullet to separate about in half and left 2 holes in my targets touching when only one was fired. Lswc is different, solid base, Vs hollow. The pressure was too great Eben with a soft load for the hollow base to handle.

 

[PapaG]

I shot a lot of 155 grain swc from my P85. RCBS 38-150 size .356

 

[forrest r]

They average about 780 fps. I use them for International Confederation Of Revolver Enthusiast (ICORE) and USPSA matches. They make minor and are very accurate.

Do you happen to know the velocity of that 160gr load? All of my 148gr lead t/c loads have been right at 1.09” with right at 3gr of Red Dot from a BHP clone (Hungarian FEG) at 800fps. If I push them much faster the barrel leads up pretty bad.

I'd use 4.4gr of unique with that 358311 bullet & get 1050fps in that 6" bbl.

 

[rfwobbly]

I have heard of people shooting 158gr in 9mm guns, but no other specifics.

The big issue is how the bullet will interface with the barrel. Heavy bullets are physically longer bullets. At some point the barrel's freebore will require the remaining bullet length to be seated inside the case. However, the 9mm case, is much shorter relative to a 38Spcl case. Internally the case wall starts to thicken much earlier, which will require a much shorter bullet seating distance.



So it's going to be a fight between the OAL the barrel requires to chamber, and the 9x19's maximum allowable seating depth of around 0.30".
.

 

[243winxb]

All depends on how long the barrels throat/free bore is. Photo of 120 gr & 158 gr. I may try a few 158s, in the spring.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I have heard of people shooting 158gr in 9mm guns, but no other specifics.

The one issue is how the bullet interfaces with the barrel. Heavy bullets are physically longer bullets. At some point the barrel's freebore will require the remaining bullet length to be seated inside the case. However, the 9mm case, is much shorter relative to a 38Spcl case. Internally the case wall starts to thicken much earlier, which will require a much shorter bullet seating distance.

View attachment 976282

So it's going to be a fight between the OAL the barrel requires to chamber, and the 9x18's maximum allowable seating depth of around 0.30".
.

9x19. 9mm Luger not 9mm Kurtz.

 

[rfwobbly]

9x19. 9mm Luger not 9mm Kurtz.

Corrected. Thanks. My fat fingers.

9x18 is Makarov. 9x17 is 9mm Kurz.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Corrected. Thanks. My fat fingers.

9x18 is Makarov. 9x17 is 9mm Kurz.

LOL!! And now we both did it.