Lead in 9mm?

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jwrowland77

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Thinking about buying lead bullets to load in my 9mm for general plinking round. However, I know nothing about loading lead. I'm not looking at casting my own, just at buying some and loading for plinking.

Would it even be a good idea?

What are some things to do? Not do?

What are some things to look for?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
I shoot a bunch of lead bullets in my handguns. Add to that that I have time constraints that do not allow me to cast presently even though I have lead, molds, and the other things related. At the same time the range I belong to has a lead only 1000 FPS max policy for the indoor range due to the backstop construction. So now I load a lot more lead bullets for wintertime use at the indoor range building. I buy my lead bullets from several sources, but like those from Missouri Bullets the best presently. They are a bit different to load in that they need to be sized larger and need to be pushed enough to seal the base so hot gasses do not cut the bullet and cause leading. Once you find the combo that works the lead will work well and cost a lot less to shoot as a side benefit.:D A little research and some experimentation will reap huge benefits all around IMHO.

The 9 MM is no different than any other caliber to load in a handgun using lead but any of the magnums need a gas check to be shot at higher velocities.
 
FROGO207 covered things pretty well.

Over the years, i have shot a lot of cast bullets in not only 9x19 but all my hand guns. They work just fine.

Reloading cast bullets takes a few extra precautions to get good ammunition. The mouth needs to be flared a smidge more or chamfer the inside of the case mouth. This is to prevent shaving lead from the bullet when seating it.

Sometimes the bullet lubricant can build up in the seater die and change your seating depth over time. This just needs to cleaned out periodically.

There are more velocity restrictions with lead bullet and it depends on the bullet and the allow of the lead. In general, cast lead cannot be driven as fast as jacketed bullets. Cleaning a leaded barrel is not fun.
 
I load lead bullets all the time for the 9mm and 45 Auto, it's just cheaper to shoot.

Use the right diameter bullet and the bullet with the correct hardness rating for the pressure/velocity you're looking to generate and you will get little to no leading at all. I shoot an 18 BHN plain base bullet from Missouri bullets in my 30-30 with no leading and I push that bullet to ~1600 fps.

In the 45 Auto I use their 12 BHN 230gr bullets @~850 fps and in the 9mm I use their 124gr 18 BHN RN bullets at what I'm guessing is over 1000 fps, again no leading. I'm charging between 4.0gr and 4.4gr W231 under that 124gr bullet in the 9mm. (usually 4.1gr W231) In actuality an 18 BHN isn't necessary for the pressures I'm generating but I guess I'm pushing them hard enough not to lead the barrel.

Hope this helps a little...
 
Yes that did help. How do I know what hardness to get. I mean how do the numbers rate? Is a high number soft? Is a high number hard? Etc...
 
jwrowland77 said:
Yes that did help. How do I know what hardness to get. I mean how do the numbers rate? Is a high number soft? Is a high number hard? Etc...
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The lower the number the softer the lead alloy.

Straight lead is ~ 5 BHN (think muzzleloader round ball)
VERY hard bullets like made by Laser Cast are 22 - 24 BHN

Don't make the mistake of using too hard a bullet because you can get just as much leading or more from bullets that are too hard than too soft.

I had a site that explained all the numbers but I can't find it right now. I'm sure someone will post it soon.
EDIT: Found the link... http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm
 
Lyman reloading manuals have a list of the various lead alloys and their hardness. You also have to find out what your bore diameter is,you cando this by driving a soft lead bullet/ball down the bore and measure it with a micrometer. Normally 9mm is considered to be .354-.356 but can run as high as .359 in ome pistols. I cast for my 9 mm and using an alloy of 50/50 wheelweights/linotype my bullet come in about 4% heavier than the blocks stated weight. Rate of twist may affect accuracy as well,most 9 mm pistols use a 1 in 10 twist that may not stablize lead bullets well. The 38 super uses a 1 in 16 twist and it's nothing more than a hot loaded 9mm and will shoot circles around most 9 mm pistols.
 
Lead bullet fit is more important than hardness. 22lr is dead soft lead and shoots at >1200fps without any leading in a barrel which has the right fit.

It would be a good idea to slug your barrel to determine the actual groove diameter (widest part of the barrel). The nominal diameter of 9mm is 0.355" so you want 0.356" lead bullets, but some barrels are as big as .358" and .356" bullets will turn the barrel into a lead lined smooth bore within 50 shots. However, a .358" barrel with properly sized bullets and properly expanded cases (that don't swage the bullets down when seated) can shoot hundreds of bullets without any leading.

There are ways to clean even the worst leading in less than a minute. Take a snug fitting bore mop on a cleaning rod and wrap a few strands of pure copper Chore Boy (not the copper plated steel stuff) around it. It will be a pretty snug fit. A couple of passes will scrape all the lead off and leave the bore clean and shiny. Do this outdoors because you will see lots of glittery lead dust come out of the bore with each pass. The whole process usually takes about 30 seconds. Bronze wool will also work but it doesn't have quite the "bite" of the Chore Boy.
 
As I stated in the beginning it WILL take some experimentation for you to get a good load and be accurate. I guarantee it will be worth it.:D Everyone that reloads lead had to learn what worked in their particular handgun also. Learn from others what we had to do the hard way, the Cast Boollit website will be a great resource for you at the beginning. Welcome to the lead club.:)
 
FROGO207 said:
As I stated in the beginning it WILL take some experimentation for you to get a good load and be accurate. I guarantee it will be worth it.:D Everyone that reloads lead had to learn what worked in their particular handgun also. Learn from others what we had to do the hard way, the Cast Boollit website will be a great resource for you at the beginning. Welcome to the lead club.:)
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Thank you. I've been wanting to try it, but have been unsure. The owner of the company I work for, I believe his uncle is a mod on the Cast Boollit website. He's one of the ones that got me into reading about it to begin with.
 
I find it to be just as easy as loading plated. The one and only gripe is the copious amounts of smoke. I mean lots of smoke... I don't have issues with leading just the amount of smoke.

Brian

Disclaimer-this is my opinion and yours may vary.
 
Thank you. I've been wanting to try it, but have been unsure. The owner of the company I work for, I believe his uncle is a mod on the Cast Boollit website. He's one of the ones that got me into reading about it to begin with.
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Great! There is a ton of information on troubleshooting and cures for problems shooting lead in 9mm. However, don't try to solve a problem that isn't there yet. Many shooters cast and shoot lead in 9mm perfectly and cleanly right from the start so try it first, then fix if necessary. Good luck.
 
Man...I went through the wringer with my CZ and cast. First it was a shape problem, then found out it liked a certain diameter. The short leade had the bullet shoved so far in the case I had to back off to min charges.

Now I'm using a lee 356-125-2r that drops at 360, sized to 358. Perfect.

And yes...vurry smoky. Don't even think of firing these indoors, might as well be using blackpowder.
 
bdejong11129 said:
I find it to be just as easy as loading plated. The one and only gripe is the copious amounts of smoke. I mean lots of smoke... I don't have issues with leading just the amount of smoke.

Brian

Disclaimer-this is my opinion and yours may vary.
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Sure, there is some smoke from the bullet lube but not nearly as much as you're claiming. Which powder are you using and how much pressure are you developing? Unless the lube on the bullets you're using is more smoky than most others I think there's something wrong.
 
However, don't try to solve a problem that isn't there yet. Many shooters cast and shoot lead in 9mm perfectly and cleanly right from the start so try it first, then fix if necessary.
Click to expand...

That's because they use a big enough bullet. Most of the leading problems stem from people shying away from .358" bullets. The 9 is a high pressure round. It is not a 38 or a 45. It requires a better understanding of internal ballistics.
 
Jrowland77,
I'm working my way down this path right now. Yesterday I fired a test batch of Missouri Bullet Co 9mm lead SWC's through my CZ SP01. They're a little smoky, but I shoot at an outdoor range. There was no leading that I could see. Plated bullets fired after the lead test when where they were supposed to go.

http://www.czfirearms.us/index.php?topic=51734.0

In the link above, I go into some detail about figuring OAL. As Chris in VA mentioned, the CZ rifling starts closer to the chamber than in a lot of other brands, so you have to be careful to make them short enough that they don't engage the rifling when they are chambered. If you don't have that constraint, then just make sure the mouth of the case somewhere in front of the lube groove.

I did have to push my flare/powder die a little deeper to bell the case mouth a little more after I shaved a few. The bullets go in fine now.
 
ArchAngelCD said:
Sure, there is some smoke from the bullet lube but not nearly as much as you're claiming. Which powder are you using and how much pressure are you developing? Unless the lube on the bullets you're using is more smoky than most others I think there's something wrong.
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I am using Win231. This is the same powder I have always used. I ran the whole range of powder load when I worked up my current setup and I don't remember any of them being less or more smoky than the other. I also shoot outdoors. When I shoot lead and practice fast doubles with follow through to another target the smoke can actually obscure my view of the target.

I see this all the time at matches. Some even joke about the amount of smoke from some lead shooters. I have used a few different lead bullets in my time and they all smoke, some more than others.

Are there changes that I can make to minimize the smoke other than the lube? I can't change that since it comes on the bullets=)

Disclaimer-this is my opinion and yours may vary.
 
They are both good if the bullet fits correctly. TG is not as tolerant. TG creates a totally different pressure situation than Unique. There is a higher chance of leading. Unique is a better bet. Bullseye and 231 are better in my opinion.
 
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