lee 9mm 6 cavity molds

[myFRAGisFUBAR]

Just have a few questions for all the casters out there. Im looking to buy a lee 6 cavity mold. 124 grain round point. It says it casts at .356 , but I am looking for .357. Fo the molds generally cast a little larger than advertised? My second question is possibly really stupid. I have all of my equipment in the garage. Its not climate controlled, but it is under other rooms in the house. When I melt the lead in my lee pot, does it give off enough fumes/gases to harm anyone? Should I just move this outside or am I safe in the garage? Also if it matters, I am powder coating my bullets.

 

[Hondo 60]

My Lee mold drops at .3565, but adjusting the makeup of the lead can very slightly change the end result.
(that's with wheel weights)

2. Yes, you should smelt outdoors.
I wouldn't do it in a garage that's below the house.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

All three of the Lee Molds I have cast a half thousands under what I wanted.

Here is an article on Beagling a bullet mold. It allows you to enlarge your mold and still make good bullets.

http://www.castpics.net/subsite2/MoldMods/BDE.pdf

As your question about casting in your garage, I wouldn't do it. Breating the fumes off the lead is the best way to get lead poisoning for you and the people that are in the rooms above you.

If you can smell it, your breathing it.

 

[LAGS]

Both my Lee 9mm .356 molds in 6 cavity and the 2 cavity cast the same at just a tick over .356.
Both molds are for the 124 2R Tumble Lube.
If you are looking to buy one mold for .38 and for 9mm then get the .358 mold and just run them thru the .356 sizer after lubing.
I cast inside the garage with the big door open and a big fan on blowing towards me, then towards the pot and to the outside door, but there is no House above my garage.

I pan lube then size all the conventual bullet designs, and Tumble lube the 9mm's and the .358 148 gr TL Wad Cutters.

 

[armoredman]

I cast in my garage with the door open and a fan blowing out, but the lead is below the vapor point, so the biggest risk I see if the smell from fluxing.
My Lee 9mm 124 TL mold drops at .360 - the one you get might or might not. .356 works just fine in my 9mm pistols, as I size down to that.

 

[Schwing]

My 6 cavity 9MM lee mold drops them at about .359.

I would not cast in my garage but I know some people who do and don't have a problem with it.

 

[rcmodel]

I'm not so sure you can't cast more bullets faster with two 2-cavity molds then with one 6-cavity.

With two molds you can let the sprue harden on one while filling the other one.

With one big mold, you got to wait on it to cool each pour before you can open it.
Picking them up and laying them down is way more productive then standing there waiting each pour.

rc

 

[LAGS]

@ RCModel
You should see how many I turn out with the 6 cavity and the 2 cavity all going at once.
But I am giving my 2 cavity to Armoredman, so those days will be over, well at least in that bullet size.

BTW
I am casting with a Blend equal to Lyman #2 92-6-2 mix
I have never measured them with the Linotype when I use that for really hot 9mm loads.

 

[myFRAGisFUBAR]

Thanks for the input. I read on cast boolits that the 120 traditional lube mold is a little easier to play with. I am hoping that the powder coat will add around .002. Even if the mold is a perfect .356, that would still allow me to size to my desired .357. Just wanted to run that by the veterans here. And thanks for the fume input. Its been an amazing high of around 10 the last few days so even a garage that has no climate control is slightly warmer and less windy than outside. guess this little project will wait until spring.

On a side note, does anyone powdercoat? Just wondering if it is worth the investment. Anything that keeps lead out of the barrel has to help.

 

[LAGS]

Has anyone told you that Powdercoating , Doesnt stick to Lead ?
Well in what I have seen powdercoated, I havent either.
But maybe you have a different way of doing it. Tell us more.
And with lead bullets, the lead is still hitting your barrel once the lands cut into the bullet.
The proper lube and harder lead Blend is how you keep leading down, plus dont drive the bullets at jacket load speeds.

 

[rsrocket1]

About 2.5 hours for 875 boolits with the Lee 356-120-TC 6 cavity mold. 20 minute setup and 30 minute cool down/cleanup. I cast out on the back porch with no permanent setup. I've even cast 500+ after work on a summer weekend. I doubt you'll be able to cast as quickly by tag teaming multiple 2 cavity molds. The pour takes about 6 seconds, solidifying takes another 5 seconds, dumping and reclosing the mold takes 8 seconds. 18 bullets per minute is a typical pace for me.

You can cast multiple calibers with 3 different 2 cavity molds, but I simply switch from one 6 cavity mold to another 6 cavity mold after casting a full batch of one caliber.

These drop at .358 and I no longer size them before tumble lubing and loading. I just seat to the cone and they chamber just fine in my M&P.

 

[myFRAGisFUBAR]

Those look awesome! My bullets will be for and m&p as well.

As far as powder coating goes, from what I understand is that it electrically charges the powder to the lead bullets. Once fully coated, they bake at 400° for 20 minutes. After the baking is complete, they are basically indestructible. You can flatten the rounds and the coat will be in perfect shape. You can even pluck them from the berm and see the rifling marks from what I hear. Just seems like a smoke free wasly clean alternative to lube.

 

[hartcreek]

You might try using an old rag and a plastic cup to catch the bullets. I shove a rag in a plastic tub and then fill the tub half full of water. The quenching when you drop the bullets in the water makes em a bit harder.

 

[NuJudge]

My Beretta barrels have large groove diameters, so I could not use Lee 9mm molds. Instead, I use one of their .38 Cowboy 358 125 RF molds. The crimp groove looks odd on the seated bullet, but it shoots really well.