Who here uses .357 bullets for 9mm?

[longdayjake]

So, I've been shooting .357 bullets through my 9mm test gun for quite a while now. We test fire some of the pulled bullets that we get in and rather than switching my reloading press over to .38 or .357 I just load them and shoot them in my 9mm. I have seen on forums and know several people who use .357 bullets for their 9mm, .357 Sig, and 38 super. Anyway, do any of you guys use .357 bullets in your 9mm?

 

[jwrowland77]

I've been thinking about casting some 158gr .357 sized bullets to use in my 9mm.

It'd be like how I use 120gr TC cast bill its in my .380acp. Lol. They actually weigh in around 123-124gr.

 

[BCRider]

They'll certainly fit down the bore. The pressure will make sure of that.

The extra .001 to .002 depending on brand comparisons MIGHT make the cases bulge enough that in a tighter fitting chamber the round may not drop fully into battery. But if it passes the "plunk test" I don't see any issue. Maybe some unsightly case bulge where the bullet pushes out that little bit extra?

 

[Walkalong]

I have shot 125 Gr .357 plated bullets in 9MM with good success. I didn't wring them out thoroughly to see just how good, but they worked well. I just wanted to see if they would work in a pinch. I don't remember if I tried to see if they would chamber in my tight chambered EMP. I should have, but don't remember now if I did. I need to check that.

 

[longdayjake]

I just shot about 400 of the 147 grain 9mm's sized to .357. They were a TON more accurate than I am used to. However, they shot about two inches higher than my 115s. I'm guessing the barrel has already lifted a little by the time they leave the barrel.

I shot them out of my S&W M&P performance center CORE.

 

[slickracer]

I've been shooting Dardas cast 125's and 147's at .357 diameter from a M&P Pro Series. Accuracy is pretty good with very little leading.

 

[Schwing]

Having a 92FS barrel that measures at .358, I shoot bullets sized at .359. My current load is a 125 grain TC bullet intended for .38.

While I can see 158 grain bullets possible, I have not attempted it. By the time you get that bullet seated to the correct depth for proper cycling, it doesn't leave a lot of space left in the case.

 

[Elkins45]

I do, and have had good results. I think a lot of 9mm guns are made from the same barrel stock as 38's, given how many 9mm guns that actually slug at .357 or larger.

 

[bikerdoc]

IIRC, PPU makes a 158 gr 9mm cartridge. Anyone ever try them?

 

[longdayjake]

I will make one here is a little while and let you know how it does.

 

[Old Fuff]

Shortly following World War Two I was in a bind. I had ah.... liberated a brand new Luger from a returning GI, and obtained some loading dies. But unfortunately nobody had any 9mm (.356") bullets.

On the other hand .358"/158 grain lead round-nose revolver slugs were common and obtainable.

My Lyman Handbook had loading data for the bullet, so I tried them, although they were .002" oversized and 34 grains overweight.

They didn't shoot to point-of-aim, but functioned fine.

 

[d'Artagnan]

When I finally got around to slugging my Browning High Power's barrel, I found it was .357. That explained why all the .356 lead bullets I tested leaded the bore horribly. Once I switched to Berry's plated 125-gr .357 flat nose and hollow point bullets -- the only ones then available -- accuracy improved marginally, but most noticeable was how clean the barrel was after firing it. I also had to noticeably reduce the charges I had been using with 124-gr copper- and brass-jacketed .355 bullets; from 6.5-gr Power Pistol to 5.7- to 5.9-gr.

 

[Havok7416]

IIRC, PPU makes a 158 gr 9mm cartridge. Anyone ever try them?

Bayou Bullets offers a 160gr .356 SWC I believe also.

 

[Shoot66]

.357 coated

I shoot .357´´ 145 bullets through a .3565´´ barrel. Those are commercially obtained .38 Super polymer (?) coated bullets. I got them to test whether a P210 can shoot non-jacketed bullets accurately. Contrary to what one can mostly hear, it is easily feasible. I combine them with Vihtavouri 3N37.

 

[GLOOB]

I shoot 358 MBC bullets out of my Glock. I also shoot 356 MBC bullets out of my Glock. Same difference, as long as the cases are sized and expanded, sufficiently.

Out of my Glock 40, OTOH, 401 bullets just barely fit, and not in all cases at that. My Glock 21 also has a tight chamber, and 453-4 bullets won't chamber. That reminds me, I need a bullet sizer for my 45 mold. It's surprising that so many people can chamber 358 bullets in their 9mm's, at all.

 

[Walkalong]

Lots of generous 9MM chambers and barrels out there.

 

[Blue68f100]

No problem here since both of my 9mm barrels slug at 0.357"..... I get better accuracy with the larger bullets.

 

[greyling22]

I run a .358 125 lrnfp bullet in mine. Anything smaller leaded and keyholed.

 

[BCRider]

I may need to slug a few of my 9mm barrels. You guys are making me think that I need to try loading up some of the .358 size 130gn LRNFP bullets that I load for my .38Spl cowboy ammo.

I know that my CZ Shadow shot surprisingly tighter groups consistently when I loaded up 500 rounds of .357 sized LRN bullets one time. But with the next price change I was able to buy plated bullets more cheaply than cast lead so I never bought and reloaded any more.

But I have to keep a regular stock of the .358 cast around for my cowboy loading. So it's not a big deal to load up a few in 9mm for a small batch of "bullseye loads" for times I'm wanting to check out the downhill slide of my eye and nerve qualities at my club's bullseye evenings....

 

[noylj]

If you have a SAAMI chamber, a 0.357-0.358" bullet will not be a problem.
I have, do, and will continue to shoot 0.357" jacketed and 0.357-0.358" lead bullets in all my 9x19s.
For the lead bullets, be sure to use a 0.357 expander or get a custom expander.

 

[BCRider]

Excellent point on the expander issue. I'll have to keep that in mind. I've got a spare .357 die I can borrow the expander from.