Originally Posted by john traveler

1. Nominal 9mm groove diameter is 0.355". Nominal cast lead and plated bullets are 0.356" diameter. Most all modern 9mm use these dimensions. Older guns, say WWII surplus may be smaller or larger due to wartime rushed production.

2. Berry's sells very well here on the West coast. Bullet costs increase greatly due to shipping costs, so regional sources are best buys.

3. Some say you should not mix cast and jacketed bullet shooting sessions because that would make gun cleaning more work. I have not found that to be true. Butch's Boreshine, Hoppe's, Breakfree CLP, and several others combine copper and lead solvents in addition to the usual nitro powder solvent.

4. Lead bullets shoot dirtier, and not just because of the possibility of leading. Lead is a soft material, and it can smear, streak, or flake off in chambers, magazines, and barrel throats where it reduces gun reliability. That is why regular, after-shooting cleaning is important, even more important that if shooting only jacketed bullets.

5. Bronze or brass bristle brush cleaning is just about a must for lead bullets. The widely available plastic bristles don't do much more than clean powder residue.

6. For minimum leading problems, use the good copper plated lead bullets (Berry's is one). For maximum economy, buy or make your own cast lead, lubricated bullets.

I've fired almost nothing other than cast lead bullets in my pistols and revolvers for the last 30-something years, with only a handful of jacketed bullets at each shooting session. Regular cleaning & lubrication prevents any leading or reliability problems. Many other competition shooters will tell you the same thing. Cast lead bullets are just as accurate, just as reliable, and a whole lot cheaper to shoot than factory jacketed bullets.