otis24
Member
Does anyone make a decent 9mm wadcutter round for a S&W 940? Precision One makes a great .38 copper wadcutter. Does anyone have experience using a 9mm wadcutter?
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9mm Wadcutter ammo?
- Thread starter otis24
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Never seen any. Of course since 9mm revolvers are not that wildly common I can understand why I have never seen any. I suppose you could always smush a .38 wadcutter down a smidge and use that, though developing a load for it might be a little tricky.
Best results will be found by handloading and, better yet, bullet casting.
Lyman made a 9mm specific wadcutter mold, #356472, designed by a Canadian target shooter. He used it for Bullseye competition in a modified Luger P08. It is an extremely rare mold. Yes, it was a full wadcutter, albeit with a button nose, and it stuck out beyond the case. And, yes, they fed reliably!
A better option would likely be to find an old Hensley Gibbs mold intended for use in converted 1911 38 wadcutter guns.
If you are not familiar with these, several custom gunsmiths from the 1950s until very recently, would convert Colt 1911s, in either 9mm or 38 Super, to shoot 38 Special full wadcutter ammo. Since the original barrels were generally used, there was a demand for wadcutters that would cast to fit the .355-.356” barrel groove diameter.
If you look for used H&G molds, you will regularly find 38 wadcutter models. They are marked for the intended diameter. So, somewhere on the block it will say “356”.
That’s what you want and need.
PS: I’ve added an attachment from an old John Giles brochure. It details his 38 wadcutter conversions. (Not really pertinent to the OP topic, but it clarifies my text.)
Lyman made a 9mm specific wadcutter mold, #356472, designed by a Canadian target shooter. He used it for Bullseye competition in a modified Luger P08. It is an extremely rare mold. Yes, it was a full wadcutter, albeit with a button nose, and it stuck out beyond the case. And, yes, they fed reliably!
A better option would likely be to find an old Hensley Gibbs mold intended for use in converted 1911 38 wadcutter guns.
If you are not familiar with these, several custom gunsmiths from the 1950s until very recently, would convert Colt 1911s, in either 9mm or 38 Super, to shoot 38 Special full wadcutter ammo. Since the original barrels were generally used, there was a demand for wadcutters that would cast to fit the .355-.356” barrel groove diameter.
If you look for used H&G molds, you will regularly find 38 wadcutter models. They are marked for the intended diameter. So, somewhere on the block it will say “356”.
That’s what you want and need.
PS: I’ve added an attachment from an old John Giles brochure. It details his 38 wadcutter conversions. (Not really pertinent to the OP topic, but it clarifies my text.)
Attachments
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David Sinko
Member
I doubt that you could get a wadcutter to chamber in the cylinder of a 940. Too much of the bullet would have to be seated outside the tapered case and while the cylinder is long enough to accommodate, it is not bored straight through. I load the 158 gr. SWC sized .356" but I keep it short enough so that it will cycle through the magazines of the semiautos. I will see how long I can load it so that it still chambers in the 940 and report back.
rockquarry
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Sounds as if you're talking about factory ammo and not handloading or casting bullets. Are you looking for accuracy and cutting a clean hole in paper targets?
It's an interesting question...I think they would chamber and shoot in either of my Model 547's, but that's only speculation...
...BenDurango Slim
Member
Missouri Bullet Company has a 125gr SWC.
My 1911 loves them and I am going to try them in my Colt Police Positive .38 Special.
My 1911 loves them and I am going to try them in my Colt Police Positive .38 Special.
SGT ROCK 11B
Member
The S&W 940 as a self defense revolver is better served with JHP ammunition. For practice any FMJ will do.
I have have used a Lee 105 grain SWC extensively in my 929 and in semi-autos. Works great at 700 FPS in the revolver or up to 1,400 FPS in semis. I have tried 148 grain wadcutters in the 929 but have never been impressed. I’m sure it’d be possibly to work up a decent load but definitely not something you’ll find as factory ammo.
What about G9 Woodsman ammo? Anyone tried it?
G9 Defense Woodsman 124gr 9mm +P - ULTIMATE PENETRATION!! - YouTube
G9 Defense Woodsman 124gr 9mm +P - ULTIMATE PENETRATION!! - YouTube
Erich
Member
I've got some of these and might whip some up for the SP101.
110 Grain Double Ended Wadcutter (.359)-359-110-DEWC
110 Grain Double Ended Wadcutter (.359)-359-110-DEWC
Erich
Member
Following up my idle musings with a straightforward Google search ("9mm parabellum 110-gr wadcutter"), I immediately found some info online, FWIW. Perhaps similar searches might be of use to others thinking along these lines.
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I'd probably go with Buffalo Bore 147 grain +P before that stuff but I'm not going to pay $2 a round for any 9mm so I'm not much help. I'm not sure how a 124 grain copper solid doing 1200 FPS is going to be so much better than a Plain Jane 124 grain lead with copper jacket truncated cone bullet going to same velocity. You can buy 3 50 boxes of regular stuff or one 20 round box of the premium stuff.
David Sinko
Member
There is no way a 940 is going to chamber a 148 gr. full wadcutter even if sized to .355". My 940 will not tolerate much full caliber diameter seated outside the case. Matt's Bullets does have some very interesting lighter weight wadcutter bullets in .359" that could be resized a few thousandths smaller and might work. That 75 gr. WC would definitely work and I'm tempted to try it. It's important to realize that the 9mm has a tapered case and there's not a whole lot of room inside. Heavy bullets will quickly bulge the case and prevent chambering.
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max503
Member
Lee makes a 95 grain RNFP that works very well in everything from a 380 to my Rossi 357 lever action. It's kind of a wadcutter.
What if you used the old timer's trick of loading standard boolits backwards? Should work out of a revolver.
What if you used the old timer's trick of loading standard boolits backwards? Should work out of a revolver.
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David Sinko
Member
I ordered some oddball bullets from Matt's Bullets. One of them is the 75 gr. WC sized .359". I sized a few down to .356" with the Lee push through die and attempted to load them in 9mm brass. As short as these bullets are, I was not comfortable seating them all the way down into the 9mm case. Even with a small amount of bullet sticking out of the case they still would NOT chamber in the Glock or 940. Both the Glock and 940 have a generous chamber leade and can handle jacketed bullets loaded fairly long but there is no way they will chamber a true lead wadcutter. Now the 158 gr. SEMIwadcutter is a different story, and I do shoot that out of both and at impressive velocities too.
Of course these 75 gr. bullets will not go to waste. I load them two at a time in .357 Magnum brass and they shoot quite well.
Of course these 75 gr. bullets will not go to waste. I load them two at a time in .357 Magnum brass and they shoot quite well.
max503
Member
"Does anyone make a decent 9mm wadcutter round for a S&W 940?"
Yeah. You could. And it's easy. And it's fun.
If you're just wanting a fairly small quantity of loads I would highly recommend one of these, that is if you don't already reload:
Lee Precision, Inc.. Classic Lee Loader
A Lee Loader, a pound of powder, several hundred primers, and a box of boolits should land a person in Funsville for quite some time.
Since it's a revolver you could apply a heavy crimp. And you could pick from any number of available projectiles.
This is a classic example of why people reload. You're wanting something that isn't commonly commercially available.
Yeah. You could. And it's easy. And it's fun.
If you're just wanting a fairly small quantity of loads I would highly recommend one of these, that is if you don't already reload:
Lee Precision, Inc.. Classic Lee Loader
A Lee Loader, a pound of powder, several hundred primers, and a box of boolits should land a person in Funsville for quite some time.
Since it's a revolver you could apply a heavy crimp. And you could pick from any number of available projectiles.
This is a classic example of why people reload. You're wanting something that isn't commonly commercially available.
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My 'go to' bullets......
...for 9mm are Missouri Coated SWCS. Ok not a 'full' wadcutter, but I get the same results, nice, round and clearly delineated holes in targets. I also don't mind using them for a general purpose bullet. And they are great plinkers. And they function reliably. If I had a 9mm revolver I would surely use them there as well.
...for 9mm are Missouri Coated SWCS. Ok not a 'full' wadcutter, but I get the same results, nice, round and clearly delineated holes in targets. I also don't mind using them for a general purpose bullet. And they are great plinkers. And they function reliably. If I had a 9mm revolver I would surely use them there as well.
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gwpercle
Member
Feeding might be an issue .
If any wadcutter has a chance of feeding it might be the 148 grain version (there is also a 158 gr. version , same # ) of Lyman #358432 .
Lyman has discontinued this mould , I have one and just for kicks ...
I used data from Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook #4 for 147 gr. cast RF to load the 148 gr. WC's , starting load of 2.8 grs Bullseye @ 780 fps was not quite enough to give 100% cycle my in old 1944 Walther P-38 , so went to 2.9 grs and then 3.0 grs Bullseye with the 148 gr. WC ...
Those two loads were just the ticket ! 800 fps ... bullet was sized .357" ... that old P-38 will feed just about anything and the Lyman #358432 was no exception ... and it is a WC and a nice accurate target 9mm load !
Gary
If any wadcutter has a chance of feeding it might be the 148 grain version (there is also a 158 gr. version , same # ) of Lyman #358432 .
Lyman has discontinued this mould , I have one and just for kicks ...
I used data from Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook #4 for 147 gr. cast RF to load the 148 gr. WC's , starting load of 2.8 grs Bullseye @ 780 fps was not quite enough to give 100% cycle my in old 1944 Walther P-38 , so went to 2.9 grs and then 3.0 grs Bullseye with the 148 gr. WC ...
Those two loads were just the ticket ! 800 fps ... bullet was sized .357" ... that old P-38 will feed just about anything and the Lyman #358432 was no exception ... and it is a WC and a nice accurate target 9mm load !
Gary
