Cast 9mm hollow points

[G-Tar21]

Hello!! first post & new to y'all. Just brought home a new M&P 9mm VTAC in dark earth (just like my beloved Tavor). Haven't had a S&W since the '80s. (Ruger, Taurus, IWI, Sig...) LOVE THE M&P!
Been reloading for a while now but I'm new to 9mm and also new to lead casting. Waiting on a 4 cavity hollow point mold for 9mm from MP Molds.
Does anyone have casting and/or reloading advice specific to M&P 9mm?
...and specific to casting 9mm hollow points: what are some other good molds besides MP Molds? (Lee, Lyman, RCBS, etc)
[/IMG]

 

[Maximumbob54]

NOE molds and Accurate molds are two other great companies. For bulk blasting you cannot go wrong with a Lee six cavity mold. Casting with a HP mold can be a bit of a challenge. Mine usually need the lead to run HOT and cast FAST. Another option is the Lyman Devastator molds but they are a single cavity mold that use a pin for the HP cavity. But they work for being so slow. Nice Tavor. Envy. Mega envy.

 

[colt_saa]

Welcome to the Forum.

Do you have a mold in transit from Miha? Or are you waiting on a group buy to close?

Miha's brass molds are things of beauty. NOE clearly is also a premium mold. I have many of both and hardly ever use my old Lee or Lyman 2 cavity molds these days. The 4 and 5 cavity HP molds from these guys just run so much faster.

 

[fredj338]

Ime, LHP in the 9mm can be a challenge. You need a hard enough alloy to withstand the 9mm pressures & soft enough to still expand. Your best alloy will NOT have antimony in it or very little. With he right HP shape & alloy, you can get good expansion & accuracy w/o leading, bullet fit is really important. Generally, in 9m. You get best results with bullets 0.356-0.357". Cramer style molds are great for volume casting LHP.

 

[novalty]

I've been casting with an MP 359-125 4 cavity cramer style mold for my wife's M&P 9, and my 5906. It is a good mold, get yourself a cheap hot-plate if you don't already have one--to get the mold preheated. Found it likes melt temps around 700° to 725°. I've been sizing them to 0.358", and they have fed and functioned fine in any 9mm that I've shot them through, and my wife's M&P has not had any signs of leading.



These were cast from straight COWW's, and they don't expand worth a darn--but they sure look nice.

 

[ironhead7544]

I guess you want expansion so I would use a soft lead and then coat them with one of the polymers people are using now. The old Nyclad 9mm expanded nicely and this just might work. I have no experience with the coatings so I could very well be wrong.

 

[novalty]

If you are planning on coating your bullets, then I would look into the MP mold without lube groove. I think they were offering a GB on one over at Castboolits.

 

[bedbugbilly]

I cast mu 9mm rounds in a Lee 356-120-TC mold. I cast out of range lead and they drop right around .358. I size 'em to .357 for my 9mm and shoot "as cast" out of 38 Spl. I use a moderate taper crimp on the 9mm. I like the bullet and it shoots well out of my SR9. No experience out of a M & P.

I'm sure when you get to reloading your 9mm you'll do a "plunk test" on your barrel. You'll probably slug your bore as well to see what it is and then size .001 to .002 oversize for lead bullets. One thing that I find very handy to have on my bench when I'm reloading 9mm is a "cartridge gauge". Every round that comes off of my press gets dropped in it to make sure it meets normal specs.

 

[G-Tar21]

Thanks guys! Lots of good info! Trying to navigate through the NOE & Accurate sites for 9mm HP. For now I'll just focus on getting WWs into clean, fluxed ingots. Have 500 Hornaday 9mm HAPs to set in. By then molds will be arriving and we can launch this casting project.
Thanks again! See ya at the range.

 

[novalty]

Keep us posted on your casting. I'm a sucker for questions and pictures.

 

[G-Tar21]

Keep us posted on your casting. I'm a sucker for questions and pictures.

I ordered a 359-125 4 cavity earlier this week. Approximately, how long does it take between PayPal to delivery?

 

[novalty]

I ordered a 359-125 4 cavity earlier this week. Approximately, how long does it take between PayPal to delivery?

Usually just a couple weeks. The biggest variable is Customs--which sometimes doesn't release for a week. It'll show up in a little white box about 8x6x3".

 

[G-Tar21]

Only a few were perfect in my very first batch. A dress rehearsal focused on temperature and technique. I'm amazed at these MP Molds. Super easy to use for a newbie.

 

[novalty]

Nice job. Looks like they are coming out pretty shiny. Cold mold is generally a cause for the wrinkles. Was the sprue breaking hard?

 

[G-Tar21]

A couple of times I had to wack the plate with my RCBS mallet. Most of the time just firm push with the butt of the mallet cut & dropped the spru

 

[STCM(SW)]

I mold Lyman Devastator's in .45 ACP and .44 with gas check useing Lyman #II alloy.
So, does a LHP work that well in a 9mm?
Any feed problems and such?
I would be shooting them out of my wife's Shield.

 

[novalty]

If the sprue freezes over too quickly after you pour, then the mold is too cold.

I've shot the cast 9mm from this mold out of a S&W M&P Shield, Fullsize M&P, and my 5906 without problems--all oversized to .358.