Casting Bullets

markIIIronp · Post by **markIIIronp** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 1:41 pm

I have a Lee reloading kit and the dies for my 9mm handgun. I have been purchasing FMJ 115gr bullets from Cabelas for about 11 cents apiece.
I have been concidering casting my own lead bullets. I have a source for lead at 1/2 the market value. I was talking to a fellow at a sporting goods dealer the other day and he told me I could not shoot lead bullets from my 9mm pistol with any accuracy because of the barrel rifling. I have a Springfield WD-9 and he told me that the type of rifling in WD-9 barrels required a FMJ bullet.
Is this true or did he give me some bad advise?

Post by **Bullseye** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 4:26 pm

I don't think he gave you bad advice but he may just have passed on his experiences. Some folks do find that 9mm cast bullets are hard to load accurately. There are some barrels that do not take lead cast bullets well. But the reason is not that they have a particular rifling but that the overall diameter of the bore is slightly oversized. That would also explain the jacketed bullet theory, because jacketed bullets tend to run a little on the high side of normal for outer diameter measurements. I have a 9mm Browning HP that will not shoot the standard dimensions of .355-.356" for the 9mm para round. My barrel's bore is actually oversized a little to the dimensions of the .38 cal bullet. When I load up .367-.358" diameter cast bullets in my 9mm para cases I get terriffic accuracy out of them. With the standard dimension cast bullets I get keyholes in the target at 25 yards. Jacketed bullets shoot great out of the HP but cast ones must be oversized to shoot well.

Hope this helps.

R,
Bullseye

greener · Post by **greener** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 4:36 pm

I haven't heard or read about any problems with the XD9. Supposedly the glock barrel rifling is not conducive to lead bullets, KABOOM! is usually used to describe the effect. I've been shooting lead reloads in my M&P for a year or so with no problems.

bearandoldman · Post by **bearandoldman** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 5:10 pm

greener wrote:I haven't heard or read about any problems with the XD9. Supposedly the glock barrel rifling is not conducive to lead bullets, KABOOM! is usually used to describe the effect. I've been shooting lead reloads in my M&P for a year or so with no problems.

Rob, didn't you have some problems with the 9mm cast bullets in your Blackhawk convertible? Did you try the slightly larger bullets for the .38/.357 in the 9mm cases?

greener · Post by **greener** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 7:00 pm

On a quick check, I didn't see any problems with lead reloads in the xd9
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=5222820
The XD manual says you shouldn't use handloads and voids the warranty. But then, so do almost every manual I've looked at. I looked at xdtalk and couldn't find any problems with cast bullet reloads other than the XD45 not liking lswc's. I don't own an XD, but I shoot handloads almost exclusively in my centerfire handguns. The manufacturer shouldn't be liable if I load too hot for the gun, double charge or the like. It doesn't look like you will have problems using cast bullets in an XD, but before you reload lead, I'd check with XD owners.

The Glock problem I mentioned may come more from glock barrel not fully supporting the casing, with some comments on multiple reloads on a casing causing embrittlement and kaboom. This link covers it:
http://www.thegunzone.com/glock/glock-kb-faq.html
Some other comments in various forums seem to believe that the Glock barrel rifling causes fast leading and problems. Most Glock owners I know do no reload lead bullets. I know one that does, but his Glock (Glockenstein?) doesn't look like any you see: different barrel, custom slide and, I think, different grip frame and receiver. He may shoot 10k-20k rounds/year through the pistol.

SKnight · Post by **SKnight** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 7:12 pm

I found a casing at the range that was split out from the back, 9mm. Guy that was with me reloads and told me that about the Glock not supporting the rear of the case and blowing out after reloading. Ugly stuff.

JByer323 · Post by **JByer323** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 10:38 pm

The ballard rifling is the issue with the stock Glock barrel, not the unsupported chamber.

It causes harcore leading, which in turn increases pressures.

Georgezilla · Post by **Georgezilla** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 1:16 am

JByer323 wrote:The ballard rifling is the issue with the stock Glock barrel, not the unsupported chamber.

It causes harcore leading, which in turn increases pressures.

Do you have experience with this condition? A couple of my friends have Glock pistol and they seem to lead WAY less. I figured it was because the octagonal rifling rendered the barrel no corners or edges.