9mm Bullet Molds

[kxkid]

I am looking for a good 124-135 grain mold for use in my Glock for uspsa. Any help would be great. I have tried 2 Lee molds and they are garbage. My 9mm has the handle screws coming out and my 358RF mold the alignment pins are backing out, this happens when both molds are up to temp.

[res45]

Can't help you with the style/profile as I don't know what you like but here are several options. I have several of the NOE pistol and rifle molds and have had no issue with them.

I don't know which ones are in stock as you will have to look at each style,the gas check versions also come in plain base as well and you will need a set of Lee 6 cavity handles to go with the mold.

http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/index.p...s36ge18f3fj0i2

[reddog81]

Are you using the 2 cavity Lee molds or the 6 cavity. I've had good luck with the 6 cavity version.

NOE makes some good molds also. I have the 135 grain powder coat 9mm mold and it drops a pile of bullets very quickly.

[Chainsaw.]

Garbage is a bit strong. When aluminum and steel are heated to many hundreds of degrees things get loose, very loose. Add to that rapping on it with a dowel etc and you accelerate things backing out. Try interrupting the threads just a little, reassembling and trying again.

My very nice lyman moulds do the very same thing, the only difference is they are steel and take longer to get up to temp.

[res45]

I can't really knock Lee molds because of my experience with them as I have 10 of the old style and 4 of the new style molds,had to replace one of the old ones because I finally beat it to death after about 7 years and who know how many thousands of bullets.

I have the Lee .358" 125 gr. RF in 2 cavity that I intentionally bought to shoot in my 9mm as it likes a larger dia. bullet that the standard Lee 9mm molds would cast and it shoot great. The new style alignment pins weren't set correctly when I first got the mold so the blocks didn't alignment just right but a few taps with a brass punch took care of that an it's worked fine ever since. Guess I'm just blessed to get good ones.

[kxkid]

I like Lee product, but their molds. The 358RF I have the alignment pins have back out to the point where they dont stay in even when the mold is cold, and when I do get them in the mold does not line up correctly. The TL124RN the sprue plate does not line up correctly and causes flanges on the bullets so I switched it with my other one and that solved that, but the screw that holds the mold to the handle keeps backing out and the head striped out of it so I have to hammer it in every few hundred bullets. These are both 2 cavity molds. I bought the second one thinking it was the older design that caused the problems and that was not the case just 2 crap molds. Also bullets did not drop free even with smoking the mold and casting super hot and using a damp sponge to cool the mold. I have looked at NOE just trying to see what else is out there

[GilaDan]

Like Res45, I love that 358-125-RF for 9mm. All my 9's like it except the CZ75B - its chamber is a little tight even when I lube/size to .357. Just ordered the 6 cavity Lee 356-120-TC. Truncated shaped bullets have treated me well in 40S&W and 45ACP. They feed good.

As far as Lee molds go, I too have had issues with the pins. One thing that seems to help is to back out the pins when cold and use some threadlock when re-installing. Let it sit for a day or two. Also helps to get the molds good and hot before beating on them.

I too use sponges, a lot. My drop bucket of water is full of sponges to let the bullets trickle down without bumping. However, my cool off sponge can be good or bad. It takes a while to learn the mold, where wrinkles like to show up, where to cool and not to cool. For example, if the base of the bullet is sometimes hard to fill, don't cool off the sprue plate, only the lower mold body. And vice-versa. My semi-wadcutters DO NOT fill the ledge below the bullet cone if over-cooled.

[Mike / Tx]

Well NOE and Accurate both make great molds as does MP. If you want top end with the option of a HP design go with either NOE or MP in their 125-130'ish grain versions, and don't look back. Go ahead and spent the extra to get at least the 4 cavity version as well.

Me personally I use MP and the Lee almost exclusively for both of my Sig's. Never had a hiccup out of either one of them. The Lee is a great little pill over about 4gr of Bullseye.

One could write up a decent novel on problems with Lee molds. Most of them come from one of two things, not being hot enough or from being too hot. As for those pins, a good sharp small diameter center punch will put them in in their place for a long time. It only takes a decent tap not a hit like driving a nail. Either will drive you nuts.

When I get a new one I scrub it down with Dawn dish soap in water as hot as I can get it on the stove. I put the mold in a pan and set it up there and get it boiling real good with about 6-10 drops of Dawn mixed in. Once it boils I let it cool until I can stand to scrub it with a toothbrush and then rinse and boil it again. When I am done I let it cool and then spray it down with non chlorinated brake cleaner. That aluminum holds a lot of cutting oil in the pores and it doesn't all come out at once. When I am done with the above I will set it on my hot plate and heat it up close to casting temp a couple of times. This lets more junk eak out of the pores. Then I will let it cool and scrub it once again with the brake cleaner and a tooth brush and then start working on a casting temp.

Since I have a PID attached to my pot I usually start out at around 695, and work up in 10 degree increments until things start dropping. Once they are working I note that temp on a notepad then write it on the side of the mold when it cools with a sharpie. That will stay for quite a while and lets me get going right off the bat next time out.

With the other molds, there are instructions which are very similar to follow when breaking them in. Once you have one broke in or conditioned, they will usually drop bullets out as fast as you can open them. If your having to smack on the handles more than a time or two something just ain't quite right.

[gwpercle]

NOE 358-124-TC-GC 4 cavity aluminum mould.
This mould casts a sweet 9mm Luger bullet, I ordered mine with a gas check so I could cast with a softer alloy and not worry about leading. Also discovered it works great in 38 special and 357 magnum.

I size it .357 for 9mm Luger and .358 for use in 38 special/357 magnum. Very accurate in all three. I like this mould a lot. If you follow the NOE directions, you should have no trouble casting good bullets....but read and follow the directions. So many times I see caster's causing the problems because they aren't using the mould correctly or not lubricating it properly. Lubrication is most important with aluminum moulds.
I can cast with Lee moulds, but I've been doing it for 40 years, you have to baby soft aluminum and watch for the smearing and galling and take care of it before it gets to be a problem.


Gary

[kxkid]

Got my noe mold yesterday and finally got to cast some today. Wish I knew about these 2 years ago

[CTSixshot]

My vote is for the Lee 356-120 TC. I acquired this mold with a collection, not that I was seeking a 9mm bullet. This mold drops my alloy at about 130 grains and I can size them at .356" to .358". I've loaded thousands of these in .38 Special, even 9mm (don't own a niner) and even as plinkers in .35 Remington (need to get more time with a .35 Remington to develop proper COLs for oddball bullets).
The sprue bolt loosens occasionally, but nothing that can't be remedied in the process. This mold always drops good bullets quickly and consistently.
This isn't to say other mold brands won't fulfil your needs, but my results have been as advertised.

[Ole Joe Clark]

I had a Lee 6 cavity aluminum mold in .40 cal. The bullets were beautiful, but under size. Lead is not fun to clean out of barrels, no way, no how.

Sold it and will buy another brand.

[Poodleshooter]

I use the Lee 120gr TC in a 6 cavity mold, and an NOE 4 cavity .358" 135gr/128gr RNHP design, which I cast almost exclusively as an HP. I size those down to .355", and they make a great subsonic bullet for 9mm. I powdercoat both for Glock 19 use.
No complaints with either mold or bullet.

[igolfat8]

Another vote for the Lee 120 TC mold. I do own a NOE mold and its a quality mold but sees little use. The 120's see a LOT of action in my Glocks. I shoot in excess of 15K / year. I recently switched from powder coating and now use Hi-Tek coating with excellent results and ZERO leading.

[GilaDan]

Have cast nearly 3000 bullets from the new Lee 120-TC six cavity in the last week or so. Working fine and the bullets are averaging 123.3 grains. They lube/size easily, seat good, and so far we are seeing good accuracy.

I also have the Lee 109-SWC (.358) six cavity mold. It throws a nice bullet that we use in 380, 9mm, and 38 spl. This mold throws an oversize bullet that is tough to run through the .357 and .356 sizers. I do prefer an oversize bullet that lube/sizes up nice and round.

Have struggled a little with ANY lead or other substance buildup between the sprue plate and mold. When dog ears start to show up on bullet base, time to clean up.

[Dufus]

I use the Lyman 356637. It casts @ 135 gr with my alloy and I size to 0.357" for my 9mm loads.

It is a really good bullet, but being a bevel base, WAS sort of a pain in the ass to run thru the sizer because of lube on the base.

I have removed the bevel and it is now a flat base bullet.

Here is a photo of a recovered bullet at a distance of maybe 35 yds.

The bullet also is excellent in the 38 Spcl.

[TheGuyOfSouthamerica]

All my molds are Lee molds and I have at least 12 different of them for different bullets.
They all have worked flawless. Only one came with an loose handle screw so it obviously did not line up. I thigthened the screw and all wad fine (Lee 102 grain Round Nose 356 2 vavity mold for 380 auto).

Till now I had never one missligning the aligning pins since those have to match perfectly in order they are usable.

Try not to beat the molds. Never beat them on the aluminum parts. The 311 round ball 2 cavity mold for #1 Buckshot is a bit sticky and so I have to push out the balls with an soft wood from top to fall free out.
If you really mist tap tap the handle only. Lubricate the Lee molds before and after use.
Till now I am very happy with my Lee molds.

[armoredman]

My Lee 2 cavity molds gave me fits, but my six cavity mold for the 124gr TL bullet works well. Use it powder coated all the time.