Cast bullets

kenfa03 · October 4, 2009, 01:07 PM

Will there be any ill affects to shooting cast bullets thru my S&W 9mm?

lee n. field · October 4, 2009, 01:10 PM

Land and groove rifling?

Farmland · October 4, 2009, 01:21 PM

Through your gun? I don't know is it different than any other 9mm?

In general shooting cast bullets through any handgun is just fine. However some people think that you should not shoot lead through original stock Glock barrels.

Some barrels may collect lead faster than others but still other than some extra cleaning present no particular problem.

For the record I have shot lead out of my S&W 9mm since the day I bought it in 1993, the barrel has never see any jacketed bullets. I tend to think that lead is easier on the life of the barrel. I may be lucky but I have no excess lead build up in any of my barrels and cleaning is pretty simple with no hard brushing etc.

drail · October 4, 2009, 02:43 PM

You should have no problems doing this as long as you keep a close eye on lead buildup in the barrel. Most of the folks who are getting into trouble with lead in Glock barrels are not keeping them cleaned well enough. If lead is allowed to build up the pressure starts to rise and if there is insufficient case support (Glock trademark) bad things will happen in time. Keep the bore clean.

dahermit · October 4, 2009, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Will there be any ill affects to shooting cast bullets thru my S&W 9mm?

Yes, if you cast your own bullets, you will have the ill effect of saving a whole lot of money and shoot a lot more.

kenfa03 · October 5, 2009, 03:45 PM

Thanks. My concern was the lead in the barrel.

LHB1 · October 5, 2009, 04:00 PM

Ken,
Leading occurs minimally in pistol barrels with "good" cast bullet loads. Complicating factors can be: rough barrel surface, dirty barrel, ultra hot loads, poor bullet lube, soft lead bullets, shooting cast bullets after jacketed bullets without cleaning barrel first, etc. Cast bullets can be tricky and/or persnickety but the following general rules help to minimize leading:
- Clean barrel THOROUGHLY before switching from jacketed bullets to cast bullets OR vice versa.
- Use good quality hard cast lead bullets with a good bullet lubricant. (I like ALOX lubes best and avoid using swaged bullets.)
- You may need to experiment with bullet diameters and loads to find the right combination for your gun.
- Velocity is normally not a major concern in pistol loads with the right bullet and lube in clean barrel but avoid ultra hot loads. In pistols, I shoot cast .44 Mag bullets up to 1425 fps with no problems. (In rifles, I shot cast bullets up to about 1800-1900 fps but above that got considerable leading.)

armoredman · October 5, 2009, 04:39 PM

I use wheel weight cast boolits in a light load through my P01, no leading issues, the Lee 124gr LRN mould.

dahermit · October 5, 2009, 05:18 PM

For additional insurance that you will not have any leading from cast lead bullets in a 9MM barrel, you can do as I do; Use a mould from Hornady that drops 125 grain gas check bullets.

dardascastbullets · October 5, 2009, 08:30 PM

Hi Kenfa,

You will have no ill effects shooting cast bullets in your S&W 9mm as long as you properly size your bullets to your bore diameter. Your cast bullets should be 0.001" larger in diameter than the bore diameter insuring a proper seal between the cast bullet and the bore. Slugging your bore is a very simple procedure. And it can be accomplished using a soft round ball (with a diameter close to your barrel) and a wood dowel. Tap the round ball into the crown end of the barrel with a nylon mallet and then drive the round ball through the bore with the wood dowel. Mic the round ball and add 0.001" and the result is the recommended sized diameter of your cast bullet(s).

Good luck!

QBall45 · October 5, 2009, 09:23 PM

I don't think you will be any differant than my 45. Its going to suffer tremendus ill's.

It will see a ton more range time being shot a lot. Then cleaned & oiled.

Man o live! I hate saving money shooting cast lead that I've cast myself from free wheelweights. Its offel troublesome shooting all the time for the same cost as rimfire.

kenfa03 · October 6, 2009, 05:24 AM

When and how should I use bullet lube? Never heard of it.

Whisper 300 · October 6, 2009, 07:13 AM

Kenfa,

Get thee over to either Cast Boolits Forum or Cast Bullets Association Forum,
both are extremely valuable resources and have separate forums for lubes.

Given the right lube you should be able to shoot a correctly sized bullet without much fear of leading-assuming 600 other variables don't muddy your waters.

I shoot tons of 9mm, 45, 44, and 38/357 in home cast lead and have little or no problem with leading.

As a P.S. to this - try Kroil when you clean the bore, I have found, like countless others, that it releases the fouling easily.

Gary

LHB1 · October 6, 2009, 12:32 PM

Quote: "When and how should I use bullet lube? Never heard of it. "

Cast bullets are normally sold WITH the bullet lube already in the lube groove. You shouldn't have to worry about it unless you are casting your own bullets.

kenfa03 · October 6, 2009, 12:37 PM

Thanks. I was wondering what that green stuff was. Thought it might have been a sealant.

October 4, 2009, 01:07 PM	#1
kenfa03 Member Join Date: January 19, 2009 Posts: 71	Cast bullets Will there be any ill affects to shooting cast bullets thru my S&W 9mm?

October 4, 2009, 01:10 PM	#2
lee n. field Senior Member Join Date: October 12, 2002 Location: The same state as Mordor. Posts: 5,569	Land and groove rifling? __________________ "As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. "

October 5, 2009, 04:00 PM	#7
LHB1 Senior Member Join Date: March 25, 2005 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 1,545	Ken, Leading occurs minimally in pistol barrels with "good" cast bullet loads. Complicating factors can be: rough barrel surface, dirty barrel, ultra hot loads, poor bullet lube, soft lead bullets, shooting cast bullets after jacketed bullets without cleaning barrel first, etc. Cast bullets can be tricky and/or persnickety but the following general rules help to minimize leading: - Clean barrel THOROUGHLY before switching from jacketed bullets to cast bullets OR vice versa. - Use good quality hard cast lead bullets with a good bullet lubricant. (I like ALOX lubes best and avoid using swaged bullets.) - You may need to experiment with bullet diameters and loads to find the right combination for your gun. - Velocity is normally not a major concern in pistol loads with the right bullet and lube in clean barrel but avoid ultra hot loads. In pistols, I shoot cast .44 Mag bullets up to 1425 fps with no problems. (In rifles, I shot cast bullets up to about 1800-1900 fps but above that got considerable leading.) __________________ Good shooting and be safe. LB

October 5, 2009, 08:30 PM	#10
dardascastbullets Senior Member Join Date: July 20, 2008 Location: Essexville, MI Posts: 164	Hi Kenfa, You will have no ill effects shooting cast bullets in your S&W 9mm as long as you properly size your bullets to your bore diameter. Your cast bullets should be 0.001" larger in diameter than the bore diameter insuring a proper seal between the cast bullet and the bore. Slugging your bore is a very simple procedure. And it can be accomplished using a soft round ball (with a diameter close to your barrel) and a wood dowel. Tap the round ball into the crown end of the barrel with a nylon mallet and then drive the round ball through the bore with the wood dowel. Mic the round ball and add 0.001" and the result is the recommended sized diameter of your cast bullet(s). Good luck! __________________ Matt Dardas

October 6, 2009, 12:32 PM	#14
LHB1 Senior Member Join Date: March 25, 2005 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 1,545	Quote: "When and how should I use bullet lube? Never heard of it. " Cast bullets are normally sold WITH the bullet lube already in the lube groove. You shouldn't have to worry about it unless you are casting your own bullets. __________________ Good shooting and be safe. LB

October 4, 2009, 01:21 PM	#3
Farmland Senior Member Join Date: July 5, 2009 Posts: 869	Through your gun? I don't know is it different than any other 9mm? In general shooting cast bullets through any handgun is just fine. However some people think that you should not shoot lead through original stock Glock barrels. Some barrels may collect lead faster than others but still other than some extra cleaning present no particular problem. For the record I have shot lead out of my S&W 9mm since the day I bought it in 1993, the barrel has never see any jacketed bullets. I tend to think that lead is easier on the life of the barrel. I may be lucky but I have no excess lead build up in any of my barrels and cleaning is pretty simple with no hard brushing etc.

October 4, 2009, 02:43 PM	#4
drail Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2008 Posts: 3,150	You should have no problems doing this as long as you keep a close eye on lead buildup in the barrel. Most of the folks who are getting into trouble with lead in Glock barrels are not keeping them cleaned well enough. If lead is allowed to build up the pressure starts to rise and if there is insufficient case support (Glock trademark) bad things will happen in time. Keep the bore clean.

October 5, 2009, 03:45 PM	#6
kenfa03 Member Join Date: January 19, 2009 Posts: 71	Thanks. My concern was the lead in the barrel.

October 5, 2009, 04:39 PM	#8
armoredman Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2007 Location: Arizona Posts: 5,299	I use wheel weight cast boolits in a light load through my P01, no leading issues, the Lee 124gr LRN mould.

October 5, 2009, 05:18 PM	#9
dahermit Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2006 Location: South Central Michigan...near Posts: 6,501	For additional insurance that you will not have any leading from cast lead bullets in a 9MM barrel, you can do as I do; Use a mould from Hornady that drops 125 grain gas check bullets.

October 5, 2009, 09:23 PM	#11
QBall45 Senior Member Join Date: April 5, 2008 Location: South Central Minnesota Posts: 584	I don't think you will be any differant than my 45. Its going to suffer tremendus ill's. It will see a ton more range time being shot a lot. Then cleaned & oiled. Man o live! I hate saving money shooting cast lead that I've cast myself from free wheelweights. Its offel troublesome shooting all the time for the same cost as rimfire.

October 6, 2009, 05:24 AM	#12
kenfa03 Member Join Date: January 19, 2009 Posts: 71	When and how should I use bullet lube? Never heard of it.

October 6, 2009, 07:13 AM	#13
Whisper 300 Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2006 Posts: 155	Kenfa, Get thee over to either Cast Boolits Forum or Cast Bullets Association Forum, both are extremely valuable resources and have separate forums for lubes. Given the right lube you should be able to shoot a correctly sized bullet without much fear of leading-assuming 600 other variables don't muddy your waters. I shoot tons of 9mm, 45, 44, and 38/357 in home cast lead and have little or no problem with leading. As a P.S. to this - try Kroil when you clean the bore, I have found, like countless others, that it releases the fouling easily. Gary

October 6, 2009, 12:37 PM	#15
kenfa03 Member Join Date: January 19, 2009 Posts: 71	Thanks. I was wondering what that green stuff was. Thought it might have been a sealant.