Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Semi-wadcutters in the 9mm

Has anybody used cast semi-wadcutters as practice/target bullets in the 9mm, and if so, what are your experiences? Needing a good design for practice, a 9mm needs more volume than my wallet can easily supply in jacketed bullets. But I can cast a big pile of lead bullets cheaply.

In my Springfield XDm .45 commercial cast 200 gr. SWC's are very accurate and outshoot cast 230 gr. RN by a big margin, so I've ordered an H&G 68 clone design from Accurate Molds for that. But no one makes a lead SWC for 9mm, not that I've found anyway, and I'd like to try the design before plunking down the bucks for a good mold.

I've tried 125 RNL with mediocre results, also a 115 gr. Berry's plated bullet which really sucked - these results from both Springfield XDm 9mm and a Beretta 92. Seems like a SWC - anything from 115 to 147 grains is okay with me - should work as well in the 9 as the 200 SWC works in the .45 but I'm curious if folks have found that to be true in the real world.

I've had good luck with the truncated cone bullets from my Lee mold. A friend gave me a lot of .40 SWC bullets and they won't feed dependably in my sig 2022.

Interesting question.
I've never heard of anyone using wadcutter or semi wadcutters in the 9mm.
If I still had one and wated to shoot cheap lead, I'd be inclined to use swagged bullets rather than cast. They usually are more accurate in that they tend to be more consistant.
If I cast my own, the first thing I'd do is make sure they were the right size.
The second thing I'd do is plan on trying lots of different loads in order to find a really accurate one.
Nine's can be very accurate. I had a Browning HP with a stock barrel, disconnected safety and fully adjustable sights that would put five into an inch, outside spread at 25 yds. I think it was either 6 or 7 grs. of Unique under a 90 gr. Sierra HC.
Since then I've done the same thing with other service grade auto pistols. Make sure your brass is the same brand and the same lenth. Even the same brands can vary in lenth from lot to lot.
Vary your powder charges by only .2-.3 grs. per load when testing. Try mild loads as well as full power ones.
Lots of work to handload for auto pistols, especially those which kick their small cases quite a ways. But the results can be startling. I just did a 5.7 FN last spring. Drove me nuts with 2.5-4 inch plus groups. Then, at factory mild pressure loads, I started getting .4-.5 inch groups at 15 yds.
I might add that Ramshot's data for their True Blue powder lists loads for the 9mm that have SD's of 3-7 in their loading data. That's the same powder that worked so well in my fussy 5.7 FN. E

IIRC years ago Smith & Wesson sold 9mm ammo loaded with a jacketed bullet that looked like the SWC bullets that are loaded in 45ACP. I have not seen a bullet like that sesnse then, but I would buy some if I could find them.

Ernie

NEI-Tooldyne made (might still, if they're still in business) a 9mm/.38Super mould that looks like a mini H&G 68. Sounds like just what you're looking for. They make it in various weights, mine is 124gr. made from Wheelweights, but they make it in 140-ish weights, too, by running the cherry deeper into the mould, and lighter, conversely, too, I presume. NEI was about the best mouldmaker going, IHMO, as they did all manner of things, and had a HUGE variety. If they're still in business, check them out. They ain't cheap, but they sure make excellent moulds.

LEE has a 105gr. SWC, but it's way short, and looked like it might cause feeding issues in some pistols.

That NEI mould of mine is out in Wyoming, on loan to Snake River Marksman, at the moment. I used it mostly in .38 Super cases, for field shooting. Maybe you can PM him, and get together with him and pour a few before buying a mould of your own.


Okay, name change at the company, they are now NEIhandtools.

http://www.neihandtools.com/catalog.html

Be careful there, you can spend a whole day just eyeballing various moulds.

Try Lymans 358156, sized to .358, lubricated, but without a gascheck. Hopefully you already have this mould. I use 3 gr of Bullseye. My XD tolerates this load, but it could take some fiddling to get it to work well. The 358156 bullet kind of resembles Hornadys 147 HP in profile. Feeding hasn't been a problem, but I'm still dealing with leading.

Looking at the current catalog, I think mine is #131D located last, on page 6. Check out pages 6 and 7 carefully, and don't forget that you can also use .358" bullet moulds, too, if you don't resize them TOO much. If you're using a BHP, for example, their bore size is .3572", not .355", as stated for most 9mms.

If you really want a SWC bullet, Lee makes one of their 6 cavity molds for .38 Special in a 105 grain SWC that you can just size to .355-.356, and provided your gun feeds it (and it should); should work out well. I must confess, I�ve never used a SWC in 9mm; just never occurred to me. I have used both RCBS RN bullets and Lee TCFP bullets with great success. For volume shooting, I�m really big on the 6 cavity lee bullet molds. Just keep the mold hot, and understand the cheap handles will break at some point; then replace them with oak and you�re GTG.

Jim - www.shooterready.biz sells SWC's for the 9mm. I haven't bought this specific bullet from them, but have ordered and shot several thousand rounds of other bullet styles from them and really like them. Their minimum order is a thousand though, but it would enable you to try some to see how you like them.

Ryan

Wanted to add that they the offer the SWC for the 9mm in 140gr and 150gr.

I use these in mine. Precision Delta 9mm 115g For a FMJ (not plated) they've usually been the best price, but I haven't price checked them lately. They shoot well. Hope this helps.

I googled "9mm SWC" and found some good discussions about this in other forums. Apparently Penn bullets makes a 115 SWC, they list it as a "9mm H&G 68 semi wadcutter". $36.00 for 500 plus shipping. Think I will get a batch and try them.

They also show a 147 gr. RNFPBB which the description shows as:
"...The reloaders that have explored the potential of the cast version of this bullet have discovered that this may be the most accurate of any 9mm bullets that they have ever tried. The long bearing surface coupled with the extended boat tail base has turned in one hole size group performances."

Might be worth a try too. if one does remarkably better than the other I can send one in to Tom at Accurate Molds and have him duplicate it.

I looked at the Penn bullets site. I had not heard of them before.
That 115 grain SWC looks good but I am thinking of trying the 120 grain truncated cone bullet.
After reading the info on the website I guess I should slug the barrels. I don't know where to get soft lead slugs to push down the bore. Any suggestions?

Ernie

What I've done is buy a box of muzzle loading round balls, those are pure lead. It's kind of expensive for buy a whole box of 100 unless you slug a lot of bores but sometimes you can find little 20 packs or something. I got a box of .454" diameter swaged lead balls several years ago and still have a bunch left. They work for .45's, .44's and even .357/.38's. As you tap the slug in the muzzle it cuts off a ring of lead but that soft lead doesn't hurt the crown at all.

What I do is use an ordinary 16 ounce hammer (I know, I cringed the first time I did this) and using light taps start the ball in the bore. Just keep tapping and it will drive the ball in. If the thought of that bothers someone you can put a piece of wood over the ball and tap on that. As the ball goes in the excess spreads out to the sides to protect the muzzle. When it's almost all the way in but with still a little bit of lead left, switch to a 6" or so wooden dowel just under bore diameter to finish tapping the slug in. You'll be left with a ring of lead around the dowel. That wooden dowel is also what you use to push the slug all the way through.

Clean the bore well before doing this and apply a light coat of good oil inside to lubricate the slug as it passes through. Be sure to catch it as it comes out and not let it fall to the floor. A good micrometer will then give you an exact measurement of your bore.

BTW, this only works if the bore has an even number of lands and grooves. I think there is some formula to use if it has an odd number but I'm not sure what it is.

FWIW I found Missouri Bullets sells a 125 grain cast SWC with a Brinnel number of 18.
Thanks for the info on the slugs. I think I have some round balls for a .45 cal muzzle loader. I did not know you could use balls that were that oversize.

Ernie

I've shot a few thousand of commercial cast truncated and swc in 9mm Glocks and Sigs

By far the most accurate have been 115 gr look alike of the H&G 68 from Lane Bullet Co in Missouri that is now out of business.

The little swc in 9mm look kind of strange and you wouldn't think they would feed but function fine and are were very accurate. I even shot them in my 380 PPK.

Win 231 gave me my best accuracy with just enough to work the action.

Oregon Trail offers a 9mm 147gr flat point. I haven't tried it, but have had good results with their 44 cal stuff.

http://www.laser-cast.com/9mm.html