Casting 9mm bullets

[thumbs]

Just wondering if anyone is casting their bullets? Right now I am thinkin about 9mm and then .40 cal. I have been casting black powder bullets and ball but wondering about the practicality of 9mm?

I will be using the 9mm in my cm9 and Glock 23 with a Wolf 9mm barrel. I have about 100 lbs of lead from shower pans.

The most expensive part of reloading is the bullet. I can probably make them for less than a penny.

Just wondering

[MW surveyor]

Hmmmmm, let's see

100 pounds of lead at 7,000 grains to the pound = 700,000 grains/125 gr per bullet = 5,600 bullets (or boolits as you casters say)

So where's the down side? Oh yea, gotta buy molds, sizer and lube. Looks like you already have the other stuff.

[thumbs]

I was just wondering if it really made any sense, for me at least. I know I am the only one that knows that. It may be just as well just to buy them depending on how much work there is to get the right size and the extra in loading. It really wouldn't take to long to have the extra stuff pay for itself I guess.

I read an artical about casting 9mm. Sounded like a lot more than I am used to with bp. Heck with bp I just cast the bullets and shoot em. I guess when you get into smokeless it gets a bit more technical.

I'll have to think about this.

[Tilos]

thumbs:
For me, the hazards out weight any savings gained by casting vs buying cast.
And anything with heat usually ends up with me being burnt.
Tilos

[guido4198]

If that "shower pan" lead is soft enough for your blackpowder bullets, my opinion( since you asked) is that you oughta keep it for that purpose and buy decent bulk cast or plated bullets for your handguns. At your (apparent) level....setting up to blend a suitable alloy for the 9mm, purchase of mold or molds, lubesizer, etc,etc....might not be a great idea for something you're going to shoot A LOT more. As lead goes...100 lbs. isn't all that much. I've been doing this stuff since Kennedy was President. What I finally learned was to limit my casting to my muzzleloaders and rifles. The exception there being the AR-5.56 platforms where, once again...I shoot a lot of rounds.
I cast for my .41 mag....and to be honest...that's probably a mistake, but I got started doing it and it's hard to stop.
For those handgun rounds I shoot a lot of...380,.38,9mm,.45acp....I've pretty much quit casting for them, preferring to save my bulk metal for the rounds I mentioned. The only time in my shooting life that casting for my large volume handgun rounds made sense was when I and a few other guys were shooting 2-300 round per week-end, EVERY week-end. We had access to large quantities of metal, large production pots,"gang molds", Star "push-through" lube sizers. We would run THOUSANDS of bullets at a time during the cold Ohio winters...filling .30 cal ammo cans, then use progressive hi-volume loaders to produce the rounds for our extensive practice/training sessions.
Hope this helps. Sorry to be so wordy...but a bit of detail by way of explanation seemed appropriate.

[vn6869]

guildo4198
I'm the other way around. i cast for my blackpowder, believe every one does.
Cast for my practice pistol ammo - wheel weights primarily
And cast for my rifles - Linotype primarily.
All except for blackpowder for the plinking ammo.

As for the thumbs OP, doesn't sound to me like you have the right kind of lead for the pistols you plan on using. These are higher velocity pistols and require the right hardness, which you would spend a lot of time mixing.
Wouldn't be worth your time and effort - JMHO

[thumbs]

Ok thanks guys. I'll keep the lead for the muzzle loaders. That's why I asked. I guess I really don't shoot enough any way. Maybe 400 or so a month. Always thinkin. lol

thanks agian

[OldLincoln]

Welcome to the forum Guido! Thanks for the explanation behind your preference. I don't shoot much but have looked at casting for cost savings. I still don't think it's enough for the investment and injury risk for only a couple hundred rounds a month.

[guido4198]

You're very welcome. I'm a newbie in "Kahr-country"..and signed up here to learn. I've been casting bullets and reloading my entire life....starting out helping dad by lubesizing .38 wadcutters in the VERY early 1960's. Along the way, I've figured a few things out, and look forward to sharing them while I absorb the Kahr stuff I wanna know. As of yesterday...I'm the proud owner of a bone-stock, new-in-the-box CM9.
IF..and that's a HUGE IF....I had a virtually unlimited supply of cheap ( read:free, or nearly so) suitable metal for making up bullet alloys...my earlier response would have been different. Most of my handgun shooting is up-close-and-personal...hi speed and hi volume. I'm saving my creative production time, AND my bullet metal stock for the rifles (including my dead soft lead supply for the muzzleloader). Casting for rifles...to get the best results involves finding the perfect combination of bullet style, alloy, exact size match to the throat, perfect OAL, best performing lube,powder choice, powder charge, primer choice,....etc,etc...well you all get the idea. Working up a cast load for the rifles that will shoot into an inch or so @ 100 yds. is a good way to eat through some bullet metal, but not nearly as fast as hi-volume handgun shooting. Hence...I just buy the 380's, 9's, 45's and blast away.