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.357 or .358 for 9mm ?
- Thread starter BillO
- Start date
38ExtraSpecial
NES Member
depends on your bore size.
if you have a piece of soft lead like a fishing sinker you can lube it up and drive it through your barrel with a brass or wood dowel.
measure the diameter and use a cast bullet .001" to .002" over sized for the bore.
I use a lee tumble lumbed design at .358" in my 9mm with no issues.
if you have a piece of soft lead like a fishing sinker you can lube it up and drive it through your barrel with a brass or wood dowel.
measure the diameter and use a cast bullet .001" to .002" over sized for the bore.
I use a lee tumble lumbed design at .358" in my 9mm with no issues.
Wouldn't that be true if being used for only one 9mm pistol ?
38ExtraSpecial
NES Member
If you plan on using it in multiple guns that might have different bore diameters then go for the larger size. the lee tumble lube grooves are small and many so they conform to the bore easily. They have less bearing surface.
I would just make sure that you work up loads carefully as always. A load in one gun could run perfectly and in another gun with a tighter bore can have higher pressures. Basically don't work up a top end max load with .358" bullets in the gun with a .357" oversized bore and then try to put the same loads into a tight bored gun.
some guys just use .356 in one gun and .357 in the other. I don't care enough to bother with that.
My 625-4 eats .452" lead with no issues. My S&W 1911 leaded fiercely within 2 magazines with the same bullets. Step up to .453" and the issue is gone in the 1911. So i just make sure that I size everything to .453 instead of trying to run 2 different sized bullets and keeping them separate.
I would just make sure that you work up loads carefully as always. A load in one gun could run perfectly and in another gun with a tighter bore can have higher pressures. Basically don't work up a top end max load with .358" bullets in the gun with a .357" oversized bore and then try to put the same loads into a tight bored gun.
some guys just use .356 in one gun and .357 in the other. I don't care enough to bother with that.
My 625-4 eats .452" lead with no issues. My S&W 1911 leaded fiercely within 2 magazines with the same bullets. Step up to .453" and the issue is gone in the 1911. So i just make sure that I size everything to .453 instead of trying to run 2 different sized bullets and keeping them separate.
.356 seems to be most common. I prefer .357 in the 9mm's that reside in my safe.
Pull down some samples of factory ammo that is known to work for you.... I'm guessing you will find .355-357 all in on box. Unless it's some more expensive stuff.
Then go with the size that shoots best. For reloading one cal for multiple guns?
I don't really do this as reloading affords you the ability to get the best out of your reloads and gun combo. I reload 9mm on a small scale. At the moment I don't recall the size .357 or .358? Cast as the lee mold for 38/357. The lee mold I have for 9mm is 356 leads like crazy.
Then go with the size that shoots best. For reloading one cal for multiple guns?
I don't really do this as reloading affords you the ability to get the best out of your reloads and gun combo. I reload 9mm on a small scale. At the moment I don't recall the size .357 or .358? Cast as the lee mold for 38/357. The lee mold I have for 9mm is 356 leads like crazy.
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38ExtraSpecial
NES Member
You're right about that.
The biggest thing is to make sure that you don't over crimp or shave lead while seating or that you don't have too small an expander. You can easily size the lead down that .001" that you need to keep accuracy and a lead free bore
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I don't think I previously responded and I didn't see my name above, so:
I have only used as-cast 0.357-0.358" cast lead bullets in all my 9x19s for about 35 years now and never had a problem. Have gone through using a Lubri-Sizer with 0.358" sizing die to pan lubing to tumble lubing. I prefer the speed and simplicity of tumble lube. A very light coat of LLA or White Label 45/45/10 is all you need. You should barely even see the lube on the bullets. The good thing about LLA is that it works sort of like coated bullets. If I have bullets that lead the bore, a light tumble lube in LLA will eliminate all or most leading--a very tenacious coating (in fact, I think that it succeeds not by being a lube but by being a coating).
For most of us, leading is generally due to the bullet being too small for the barrel (and that means that 0.001" over groove diameter is not always enough) or the bullets are too hard. A bullet that is 18-22 BHN is too hard. A bullet that is around 8-12 BHN is perfect for 9x19.
If one worries about pressure, that is taken care of by working up the load from the start load. I have never seen any difference in charge weight, but you may find something different.
Likewise, 0.357" jacketed bullets have always worked quite well for me—and were about all you could find in the early '70s.
I do think that 0.357" is better in almost all 9x19s than 0.356", no matter if the groove diameter is 0.354-0.355"— and 0.358" is just as good.
To go the other way, Mike Venturino (spelling?) uses type-metal and sizes to groove diameter for all his semi-auto and full-auto pistol cartridge guns. Works for him and he has probably tens of thousands of cast bullets on me and is a much greater expert than I could ever hope to be, but when I try his method, I get leading in the bore and find it to be a total waste of type-metal.
Thus, you need to experiment to find what works for you.
I have only used as-cast 0.357-0.358" cast lead bullets in all my 9x19s for about 35 years now and never had a problem. Have gone through using a Lubri-Sizer with 0.358" sizing die to pan lubing to tumble lubing. I prefer the speed and simplicity of tumble lube. A very light coat of LLA or White Label 45/45/10 is all you need. You should barely even see the lube on the bullets. The good thing about LLA is that it works sort of like coated bullets. If I have bullets that lead the bore, a light tumble lube in LLA will eliminate all or most leading--a very tenacious coating (in fact, I think that it succeeds not by being a lube but by being a coating).
For most of us, leading is generally due to the bullet being too small for the barrel (and that means that 0.001" over groove diameter is not always enough) or the bullets are too hard. A bullet that is 18-22 BHN is too hard. A bullet that is around 8-12 BHN is perfect for 9x19.
If one worries about pressure, that is taken care of by working up the load from the start load. I have never seen any difference in charge weight, but you may find something different.
Likewise, 0.357" jacketed bullets have always worked quite well for me—and were about all you could find in the early '70s.
I do think that 0.357" is better in almost all 9x19s than 0.356", no matter if the groove diameter is 0.354-0.355"— and 0.358" is just as good.
To go the other way, Mike Venturino (spelling?) uses type-metal and sizes to groove diameter for all his semi-auto and full-auto pistol cartridge guns. Works for him and he has probably tens of thousands of cast bullets on me and is a much greater expert than I could ever hope to be, but when I try his method, I get leading in the bore and find it to be a total waste of type-metal.
Thus, you need to experiment to find what works for you.
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