Using lead bullets for 9mm and .40S&W reloads? Lead fouling?

CanuckShooter

CanuckShooter

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I think it was a really old post of mine I had asked about using lead bullets for reloading .40S&W and was told that due to the high velocity of the round I would probably experience too much lead fouling.

Is this true? If so, would using lead for 9mm reloads result in the same amount of fouling? Would it be bad enough to justify the extra cost of switching to copper plated bullets?
 
How much do you pay for lead ones?
I ended up using Frontier plated. Shipped from ON to BC, it cost me to my door $102/1K of 115gr 9mm bullets. Post office hates me thou, and my small heavy parcels :D
No leading, no extra cleaning, no bullet lube...
 
it only means that the bore will be more full of lead. that means that you have to spend a little extra time cleaning the gun after you use it. lead is soft and won't damage your barrel if you maintain a clean barrel.

i use lead now, it's cheaper and works great against paper. good for practice shooting, and if you shoot ipsc or idpa then you can use your copper bullets for those events.

my 7 and half cents.
 
When I first started shooting IPSC back in the early 90's, I shot lead out of a 38super at major velocities because that's all I could afford at the time. There was some leading of course, but not that bad. I think it would have alot to do with the barrel you were using.

Besides, what could you lose by trying them in your gun?:)
 
Thanks guys. I pay about $75/1000 for lead bullets, and about $110/1000 for plated. So it almost an extra 50% for plated. It's nice not having to handle the waxy lead when using plated, but worth the extra cost? Probably not, since the responses so far seem to be saying the increased leading won't be that big a deal.

Now if Glocks only came with normal rifling, so you wouldn't have to buy a whole new barrel to shoot lead :(
 
CanuckShooter said:
..pay about $75/1000 for lead bullets, and about $110/1000 for plated. So it almost an extra 50% for plated....worth the extra cost? Probably not, ............
Now if Glocks only came with normal rifling, so you wouldn't have to buy a whole new barrel to shoot lead :(
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Mold and Load for 9mm, .40 S&W & .45ACP. Since currently have a free source of lead, only costs are for primers and powder - therefore, approx. $70/1k. Am using Lee 6 cavity molds, tumble lube. Still fine-tuning my 9mm loads (getting close), but the other two calibers are absolutely perfect and accurate. For practise, just can't beat using lead. BTW, once I got the hang of tumble lubing, I now get zero leading.

florin79 said:
who sells the aftermarket glock barrels in canada? i need one!
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Questar sells the Lone Wolff barrel for $199++. Am currently using one in my G17. Was a drop-in change and am shooting exclusively lead with it. Would only advise purchasing this barrel if you shoot a lot. If not, stick with the factory barrel (accuracy is barely different) and pay extra for the plated heads instead. JMO.

Happy shooting fellas!!!!!:canadaFlag::sniper:
 
Leading generally becomes a problem only above certain velocities. Your loading manual should mention those. Below them, things that can bring about leading are a rough bore, very soft bullets, etc.
 
i deal with this every time to got to the range... i had three people today comment on the fact i shoot lead and say it was bad and that it will kill my cz75b :rolleyes: i can affor 1500 DRG 9mm LRN for the price of say 1000 copper plated, im in university and would rather spend a bit longer cleaning if it meant more bullets down range.
 
i had three people today comment on the fact i shoot lead and say it was bad and that it will kill my cz75b
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If you were firing hardened steel bullets, that would be hard on the barrel. You're firing a relatively soft metal, far softer than the barrel, so unless you are overcharging it or something, there's no way it can damage it. At worst, you are going to get a bunch of poop in the barrel that you'll have to clean out - PITA but not catastrophe.

Again, I've been firing cast lead bullets in my 9mm for years. I keep the velocity down and have no problems (3.6 gr RedDot with 120gr bullets). If I want to go higher velocity, I switch to something with a jacket.

If you are noticing leading, three things to try.

First, try lowering your velocity.

Second, try using harder cast bullets.

Third, if those two don't work, you may have a barrel that's a touch rough inside (and even new ones can be). Try lapping with a bore-polishing compound (I use JB Bore-Bright, but there are lots of others available) and see if that corrects the problem.
 
Cast bullets in handguns can be driven just as fast, if not faster, than jacketed bullets with minimal leading given correct sizing and appropriate alloy. Any lead buildup can be easily removed using a piece of copper scouring pad wrapped around a bore brush.
 
I used to shoot lead out off my guns all the time with no problems. I found the easy way to get the fowling out was just to shoot some jacketed rounds down the barrel.
 
tjhaile said:
Cast bullets in handguns can be driven just as fast, if not faster, than jacketed bullets with minimal leading given correct sizing and appropriate alloy. Any lead buildup can be easily removed using a piece of copper scouring pad wrapped around a bore brush.
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x2 And if you shoot really hard lead bullets leading is almost a non issue.Really cheap soft ones can cause problems though.
 
load them up with lead and shoot away. start at low velocity and work up.
soft lead will tend to "smoosh" more on the rifling and can create leading problems in higher vel/ pressure.
also undersized bullets will create leading. i like my bullets a tad larger than bore diameter.
for my 243 win i shoot 244 diam' etc'
also slugging the barrel helps determine best bullet diameter to size too.
not all 9mm are exactly 9 mm.
 
I shoot lead in 9mm (135gr) and lead in 40 (155, 170 & 180 gr). I clean the barrels about once a year and have not noticed an significant lead.

Velocities are those that get best accuracy, which is about mediaum speed.

Can't comment on max velocity.
 
Rottboy_8 said:
Mold and Load for 9mm, .40 S&W & .45ACP. Since currently have a free source of lead, only costs are for primers and powder - therefore, approx. $70/1k. Am using Lee 6 cavity molds, tumble lube. Still fine-tuning my 9mm loads (getting close), but the other two calibers are absolutely perfect and accurate. For practise, just can't beat using lead. BTW, once I got the hang of tumble lubing, I now get zero leading.
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Bang on Rottboy, great and accurate advice
 
john simmons said:
x2 And if you shoot really hard lead bullets leading is almost a non issue.Really cheap soft ones can cause problems though.
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Not necessarily. If the bullets are undersized for the bore, a hard alloy will, if anything, make leading worse because the bullets are less likely to "bump up" to fill the grooves on firing. Most leading is actually caused by gas cutting, rather than lead being stripped from the bullet.
 
I use a can of molyspray for my cast bullets. This has cut down the fouling and is supposed to increase barrel life( i 'll get back to you in a few years).
 
tjhaile said:
Not necessarily. If the bullets are undersized for the bore, a hard alloy will, if anything, make leading worse because the bullets are less likely to "bump up" to fill the grooves on firing. Most leading is actually caused by gas cutting, rather than lead being stripped from the bullet.
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Yes i agree with you on that one.I have been shooting 125gr from the Bullet Barn and really like them.Hard,accurate and very little leading even at high velocity's.Bullet dimensions are always spot on also.I have used other bullets in the past that caused the exact problems you speak of.
 
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