Reloading 9mm with a lee classic "hammer & mallet" style

[heavymetal3421]

hello everyone, i have a 9mm beretta and i got a 9mm reloading kit. i also picked up 1000 winchester small pistol primers. its one of these hammer/ whack style kits, so i need to go find a good small craft style rubber mallet from a hardware store



its occured to me i have little to no idea really what im doing. my goal was to buy a lead melting pot and a 9mm lead cast off ebay and just use random lead i have laying around, mostly fishing weight stuff and probably pick up a fishing sinker mold cast aswell. people told me thats probably not a good idea because of the "alloy" and i need to be concerned about the bullet material...? i dont know. i figure as long as i know the weight and the size it would be alright if it chambers right?



anyhow. i have the money for a cast and the lead melter but i mean...i really just dont want to make this a waste of money. like i got the loader but im having trouble finding gunpowder on the list that came with my kit for specific loads.



basically im to the point i think im going to buy in bulk a bunch of premade copper jacketed bullets (starting to defeat the saving money purpose which was the point to begin with)


now i dont mind this at all, but.


the kind of gunpowder im finding locally here is CFE ? copper fouling eraser for handguns / pistols. theres a local academy that has it and a couple of other big box stores i think i can get 1 pound of it,



im also not sure what i should do when it comes to useing the bullet seater tool or how i should adjust it to the right setting.



i just want to go about doing this all safe and in a economical manner, i already have the cheap hammer style tooling to reload and i have managed to atleast right now put new live primers in some old spent casings..



if anyone could help me out id really appreciate it. im going to spend more money as i go but i just want to get started out with this cheap 9mm reloading kit i already have. i just dont know what i will do if i get some 9mm compatible pistol powder and buy a bunch of bulk like 1000 count i think it was .356? bullets.


i have the little yellow .5 scoop that came with the kit, a cheap harbor freight digital caliper and a digital scale that also weighs down to grains.



ive never reloaded ammo before and i would really really like to buy a lead cast for 9mm and the lee melting pot if i can be sure it will work safe and properly and i can find a good combination for this.


but as it sits i kind of feel like i wasted money i could have just spent all this money right now and bought a bulk amount of 500-1000 rounds of ready to go live ammo for my handgun.

[GasGuzzler]

Where in Oklahoma?

If feasible I could help you get started with some pistol powder and lead bullets I cast.

CFE-pistol might be OK...CFE probably is not. Just guessing.

I have no experience with the Lee Loader line of hand loaders but plenty here do. I have some extra parts for a 9mm loader though if needed.

Welcome.

[mr surveyor]

I would suggest that first you should thoroughly read/study a couple of modern reloading manuals before attempting to blindly start hammering out loads.

And, just my opinion, the choice of beginning with 9mm re-loading is a potential problem. The tapered 9mm case (straight wall, but NOT parallel) is a challenge with the "Lee Loader". Jacketed bullets are relatively easy to work with, but the slightly "oversized" (but proper fit) cast bullets require you to slightly bell, or "flare", the case mouth before attempting to seat a bullet otherwise you'll get a crushed case mouth or, most likely, shaved lead.

Just a suggestion, if you don't have one get a 38 spl revolver and a Lee Loader in 38/357 to actually learn the basic process ... but first study the manual and be well aware of the safety issues.

Since GG is just across the river from you, take up his offer - he'd be the perfect mentor.


jd

[Ranch Dog]

...but as it sits i kind of feel like i wasted money i could have just spent all this money right now and bought a bulk amount of 500-1000 rounds of ready to go live ammo for my handgun.

It is very easy to have that feeling just getting into this endeavor. Honestly, I would forego the casting in that you are just getting started. Learn how to use your kit with jacketed or plated bullets, learn how to produce a load that your pistol and you shoot well, and then think about casting.

I would buy one box of bullets of the shelf, 115-grain FMJ, and use those to learn how to use the Loader. If CFE is the powder, it probably is not on the load card, but I'm sure a member has a published load in a reference that you can use for both your specific bullet and powder.

While you figure out the bullets that are available locally:

• Deprime your brass, all of it, that's an introduction to the loader.
• As RB stated, the 9mm Luger is a funny little case, and it can be tough to size with the Loader. Next, wash your cases in a pan with Dawn. All pistol cases end up on the ground, and you don't want to transfer anything to the interior of your die.
• You will need to dry your cases, it can take a long time if they are not sitting in direct sunlight. You can put them in an oven if it can maintain a temperature below 200º. To check if your cases are dry, look at the primer pocket, that is where any moisture will be.
• What I would suggest is that you put some petroleum jelly on your fingers, a similar amount as if you were trying to relieve chapped hands, and with your fingers lube the cases. This will make sizing and extracting the tapered case easier.

Once you have bullets and powder, we can get into that.

[mikld]

I would suggest The ABCs of Reloading before you buy anymore components/equipment, one of the more popular texts. Once you decide to continue, a reloading manual (or 3) is a must. Lyman 50th is a very good manual. If you don't want to buy one right now ($$) check a local library.

Nuttin' wrong with a Lee Loader, and I have 6 along with my bench presses. I, just like many thousands of reloaders got started with one. The Lee Loader instructions are pretty straight forward and here's a video; https://leeprecision.com/reloading-kits ... er-pistol/

I too would suggest starting with a tried and true load/component combination; mebbe a 124-125 gr FMJ and Unique, Universal and W231/HP38 are popular powders, sticking with manual data only. Once you get used to reloading with these, you can branch out and try cast lead, but I'd suggest purchasing cast lead before trying to cast for yourself (9mm can be difficult to get clean shooting with cast bullets, barrel leading is common with the 9mm).

Go slow, double check everything, and most important, have fun...

[LeeJames42]

Like a lot of other people, I started with a Lee Loader in 1963. I still have one for every caliber I load for, which takes in rifle, pistol and shotgun. I use a wooden mallet that I bought many moons ago and it is still with me. I can recommend that you buy yourself some Imperial Die Wax from Brownell's or Midway or local if you can find it. With your fingers spread a little wax onto the neck of the cartridge before sizing. It makes the effort a whole lot easier. You can wipe the wax off after sizing with an old bath towel or after completing the reloading process of that cartridge. I use a wooden loading block and I load one stage at a time. I resize 50, prime 50, put powder in 50 and finally seat a bullet in 50. Reloading is a hobby for me every bit a much as shooting. The Lee Loader is a great way to start. james