Cast bullets for 7.65 Parabellum

RAY1946 · 01-07-2012, 06:30 PM

I have about 450lbs of the same alloy. About 25 years ago I took 200lbs of Lynotype, 200 lbs of wheel-weights and 50+ lbs of pure lead to a guy about 75 miles from here who had a printers Kiln. His furnace would melt up to 700lbs at a time. So, I have a small quantity of the same alloy. I was going to "save" this stuff and only use it for cast bullets in rifles.

Seeing that the 9mm and the 7.65mm both have projectiles that are fairly light compared to other handgun calibers, I have decided to use this alloy. I don't know for sure, but I am thinking this is somewhere around 17-18 Brinnell, whjich should make a good hard pistol bullet.

My Luger is a 9mm Mauser Parabellum with a 6" barrel. I have been trying to make some measurements from the barrel and have come up with fact that I may not be able to load anything larger that a .357 bullet. I found this out by measuring with an aluminum rod from the end of the barrel down to the bolt-face, recording that measurement,then placing a .357 diameter semi-wadcutter base-first into the chamber and pushing it into the lead slowly until it stops.

The difference between these two lengths is .808 which means the first driving band of the bullet would only be .058-.060 past the end of the case. What this means is that if I size my new Lyman 356402 I just bougfht to .3572(the diameter of the inverted semi-wadcutter) the maximum overall length I will able to attain is 1.146 and thats actually sitting on the lands! Since every cast bullet I have ever loaded has shot best with about .005 jump, the overall length would be 1.140-1.141.

The actual "lead" in this barrel is extremely SHALLOW. As you view from the rear, it appears that the lands have a slight tapered cut and no metal at all has been removed from the actual grooves. This presents a situation where it might be difficult to load a cast bullet out to the max overall length which seems be so conducive to proper functioning; 1.169.

I have 2 Walther P1's and they both have a long slow-tapering lead which to me is very similar to the 7.9mm 98K Mauser. Sometimes though, you just have to work with what you have..............................

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01-07-2012, 06:30 PM	#6
RAY1946 User Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 77 Thanks: 178 Thanked 14 Times in 9 Posts	I have about 450lbs of the same alloy. About 25 years ago I took 200lbs of Lynotype, 200 lbs of wheel-weights and 50+ lbs of pure lead to a guy about 75 miles from here who had a printers Kiln. His furnace would melt up to 700lbs at a time. So, I have a small quantity of the same alloy. I was going to "save" this stuff and only use it for cast bullets in rifles. Seeing that the 9mm and the 7.65mm both have projectiles that are fairly light compared to other handgun calibers, I have decided to use this alloy. I don't know for sure, but I am thinking this is somewhere around 17-18 Brinnell, whjich should make a good hard pistol bullet. My Luger is a 9mm Mauser Parabellum with a 6" barrel. I have been trying to make some measurements from the barrel and have come up with fact that I may not be able to load anything larger that a .357 bullet. I found this out by measuring with an aluminum rod from the end of the barrel down to the bolt-face, recording that measurement,then placing a .357 diameter semi-wadcutter base-first into the chamber and pushing it into the lead slowly until it stops. The difference between these two lengths is .808 which means the first driving band of the bullet would only be .058-.060 past the end of the case. What this means is that if I size my new Lyman 356402 I just bougfht to .3572(the diameter of the inverted semi-wadcutter) the maximum overall length I will able to attain is 1.146 and thats actually sitting on the lands! Since every cast bullet I have ever loaded has shot best with about .005 jump, the overall length would be 1.140-1.141. The actual "lead" in this barrel is extremely SHALLOW. As you view from the rear, it appears that the lands have a slight tapered cut and no metal at all has been removed from the actual grooves. This presents a situation where it might be difficult to load a cast bullet out to the max overall length which seems be so conducive to proper functioning; 1.169. I have 2 Walther P1's and they both have a long slow-tapering lead which to me is very similar to the 7.9mm 98K Mauser. Sometimes though, you just have to work with what you have..............................