?'s about sizing .40 cal from a 6 cavity Lee mold

[Clicker]

I need to add a .40 cal mold to my collection. I currently shoot both a G23 & G20 with plans to buy a MP5 style clone (Coharie) rifle in 10mm.

The Coharie will serve as a host for my HK trigger pack and will see FA use hence the need for some cheap lead projectiles to toss at steel & paper bad guys.

I have a Lee 6 cavity in 45 cal 230 grain RN/TL which I like and shoot mainly outta my MAC10. It's a bit smokey with the liquid Alox lube tho and that's why I'd like to try the Lee 401-175-TC mold.

The question is what will that mold cast WW alloy at .401"/.402"/.403"? Will I be able to size & lube these using a .401 sizer die without lube leaking past the bullet. It seems my Lee 45 cal mold throws them right at .451" to .452" and since I tumble lube 'um I don't know how they would work if run thru a regular sizer/lube unit.

TIA

[BigSlick]

Assuming the cavities are cut correctly, as cast diameter will depend upon the mix. Lee says their moulds are cut to size based on a 10:1 Lead/tin mix with a +.003 allowable slop factor.

My Lee .401-175-TC's drop at .403 with straight clip on ww's at about 12 BHN or so for the most part. Softer alloy will drop a lil bit smaller

WW alloys vary all over the map, some test out at 10 BHN, I've seen a few that deliver 14-15, most commonly run 11-12 or so

You can size em to .401 with a conventional lubrisizer and lube, and not worry about the lube flowing. Then again, due to bullet tension from the brass, you could probably size em as far down as .382 (just a guess) or so and the lube still wouldn't run because of bullet size. Certainly not advisable, but even the lightest neck/case tension is prolly sufficient to prevent the lube from walkin.

Sometimes lube will contaminate a powder charge as a result of ingredient seperation, but that isn't common with a good lube. Most often bullet lube runs as a result of heat.

Use a hard lube if heat is a problem. Almost any lube with ALOX is going to be soft. The standard NRA 50/50 or some voudoo equivalent will run like crazy in 100 degree heat as will most semi-hard lubes. Lubes made with axle grease, vaseline, high lanolin content, crisco and who da hell knows what ever else has been used, will all flow with minimal heat.

But, unless you just leave your bullets in a hot car, or out in the sun on a warm day for more than a few minutes, it ain't usually a big problem.

Receiver/chamber/barrel heat in a 53/MP5/40/10 after runnin a couple a beta mags then loading another round in da chamber and takin a break will definitely flow any lube.

For real.

BTDT, read da book, saw da movie, got da chick - twice, didn't want da t-shirt

[freakshow10mm]

The Lee 401-175-TC is the bomb. I sell a lot of these bullets. Shoot them in my 1911 for IDPA in 10mm.

[fredj338]

The question is what will that mold cast WW alloy at .401"/.402"/.403"? Will I be able to size & lube these using a .401 sizer die without lube leaking past the bullet. It seems my Lee 45 cal mold throws them right at .451" to .452" and since I tumble lube 'um I don't know how they would work if run thru a regular sizer/lube unit.

TIA
Like Slick said, alloy used will determine the cast size. The harder trhe alloy the larger the bullet due to shrinkage.