Lee 120 gr. 9mm Luger bullet

Ben

Ben

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Staff member

Lee 120 gr. 9mm Luger bullet​

A cheap shooting and very accurate bullet in the 38 Special.
This one is intended for the 9mm Luger. It has no crimp ring.
When loading in the 38 Spec., I simply seat the bullet so that all the front drive band is in the case and apply a very light crimp into the ogive.

I have this one in a 6 cav. Lee mould that will " rain " cast bullets.
Keeps my grandson Trevor busy with accurate 38 Spec. Ammo.

Sized .3575" , it is super accurate with 4.0 of B'Eye and is " stingy with my lead stash.

Ben

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Dusty Bannister

Well-Known Member
I really like the Lee 356-120-TC after lapping out the mold to drop about .358"+ because I can load it in 38 special cases and seat so the case mouth just bumps the far side of the lube groove and has a very minor roll crimp. That seems to leave the front band full diameter as it passes through the throat and make the transition into the forcing cone. The preferred load for me is 3.5 gr Bullseye. Fun, cheap, accurate, what is not to like?
 
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Tomme boy

Tomme boy

Well-Known Member
I have shot a few thousand pounds of lead from that mold. It really shoots well in every 9mm I have. I have not tried it in the 38 spec. What I have been shooting is the 93gr HP from MP mold I got for a 380. With 3.1grs of titegroup it is extremely accurate with my 357 in 38 spec cases. I am not kidding it has the same recoil as my 22mag Ruger Super Wrangler.

I just went through all the powders I got from when the FIL past away. I have more Red dot and bullseye than I will ever use. He had 2 kegs of bullseye and one of red dot. Then several 1 lb bottles of each. Then the ones I already have. I think I am going to start on the Bullseye first. Plus he also had a keg of 700x and a keg of PB and a keg of Alcan AL8.

Wish we were closer. I would donate some powder to Trevor. It looks like he will need it.
 
L Ross

L Ross

Well-Known Member
Nice to have a bullet like that Ben. Mine is a Magma .38-130-RNFP. It had a crimping groove. They sold a ton, more like tons, to cowboy action shooters. They work in all of my .38's, .357 Rossi, and any 9 m/m I have tried them in. Some day I'll have to see what they do in the .357 Herrett Contender.
Sue used to shoot them over 21.0 gr. of 3 fg black in her repro Richard-Mason conversions. I could become interested in some type of Rookish rifle. Light, slender single shot in .38 spl. using that bullet and black powder.
 
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Dusty Bannister

Well-Known Member
I suspect that might work well on molds where quality control is very tight. But in the case of the Lee 356-120-TC I had one that dropped at .356 and the spare I bought years later dropped at .358". Then there is the Lee C312-155-2R. The two cav drops with a .302" nose which is perfect for my TC with 30 Herrett. But the Six cav mold drops with a .304" nose and will not chamber. Kind of a roll of the dice to recommend a Lee mold in the first place it seems. That said, I have, use, and like the Lee molds I have.
 
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Petrol & Powder

Well-Known Member
While 120 grains is a little light for my taste in a 38 Special, there's no disputing what works!
The Lee 120 TC bullet is about the most "universal" 9mm bullet and it appears it may be useful beyond the 9mm Luger.
 
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david s

Well-Known Member
I like the little 120 grain 9mm Lee mould albeit in the Luger cartridge and its bigger brother the 230 TC 45 bullet mould. They both cast and function well.
 
Bret4207

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
I'm supposed to be getting a Browning Hi Power pretty soon. Not a big 9mm fan, but I get by with a 380, so I guess the 9 should be better. (It's all trauma from the 147 sub-sonic crap!) I'm following this with interest.

Still rather have a Hi Power in 40 or 45 though!
 
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Petrol & Powder

Well-Known Member
Bret4207 said:
I'm supposed to be getting a Browning Hi Power pretty soon. Not a big 9mm fan, but I get by with a 380, so I guess the 9 should be better. (It's all trauma from the 147 sub-sonic crap!) I'm following this with interest.

Still rather have a Ho Power in 40 or 45 though!
Click to expand...
When you ignore all the crap put out there by Keyboard Commandos and Mall Ninja’s, the 9mm Luger cartridge is an outstanding cartridge.

A few issues unfairly damaged the reputation of the 9mm Luger. 1. The extensive use of improper bullets, including poorly designed hollowpoints and even sometimes FMJ in self-defense scenarios. 2. Downloaded American factory ammunition. 3. The horrible 147 grain diversion for a few years.

The often-quoted line, “A lie will get halfway around the world before the truth even gets its pants on” is powerfully accurate. The reputation of the 9mm Luger suffered a great deal of slanderous reporting.

The 9mm Luger, AKA 9mm Parabellum, 9x19 NATO, has been with us since 1901. The bullet diameter is nearly equal to that of the 38 Special or 357 magnum but those American cartridges enjoy the "home field advantage". When loaded to its full potential pressure and equipped with proper bullets in the 115-125 grain weight range – the 9mm Parabellum is a proven performer.

I think if you give that Hi-Power a fair evaluation, you’ll be very impressed with the 9mm Parabellum
 
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popper

Well-Known Member
I use 135gr cast in my sub 9mm pistols. Recoil is snappy by acceptable. Maybe not fastest but does the job. That said, friend & I shot hogs. He 9mm 115 fmj & me 40sw 165gr cast. Takes him 3 shots. Me, one. Even LE shootings with 9mm take several to solve the problem.
 
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Petrol & Powder

Well-Known Member
popper said:
I use 135gr cast in my sub 9mm pistols. Recoil is snappy by acceptable. Maybe not fastest but does the job. That said, friend & I shot hogs. He 9mm 115 fmj & me 40sw 165gr cast. Takes him 3 shots. Me, one. Even LE shootings with 9mm take several to solve the problem.
Click to expand...
You can't blame the cartridge when the bullet loaded in the cartridge is a round nose FMJ and it's being compared to a cast lead bullet of greater weight, larger diameter and probably a better nose profile.

And the lore surrounding law enforcement use of the 9mm is clouded by rumor, bad shooting, more rumor and 87th hand information of stories handed down from dubious sources.
Not saying the 9mm is great but the myth and misinformation surrounding it would fill volumes.
 
Bret4207

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
popper said:
I use 135gr cast in my sub 9mm pistols. Recoil is snappy by acceptable. Maybe not fastest but does the job. That said, friend & I shot hogs. He 9mm 115 fmj & me 40sw 165gr cast. Takes him 3 shots. Me, one. Even LE shootings with 9mm take several to solve the problem.
Click to expand...
I can tell you first hand that a 9mm with the wrong bullet can take 3 or 4 rounds to dispatch a car struck deer- and thats with head shots!!! Didin't make for good PR I can tell you.
 
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Petrol & Powder

Well-Known Member
Bret4207 said:
I can tell you first hand that a 9mm with the wrong bullet can take 3 or 4 rounds to dispatch a car struck deer- and thats with head shots!!! Didin't make for good PR I can tell you
Click to expand...
Yep, done that myself.
I think the brain in a deer is about the size of a walnut.
A shot to the body behind the shoulder with the same gun and cartridge does the trick more effectively.
 
Tomme boy

Tomme boy

Well-Known Member
Bret4207 said:
I can tell you first hand that a 9mm with the wrong bullet can take 3 or 4 rounds to dispatch a car struck deer- and thats with head shots!!! Didin't make for good PR I can tell you.
Click to expand...
I put 8 rds of 45acp into a crippled deer to kill it. So it is not just 9mm. These were 185gr +P rounds
 
L Ross

L Ross

Well-Known Member
The brain of a deer is about the size of a flattened tennis ball and any bullet that penetrates it causes instant death. I have used .22 l.r., .38 spl. wadcutter, (in a 2" snubby), and +P hollow point from a 4" bbl, 9m/m Federal Hydro-Shok 147 grain, and 12 gauge 1 oz. Foster slug, and a tomahawk. All one "shot" kills.
I saw other officers take several handgun rounds to kill an injured deer, the last round hit the brain.
Oh, that Hollywood B.S. where an Indian tomahawks a person and easily pulls the blade out of one head to strike another victim is complete nonsense. The deer I sank a hawk into I had to step on the neck behind the head and twist until the skull busted open to extract the blade.
I have it on good authority that a Cold Steel War Hammer is extremely effective.
 
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