Lead Bullets

[ReconLdr]

I looked around and couldn't find an answer to my question:

Is it safe to shoot lead round nose or lead semi wadcutters out of a Berretta 92?

If you have first hand experience with this please let me know. A buddy of mine just had a boat load of ammo (remanufactured) given to him. It includes about 200 SWC and 150 round nose. All ammo has lead cast bullets.

Thanks for your input.

[tl_3237]

From the Berretta 92 instruction manual:

Warning:
If using reloaded cartridges containing solid lead bullets, take thefollowing precautions:
- DO NOT use any ammunition on which the case mouth is CRIMPED
into the bullet.
- Make sure the bullets are of the right caliber size according to
international specifications (C.I.P., S.A.A.M.I., etc.).
- Avoid the use of bullets having sharp contour step close to case
mouth.
- Lead bullets have a tendency to cause bore leading which may
dramatically increase the discharge pressure.
- Make sure to remove all chamber and bore lead accumulation after each shooting.
- DO NOT ever shoot cartridges with jacketed bullets through a barrel
previously fired with lead bullets before the bore is thoroughly
deleaded.

So I guess the answer is that shooting lead is safe with caveats. I don't have any first hand anecdotal experience on the subject.

[ROBOWOP]

From the Berretta 92 instruction manual:




So I guess the answer is that shooting lead is safe with caveats. I don't have any first hand anecdotal experience on the subject.

Pretty much any warning in that manual applies to reloading lead bullets into any semi auto.I would reccomend shooting at least a hundred or so jacketed bullets out of any new gun and giving it a really good cleaning before shooting lead out of it,just to get the barrel polished up a little.The only guns I know of you can't shoot lead out of are Glocks,because of the Polygonal rifling.

[animalmother85]

As far as polygonal rifling and lead bullets goes, it all depends on the type of cast lead bullet. I shoot lead out of both of my H&K's, the guy who casts the bullets (Roger from Kings shooter supply) shoots them out of his glock, so does his one worker/a buddy of mine. They have two wax rings, don't know if that matters.

To SFC. ReconLdr, I have shot cast lead out if a 92, no leading, they shot well too.

[509thsfs]

98% of the handgun bullets I shoot are home cast lead bullets (9mm, 38/357, 40, 41, & 45). Only change I made was for my Glock G27. I bought aftermarket 40 and 9mm conversion barrels for shooting cast bullets in it.

Only real problem with shooting lead bullets is matching the alloy hardness to velocity and sizing bullets to properly fit bore. Both of which effect barrel leading. Commercial cast bullets are harder than most of us home bullet casters ever make for their alloys.

For general use and using commercial cast bullets you should have no probs. Just take a little extra time cleaning your bore in case you get excessive leading. I shoot Lee 125 gr RFN I cast myself out of my 92FS. Lee 105 gr SWC's showed some great promise last trip to the range and the 92 ate em no problem

[PaBimmerGuy]

lead will plug the gas ports on your desert eagle. haven't had problems with lead in any other gun.

[d4xycrq]

Recon,

All I shoot out of my Beretta 92 are Lead Round Nose. I gotta think that Lead Semi Wadcutters in 9mm are rather rare! Shoot 'em if ya got 'em.

Ray

[509thsfs]

The two I use in the 92FS (before sized and lubed)

[nailer]

I've had feeding problems with lead bullets. Has anyone else?

[Dave_n]

I've been using 9 mm lead, round nose in 115, 122, 125 and 147 (all from Roger's Better Bullets) for many years and from other makers before RBB started selling out of Paoli. No problems with 92s (Blued or Inox variants or many other 9 mms,though not Glocks as I do not own any in 9), though I must admit I have never seen an SWC in the 9mm loading. In 0.32 S&W yes, and in 38s (S&W and Special). Might want to check the SWC as somebody might have loaded 158 grain 38 SWCs in 9 mm cases. Dave_n