MBC - 9mm SWC Hi Tek. Any Experience?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Comrade Mike

Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2013
Messages
997
First off I do not mean this in anyway to disparage Missouri Bullet Company. I am a long time customer of their and many of their bullets I load in the thousands.

That said. I recently bought 500 of the 125 Grain SWC Hi Tek coated 9mm bullets. I have to say, I don't think I've ever had a worse experience with a bullet. I loaded them fast, I loaded them slow, short, long with a couple different powders and couldn't even get them to stabilize 100% of the time. Needless to say they were all over the target.

These were all shot out of a 9mm Browning Hi Power with target sights that can normally print rounds of top of each other. With this latest test, I brought some ammo I know performs well to rule out the gun/barrel. Needless to say it wasn't the gun.

Have any of you tried this bullet and had success with it?
 
These were all shot out of a 9mm Browning Hi Power with target sights that can normally print rounds of top of each other. Needless to say it wasn't the gun.

Have any of you tried this bullet and had success with it?

I would not be too fast with that conclusion. I say that because real BHP pistols pre-date computer controlled machine tools, and so BHP barrel sizes range all over the map. So the first question I have is, "Did you slug the barrel ?"

You see, as a friend is always saying, 'with lead bullets, fit is king'. Meaning that while jacketed bullets might shoot great in almost any barrel, lead bullets demand a proper fit. So you must know your barrel's size BEFORE you order.

Lead is cheaper, but that does not mean that lead is easy.
 
Last edited:
I would also add, you may want to put the calipers on the bullets themselves to make sure they sent you the proper size. On a few occasions I have had undersize bullets sent to me even though my order specified a larger size.

This does pretty much go hand in hand with slugging your barrel and knowing the size you need.
 
Barrel Slugged at .3545

Bullets are .356. I will add I have used their 124 grain cone, which slugs out to .356, with great success in the same gun.

I'd disagree a bit. So far my lead experience has been incredibly easy :rofl:
 
Depending on the brass and the seating depth the bases of the bullets can get resized resulting in poor accuracy.
I used to use the cones and tried the SWCs for cleaner holes on paper.
Never had any issues with the cones, but at some seating depths (deeper) and with some brass the accuracy with the SWCs was poop.
Longer OAL and some brass they shot fine for me.
Decided it wasn't worth the trouble to find out what brass disagreed with them since the cones got along with everything.
For fun you might pull a couple loaded ones and see if the base has gotten resized.
This may be part of your issue.
Of course it could be a case of the gun just doesn't like them, sometimes you just find something that the gun plain does not care for bullet wise and powder/powder charge can't change it's mind.
 
Depending on the brass and the seating depth the bases of the bullets can get resized resulting in poor accuracy.
I used to use the cones and tried the SWCs for cleaner holes on paper.
Never had any issues with the cones, but at some seating depths (deeper) and with some brass the accuracy with the SWCs was poop.
Longer OAL and some brass they shot fine for me.
Decided it wasn't worth the trouble to find out what brass disagreed with them since the cones got along with everything.
For fun you might pull a couple loaded ones and see if the base has gotten resized.
This may be part of your issue.
Of course it could be a case of the gun just doesn't like them, sometimes you just find something that the gun plain does not care for bullet wise and powder/powder charge can't change it's mind.

Thanks for sharing your experience! I wanted to try them for the exact same reason, nice clean wad cutter holes. I had pulled the remainder of my un-shot ones and found no appreciable change in diameter in the pulled bullets.

Unfortunately I have tried both avenues, seated long and short to no avail. The brass manufacturer changed between the two tests, but if a bullet is THAT sensitive to brass. I don't want it under my bench. Ill go back to the cones! I think the gun just doesn't want to play nice with these.
 
Contact Brad. I would guess he will send another box for you to try to eliminate the possibility of bullet problems.
 
As Jesse mentioned MBC has great customer service (and good bullets)worth giving MBC a call.

I think the gun just doesn't want to play nice with these.
Just happens sometimes......


Off thread but my go to bullet for 9mm is the RMR 124 MPR jhp.
These and the 124 FN JHPs with are a little cheaper both shoot really well for me.
RMR gives us a 5% discount code thehighroad5 and your screen name.
RMR has "free" shipping as well and is great to do business with like MBC.

I shot 1000 and 1000s of the MBC cones (uncoated ones no coating available when I was started shooting them {my first bullet for 9mm!})
They shot well with most everything I tried for sure some loads were better than others but I don't remember anything I tried with them that I would have said had poor accuracy.
Later when they offered the coated ones I used them as well, no issues.
Only reason I switched to plated/jacket is I had blood lead level issues.
Nothing wrong with lead bullets, lots of people shoot them with no issues, I am just one of the ones that seem to like to absorb lead.
It turns out indoor range was the main cause of my issue, but that's another story.
 
Thank you for introducing me to RMR bullets. I have been wanting to develop a few new plated loads. I think Ill give them my business!

I also wrote MBC to share my experience. Maybe they'll have some advice. They've always been very good to me.
 
Last edited:
I am not sure where you are at but if it is Legal for you to receive hollow point bullets I can send you a sample of the RMR 9mm MPRs to try.
If you are interested PM me your address.
The 9mm plated they stock are nice but not made by them the 9mm FMJs (either RN of FN are about the same price and nicer than the plated) The MPR JHPs are a hair more but have no exposed lead at the base like a FMJ if that is a concern for you.

I would be willing to bet MBC may have an answer.
 
I would be curious to see if their regular lead bullets shot any better in that pistol. I have not tried that particular weight/style bullet but the MB Smallball in both lead and coated are good performers in my brace of 9MM pistols. I like the heavier bullets due to longer contact along the barrel. I feel they are more accurate but that's just my take. I call them my 'devil bullets" due to the deep blood red color.:evil:
It is an unfortunate fact that some bullets will just not work in some barrels though.
 
I have shot the MBC 9mm 124gr hi-tek coated SWC without issue.

With all due respect, I think your bullet-to-barrel fit is incorrect for those particular bullets, when seated. There are very few reasons a bullet will tumble, and barrel fit is at the top of that list. I have no reason to doubt the numbers, but I also know those are good bullets in the right barrel.

["When seated" leaves open a process step that might be initiating an issue between a perfect lead bullet and perfect barrel. Is there by any chance a Lee FCD in your process ? If so, a Lee product number 90780 taper crimp die might be an improvement for lead bullets.]

A better MBC bullet for most general 9mm applications is their IDP#8 in Hi-Tek.
http://missouribullet.com/details.php?prodId=334&category=5&secondary=26

All the best.
 
Last edited:
First off I do not mean this in anyway to disparage Missouri Bullet Company. I am a long time customer of their and many of their bullets I load in the thousands.

That said. I recently bought 500 of the 125 Grain SWC Hi Tek coated 9mm bullets. I have to say, I don't think I've ever had a worse experience with a bullet. I loaded them fast, I loaded them slow, short, long with a couple different powders and couldn't even get them to stabilize 100% of the time. Needless to say they were all over the target.

These were all shot out of a 9mm Browning Hi Power with target sights that can normally print rounds of top of each other. With this latest test, I brought some ammo I know performs well to rule out the gun/barrel. Needless to say it wasn't the gun.

Have any of you tried this bullet and had success with it?

It is impossible to say as there is much information missing.

"I loaded them fast, I loaded them slow, short, long with a couple different powders and couldn't even get them to stabilize 100% of the time".

That is all very general and no specifics of actual velocity, powder charges powder used, COL etc.

Maybe it is the bullet but mabe something else??
 
Here are the two ladder tests for anyone interested. I do not have a Chronograph, so I do not have velocity data. My load data was taken from the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook.

OAL - 1.075
Titegroup- 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, and 4.0 Grains
Winchester Small Pistol Primer

OAL - 1.045, which is seated almost to the shoulder of the bullet
HS-6- 5.4, 5.6, 5.7, 5.8, and 5.9 grains.
Winchester Small Pistol Primers

With the HS-6 Test I was having unusually high recoil and I was getting machining marks from the breach face on the spent brass and the primers. I interpreted these as high pressure signs and terminated the test after 5.7 grains as results were poor anyways.
 
You have a broad range between those two powders from really fast to pretty darn slow . Yes, there is data for them and folks seem to like Tite Boom. Not my choice for a 9mm.

Perhaps try some powder(s) more in the mid range between them??

But with anything reloading, there are so many variables.
 
Here are the two ladder tests for anyone interested. I do not have a Chronograph, so I do not have velocity data. My load data was taken from the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook.

OAL - 1.075
Titegroup- 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, and 4.0 Grains
Winchester Small Pistol Primer

OAL - 1.045, which is seated almost to the shoulder of the bullet
HS-6- 5.4, 5.6, 5.7, 5.8, and 5.9 grains.
Winchester Small Pistol Primers

With the HS-6 Test I was having unusually high recoil and I was getting machining marks from the breach face on the spent brass and the primers. I interpreted these as high pressure signs and terminated the test after 5.7 grains as results were poor anyways.
I have used 3.8-4.0 Titegroup for these with good accuracy, however, they have some smoke with TG
I have less smoke and same good accuracy with CFE Pistol and W244.
I have been shooting them from Glock 17 gen4, Glock 19X, and Dan Wesson Pointman 1911
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top