9mm, 148gr DEWC

[bluetopper]

Yes you read the title correctly.
X-treme brand 148gr double end wadcutters .357” loaded in 9mm brass and shooting out of my new Uberti 9mm single action revolver. It took some trial and error and the purchase of a Lee 9mm small base die to make it happen. I used 9mm 147gr data and seated the wadcutters to the same depth in the brass as a 147gr bullet would be seated.

 

[LiveLife]

Some years back we discussed loading bullets backwards and did some "plunk test" then function tested by feeding dummy rounds from the magazine.

My Glock 22 with KKM/Lone Wolf/Tactical Kinetics/BCA 40-9 conversion barrels will feed empty cases from 9mm magazine.

I seated Winchester FMJ, Berry's HBRN, RMR plated RN and MBC 124 gr RN bullets (Dardas no longer in business) upside down and at shorter OALs listed below, they all fed/chambered from the magazine for KKM barrel.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I used 9mm 147gr data and seated the wadcutters to the same depth in the brass as a 147gr bullet would be seated.

Smart! I’m looking forward to the results. Sounds like you have it nailed.

 

[mavracer]

Did it not come with a 357 cylinder?

 

[sparkyv]

Hey LiveLife, that looks like fun. Did you start loading at book minimum for forward facing projectiles or did you start even lower?

Some years back we discussed loading bullets backwards and did some "plunk test" then function tested by feeding dummy rounds from the magazine.

My Glock 22 with KKM/Lone Wolf/Tactical Kinetics/BCA 40-9 conversion barrels will feed empty cases from 9mm magazine.

I seated Winchester FMJ, Berry's HBRN, RMR plated RN and MBC 124 gr RN bullets (Dardas no longer in business) upside down and at shorter OALs listed below, they all fed/chambered from the magazine for KKM barrel.

 

[Walkalong]

X-treme brand 148gr double end wadcutters .357” loaded in 9mm brass

Why not?

.38 S&W - 148 Gr WC & 158 Gr SWC.

 

[bluetopper]

Did it not come with a 357 cylinder?

No I do not have a 357 cylinder. This is a straight factory 9mm Uberti revolver and cylinder. Only a portion of them would go fully in the cylinder without a 9mm small bass die I later purchased. Now they all will go in and fire.

 

[LiveLife]

Did you start loading at book minimum for forward facing projectiles or did you start even lower?

That was just dummy round exercise whether full wadcutters would even reliably feed/chamber from the magazine.

I think some other member did the actual test firing and found lower power (likely from gas leakage) and so so accuracy.

 

[mavracer]

No I do not have a 357 cylinder. This is a straight factory 9mm Uberti revolver and cylinder. Only a portion of them would go fully in the cylinder without a 9mm small bass die I later purchased. Now they all will go in and fire.

Ok just wondering why go to the trouble. Didn't know they sold one with just a 9mm cylinder, looks like they just started last year.

 

[bluetopper]

Ok just wondering why go to the trouble. Didn't know they sold one with just a 9mm cylinder, looks like they just started last year.

I went to the trouble because I’ve been shooting 38 wadcutters for many years and I know the accuracy they can produce and I didn’t see a reason why they couldn’t be shot in a 9mm revolver. Plus I had a desire for a beautiful Uberti.

 

[lordpaxman]

I’d like to know your load, and results, if you don’t mind. If they feed and shoot well, it looks like fun!

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

If they feed…

Into a single action? They better feed.

 

[lordpaxman]

Into a single action? They better feed.

I don’t have a 9mm pistola, yet. My birthday is coming up though…
Edit: I should clarify - pistola/revolver - been watching too much Tombstone…

 

[GarrettJ]

Nice. Interested to see how they perform for you.

Oh yeah, I’ll see your 9mm and raise you a .40 wadcutter.

I had bought a few thousand frangible bullets. But I find it does not matter how carefully I load or seat them, and crimp is barely enough to remove the mouth flair. I still get some where the bullet breaks off at the case mouth, leaving a 75-grain wadcutter “puck” in the case. They don’t feed worth a darn in an auto, but I have a Ruger Blackhawk with a .40 cylinder that shoots them just fine.




They cut some nice holes, too.

 

[bluetopper]

Feeding actually was a problem at first. Half of them at least wouldn’t go fully into the chambers enough for the cylinder to turn even though the dewc cartridges would fully go into a cartridge gauge. I guess since this Uberti has very tight chambers. Then the idea struck me to see if a 9mm small base die was made by any manufacturer. I purchased one by Lee and used it, and everything worked just fine.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Feeding actually was a problem at first. Half of them at least wouldn’t go fully into the chambers enough for the cylinder to turn even though the dewc cartridges would fully go into a cartridge gauge. I guess since this Uberti has very tight chambers. Then the idea struck me to see if a 9mm small base die was made by any manufacturer. I purchased one by Lee and used it, and everything worked just fine.

Interesting. Do you think it’s the chambers or the brass you used? Did you use gauge pins to check the chambers? I’m kinda curious if the throats are cut tight, too.

 

[lordpaxman]

But I find it does not matter how carefully I load or seat them, and crimp is barely enough to remove the mouth flair.

Homemade wad cutters? I don’t want to hijack this thread, but from the blurry picture it looks like a lot of crimp. If they’re all breaking off at the crimp line, seems reasonable to back that off to just allowing the bullet to chamber and see what happens, given there’s no setback.