Used Star Lube/sizer Received

[Edubya]

I received my used Star Lube/sizer yesterday and messed with it for about 3 hours last night. Trying to learn how it works and tested the adjustments.
Things that "I think" that I've learned so far:
Instead of buying #7 shot lead to plug the extra lube holes, just shave a little lead from a soft WW.
This morning I lubed up a batch. I've just about used all of the lube that was in the press (250 bullets). I'm lube/sizing with the nose up, the punch that came with the press fit my Saeco bevel based, home cast, bullets perfectly. You can see that I'm not 100% in tune with the press yet, but I've learned a lot in the past 16 hours. I learned that if the lube is not oozing out of the plunger and the sizing die, you've not got enough heat or pressure spring tension. I guess this is normal, it is what I found to get the lube groove to fill out most consistently. Also, the lube holes have to line up as the fulcrum lever is making contact with the crank shaft.
I'm thinking that I'll have to use hard wax that has a higher melting temp due to the weather that we have here in NC. It's suppose to get to 98 degrees tomorrow.
Some are coming out not 100% filled.
Yes, I figured that I would have to run those that are not 100% lube filled through a second time. I did that to a bunch of the first ones. That colored lube sure does make the QC portion a lot easier. I set a cigar box with the lid opened and leaning against the bench-top, below the sizer. The bullets would drop onto the sloped lid and roll down and into the box. I would watch them and see most of them that were not completely lubed. I imagine that the ones that I failed to catch were rolling when I was messing with the heat or the spring tension. I'll get better as I learn the amount of tension and heat settings.
Please confirm these thoughts for me.
Yeah, I'm planning on loading up a few of these bullets this evening. It'll probably be Saturday before I get to the range, got company coming in tonight.

A picture of the few bullets that I have (successfully?) lubed.
Picture in next entry (I hope)

[Edubya]

This is the picture that I've tried to post.javascript:

[Edubya]

Those pretty little pills are causing some headaches, just like some of those pretty little gals that us boys are sometimes infatuated with. They lead the barrel!
I don't have a hardness tester, but I do shoot the same alloy in my .44 at 900 fps (7.5 gr 231) w/o lead.  I loaded a few of these at 3.6 gr Titegroup and the first one left lead from chamber to muzzle! The primer was flattened as if it was over pressure. I didn't shoot anymore of them. I loaded some more at 3.3 with a 1.12 COL (I also loaded some with 3.0), thinking that maybe the 1.09 COL may have caused the primer pancake. I took into consideration that the bullet might have set back when I chambered it (I routinely use the bench-top/thumb-press to test for crimp tightness, especially when I start a new batch of bullets/load). On the second batch, I tightened down the taper-crimp to be sure.  The 3.3 loads caused leading too. The gun cycled okay, so again I cleaned the hell out of the barrel and tried the 3.0. The gun (a well broke-in, 18 month-old, XD-9) cycled and the brass ejected about one foot away.
I have reamed the die to .3565", and will try a different lube, and have ordered a lead-hardness-tester from Buffalo Arms. I am determined to make this gun and this bullet work!

[rbwillnj]

Have you shot other (commercial) cast bullets from this gun?  Do they lead?

In my experience, leading comes from either the barrel (some barrels just seem to lead up) the load, or the size of the bullet (too small or too big).   Some say the lubricant can also have an effect, but I haven't experimented enough with lubes to say one way or another.

As for the hardness of the alloy, yes, I think it matters, but only in the sense that the size of the bullet and the load have to be matched to the alloy you use.   I have never tested the hardness of my alloy (range scrap plus linotype).  It is hard, but you can still mark it with a fingernail (that's my test).   However, I also shoot swagged hollowbase wadcutters in my 38 Specials, and I don't get any leading.  The swagged bullets are very very soft.

This is just a guess, but if you are getting leading the full length of the barrel, I would say that your bullet is undersized, and that its skidding over the rifling,  A hot load would exacerbate the problem.    Have you slugged the barrel?

[Edubya]

RB, I've shot plenty of the moly coated commercial bullets and Montana Gold FMJ and CMJ through this pistol. All of the commercial bullets that I have shot with the 9mm were extremely hard cast and/or coated or jacketed. The exception to the hard cast is the Speer GDHP, it was the only one that mushroomed. I've not seen or read about a commercial cast PB bullet for the 9mm.
I've shot plenty of .38 PB and HB swagged and cast that were soft at speeds up to 900 fps.
I agree with your analysis of the too small of bullet, therefore enlarged the die. Will not be able to try out the newly lubed/sized bullets before Sunday evening, and may have to wait 'til Tuesday.
EW

[Edubya]

RB, Thanks for the encouragement and the thought that you have put into my little problem.

The ream seems to have done the trick! I used two different lubes, the one that came with the press and a home concocted one. They were both accurate and left a clean barrel for the 4 shots each that I loaded up for a trial run. I guess that the bullet just needed a bit more traction. It's almost silly to think that .0005 would make that much difference. When you're working with explosives, I guess it all counts. I've got to go load up some more and really give it a work out now. I must see how much that it can take and run some bullets across the chronograph.
Happy shootin',
EW