Dardas 9mm 124 Grain Round Nose Bevel Base - OAL Question

[Paladin]

I have accidentally come into ownership of 500 9mm 124 Grain Round Nose Bevel Base Cast Lead bullets from Dardas Cast Bullets.

They seem pretty small.

When I put them in the case and seat them (OAL 1.1), the entire blue circle thing I think it is lubricant) is buried in the case. Is this OK? Is that where it is supposed to be?

The length of the bullet is .570". By comparison, the Dardas 147gr is .669" and the Hornady HP/XTP 147gr is .659" I realize that the heavier bullets will be longer...so my question is: What should the OAL of the finished round be? Is it OK to bury the lubricant? Or is that
supposed to be exposed?

 

[Sin-ster]

I don't load lead. So take this with at least a partial grain of salt.

I've always been told that the grease groove/lube line/"that blue stuff" should be covered by the case. The reason that stands out in my mind was to keep it from getting crudded up before travelling down the barrel. I have handled countless lead hand loads and never seen it done any other way.

The OAL takes into account a lot of factors other than covering the lube. First and foremost, you ought to know the MAXIMUM length that your chamber will allow, and then back it off a comfortable margin so you don't end up chambering a round that's sitting on the rifling and cause a pressure spike. (At 1.100, you're almost certainly not near the "danger zone"-- but you still should know your guns!) Keep in mind that this figure will change with every new bullet profile and manufacturer you come across-- no two RN, JHPs or "RNBBCL" are created equal.

Theoretically, you want the longest OAL the gun will safely handle, the magazines will reliably feed, and in your particular circumstances, the case will cover the lube line. Your primary gain is improved feeding-- and longer is better. (There are potential accuracy improvements due to reduced lead ("leed", not "led"), which are widely recognized for rifles but often shrugged off for handguns.) If you plan on shooting these through several pistols, the tightest chambered firearm will dictate your OAL.

 

[Paladin]

Sin,

Thanks much. I plan on calling Dardas today to make sure. I was just antsy over the weekend and wanted to start the process of figuring out what todo with all this lead. I got a very similar response on the Brian Enos forum. Thank you much.

I like your new slogan. Here's mine..."I love hotels and lobby bars!"