Don't have a Scorpion but have built an AR-9.
Happy with the Arsenal Molds 358242 RN 125 Grain Bullet - LYMAN CLONE lube-sized with Carnuba Red.
Unlike the current (undersized) Lyman mold, the Arsenal actually casts a 0.359 bullet.
Started powder coating my cast lead because of the sizer cost. Never really happy with the results. Never could get accuracy of a plated copper or FMJ. That was with the Lee 124 TL and PC and the Lee 356-125-2R had to be seated too deep for my CZ75. My results in powder coated 45 ACP were Better.
Later I was gifted an old Orange Lyman 45 lube-sizer and with accurate sizing dies I was able to get good results with Carnuba Red and the Arsenal 358242 RN mold sized to 0.358. Modded the old 45 with a cheap 12V heater cartridge for a 3D printer and a re-purposed Computer power supply. In the end, it was the size of 0.358 I was able to achieve with the Arsenal mold that made all the difference in my guns for greatly reduced leading with Carnuba Red.
JLJ helped a lot and endured my questions. Thanks James.
Getting the 9mm cast boolits to behave was much harder than 45ACP.
After about a year I broke the handle off the old Lyman and immediately bought the Lyman 4500 because it was needed. Funds for it became a priority after having a lube sizer in use. Since, have repaired the handle and now have 2 sizers setup in 45 and 9mm, both heated the same way with 12V heaters and later came up with a cheap-O automatic digital temperature controller. Temp controller was acquired after a phone call from Mom in the middle of a sizing session, forgetting and leaving the sizer heater on for an hour. Coming back to a puddle of wax on the floor.
Lessons Learned......
Absolutely DO NOT use a Lee Factory Crimp die on Cast Lead. All my die sets have evolved since I started reloading. And I now have a completely separate mixed set for Lead in 9mm and 45ACP to achieve different things than needed for plated or FMJ.
Test your case expansion and bullet seating. Pull bullets and measure to make sure you aren't compressing them by an under expanded case or the taper crimp die.
Don't be afraid to go 0.002in over the size of the slugged barrel measurement. Of course you have slugged you barrel, Right?
As JLJ pics show very slight crimp, don't over crimp. I have no issues with very slight crimp on an 0.358 sized boolit and get reliable feeding. Your dies need to re-adjusted for the softer cast Lead
Your finished product may Not fit into a case gauge... it needs to fit the barrel and run reliably, not the gauge.
Slower powders and lower charges should work better with reducing leading. Cast lead bullet properly sized will seal better in the barrel and powders will be more efficient allowing less of a charge to achieve same speeds or accuracy.
I have had better results with wax lubes over PC in properly sized 9mm.
Time invested in PC and sizing a batch of boolits is greater than lube sizing for me.
If both my lube sizers were stolen or broken, I would go back to the Lee tumble lube Alox or WLL X-Lox on unsized Lee 124 TL mold before I went to Powder coating again, especially for 9mm. And never again PC for rifle as I "tried" it for 308, 30/30 and 7.62X54R. Also friends 7.62X39... which loves straight unsized X-lox @ 0.314 155gr NOE RN mold.
I have almost every Lee mold made for the calibers I reload in 2X and 6X cavity. But nothing compares to a NOE or even an Arsenal mold in the quality of the final product, the cast boolit produced. The 9mm Arsenal mentioned above is my Most and hardest used mold. Still like new after a couple years of use. Granted it is not my most accurate. That in 9mm is the NOE 358-128-RF RG4 cavity PB cast in HP form weighing about 129gr. Take longer to cast but amazing on the P01 and 75B.
