Ammunition & Hand Loading > Cartridge and Shotshell reloading
Powder Coating Lead Bullets
bk09:
Hey UNFY can you send me the link to the gun you got at harbor freight? Might make a trip up there tonight and practice on fishing jigs.
SS_N_NE:
--- Quote from: bkoenig on April 12, 2013, 11:54:08 AM ---I plan to make a tool that I can chuck up in my lathe or drill press which will cut a HP cavity in my subsonic blackout bullets.
--- End quote ---
I would recommend a collet. Depending on your lathe or even the drill press, a collet can be used to grip a bullet holding it very centered while not putting any damage on the OD. A "center drill" bit would make a very nice hollow point cut and are available in different diameters followed by a 60 degree chamfer. The collet is installed in place of a chuck on the lathe or drill press. I imagine a holder could be made for an RCBS puller collet if one wanted.
unfy:
http://www.harborfreight.com/10-30-psi-powder-coating-system-94244.html
On the north 90-whatever-th store here in Omaha, it's along the left hand side of the store, possibly on the isle *facing* the far left wall. edit: left as in you walked into the door and are looking at the store. Near air compressors and air hoses / attachments.
Make sure you have pc gun, an air compressor, some face masks (like nurses), safety goggles / face shield (not just shooting glasses), a toaster oven (find something $30-$35 or something... ya don't want the smallest oven they make basically... i got that, its a tad annoying heh), powder, air hose, maybe air fittings. I'm also using a cardboard box (bought one for a buck) as my paint hood.
DangerousDrummer:
--- Quote from: SS_N_NE on April 12, 2013, 06:56:28 PM ---I would recommend a collet. Depending on your lathe or even the drill press, a collet can be used to grip a bullet holding it very centered while not putting any damage on the OD. A "center drill" bit would make a very nice hollow point cut and are available in different diameters followed by a 60 degree chamfer. The collet is installed in place of a chuck on the lathe or drill press. I imagine a holder could be made for an RCBS puller collet if one wanted.
--- End quote ---
I used an unsized case for a collet. Split it down the neck in 3 places, then chuck the case up in the jaws. My SOCOM case worked well but I can imagine some big rimmed cases might not work. A center point drill is what I used to create HPs. That being said, it is a pain to drill each bullet individually so I am trying something new in the morning.
I modified my 458 mold this afternoon to create a semi-boat tail bullet with a 1/8 hole centered in the base. This was done by creating a new base plug (the second since I started this project) that has a 1/8 pin about 3/16 long. This will allow placing the bullets nose up in my coating tray and the boat tail should ensure that the base of the bullet still gets a good coat of powder. I will take pictures tomorrow after I cast and coat, then it's off to the range for some testing. I will try to compare grouping and record speeds of uncoated and coated. I do not have a sizing die for the 458s so I hope I dont have seating issues, but will not know until I cast, coat and load.
unfy:
--- Quote from: bkoenig on April 12, 2013, 05:51:40 PM ---I would say both the lands and grooves, so anywhere it makes contact with the barrel. Leaving the base uncoated might lead to a little vaporization and lead deposits, but from what I've read a lot of guys do just fine with it set that way. I think the bearing surface is a much bigger contributor to leading.
--- End quote ---
For bk/gg: You're spewing a powder sugar cloud of 6-8 inch diameter out of the gun. You aint gonna have precision.
Anyhoo, the bearing surfaces of the bullet are a requirement, and with the softer alloy / high-for-lead-charge I use, the base really helps as well.
The CB thread had a recent post of a guy loading up ~500 powder coat bullets just sitting on the aluminum foil bases down and they shot fine for him and a buddy. Unaware of the charge or alloy or bullet size he was using.
The HP mold with the push pins... I *think* i can make that with a drill press (assuming I can get my hands on a drill press with minimal play/wander). Might also want to fetch the vice that you can chuck a drill into (holds drill steady) to make a cheap and far from accurate lathe ... but with a gentle touch I *should* be able to get *something* of a cone using that and a file. Should also allow me to make the grooves for the E-rings (so the pins are captive).
I've not done a lot of reading on the subject matter, but I assume the HP stem itself would be a brass rod... possibly the ejector pins as well ?
I won't be attempting any of this any time soon -- I don't have spare molds I can afford to munge up heh.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version