[DC Plumber]

Hey folks,

I'm going to buy 500 bullets for reloading. I know lead bullets are cheaper, but for the amount I shoot, I'm not real worried.

My question is: Are FMJ bullets copper coated so they don't wear the barrel as fast as jacketed bullets? On gunbroker, the price is pretty close for each if you buy in bulk, but I don't want to shoot a lot of FMJ if it's going to wear faster, know what I mean?

These bullets are just for plinking at the steel plate and clay pigeons on the burm, so MOA accuracy isn't important. Though the price for 200g LSWC at Missouri Bullets is aweful tempting too.

I'll be shooting these out of my new Sig 1911, so it should feed anything without problems.

I'm still undecided what kind of bullets to buy. I only shoot 240g LSWC out of my 44s. I'm currently shooting 230g LRN out of the Sig but I'm running low.

Just giving some background info on my habits, but my question is really about the wear rate of FMJ vs. Jacketed bullets, at the same velocity.

Thanks in advance.

[56hawk]

FMJ bullets are jacketed. Do you mean plated bullets? Either way, I wouldn't worry about wearing out a barrel.

[Walkalong]

If you mean plated vs jacketed, the wear should be very similar.

A FMJ bullet generally refers to a jacketed bullet with a pointed or RN profile, with an open back where the lead was inserted.

Such as:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/1165165907/hornady-bullets-22-caliber-224-diameter-55-grain-full-metal-jacket-boat-tail

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/default.aspx?productNumber=1165260827

or:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/1601144112/remington-bullets-9mm-355-diameter-115-grain-full-metal-jacket

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/416857/sierra-tournamentmaster-bullets-45-caliber-451-diameter-230-grain-full-metal-jacket-box-of-100

A newer term is CMJ, or complete metal jacket, which generally refers to a plated bullet.

[Lost Sheep]

I will suggest that if you can get a half-dozen of the LSWC bullets before you invest in 500 (if you decide to go for the lead alternative), you can make a few rounds to test for feeding. My shooting buddy's only 45 ACP has problems sending them up the feed ramp. I have several 45s (almost all 1911s) and none of them have any problem at all (go figure), so I rescued him with a straight trade for my lead round-nose for his lead SWC.

Good Luck.

Lost Sheep

[DC Plumber]

Hmm, well I'm not good at posting links, but if you buy a box of Federal Eagle 45acp ammo with 230g FMJ bullets loaded in them, to me it looks like a metal cup with lead exposed at the bottom and a copper coating on them. I'm not talking about plated bullets like Berry's.

I would assume that 45acp 230g FMJ and 9mm 115g FMJ bullets are the same type of bullet.

If we talk about rifle bullets, like the top link above, then is a FMJ rifle bullet also copper coated or is it steel that is exposed and sliding down the bore?

Good idea Lost Sheep, but if I buy 500 of the 200g LSWC bullets and they don't work, it's a very small loss to trade them out.

Maybe I'll just stick with 230g LRN bullets, they feed well and are lead and are less expensive.

Ah, decisions, decisions.

[918v]

There are steel jacketed bullets and there are copper jacketed bullets. The former use a mild steel jacket that is copper plated. The latter use a jacket made from an alloy of copper and zinc. Either will wear your barrel more than lead, but there is not enough difference between them to worry about. FCAE use copper jacketed bullets. Speer Lawman ammo uses plated bullets. RWS uses steel jacketed bullets.

[Nick93]

Are FMJ bullets copper coated so they don't wear the barrel as fast as jacketed bullets? On gunbroker, the price is pretty close for each if you buy in bulk, but I don't want to shoot a lot of FMJ if it's going to wear faster, know what I mean?

First...by copper coated you mean copper plated right ? FMJ stands as Full metal Jacket, CMJ as Complete metal jacket and TMJ (total metal "jacket") the last one is name that Speer decided to give to there plated bullets which have a thick copper plate around 0.01" of thickness so they work with the same properties of jacketed as far of accuracy goes...

FMJ and CMJ are made from gliding metal from brass, copper and mild steel.CMJ have a disc that covers the exposed lead made from the same materials

If you are worried about barrel wear then shot really light loads because the wear that that reduce your accuracy its not from the rifling, its the locked breech that usually wear out faster than the rifling itself

Any way ... a well made 9mm pistol for example should last 35.000 rounds or even more until you see accuracy difference (from a rest)

Hope this helps !

[DC Plumber]

All sounds good. Thanks folks.

Now I'll have to play with the economics and see where I want to spend my money.

[4895]

Why not buy Berry's plated bullets instead of FMJ? The .45 auto doesn't have enough pressure to disturb a plated bullet even at +P velocity and plated is cleaner than lead. You might save a few bucks buying them from a distributor such as www.powdervalleyinc.com. $117/1000

[Walkalong]

Or TJConevera (http://www.tjconevera.com/bullets.html).

[DC Plumber]

I have considered Berry's. Years ago I used National Bullet's copper washed bullets for my 44's. They were barely more expensive that lead bullets. If Berry's offered samples, I would try them.