Anyone cast frangible bullets?

[LiveLife]

We shot some frangible training bullets at the indoor range like 10+ years ago. I believe they were pressed from clay.

Anyone try making bullets other than lead? My old lead bullet caster (He bailed out of California and moved to Arizona to retire ) used to make bullets out of brass for hunting.

It may be cheaper and no leading problem in the barrel.

 

[Dannix]

141 posts in 19 days. Wow.

Clay sounds like a good way to ruin your dies, but in a FMJ setup it might work if you're really careful.

 

[EddieNFL]

As I recall frangible bullets aren't cast, but are made by compressing powdered copper and tin.

 

[Dannix]

^right, called swaging

 

[rcmodel]

Nothing you can cast in a mold will be frangable.
Or even come out of the mold the correct size as a lead alloy bullet.

Expansion & contraction of the lead alloy are factored into the mold cavity when it is made.

Other alloys would come out the wrong size, if you could even find something that would fill the mold properly besides lead alloy.

Your "old lead bullet caster" was not casting brass bullets either I betcha!
If he made brass bullets, he turned them out on a screw-machine lathe.

rc

 

[LiveLife]

I think he was using a brass rod stock.

Those frangible bullets were sure dandy though - turned to brown mist on impact, no ricochete.

So, anyone else make bullets out of material other than lead?

 

[EddieNFL]

^right, called swaging

I don't recall them being swaged, but it's been a while since I read the article.

 

[Mr_Pale_Horse]

The process is called 'sintering'. It uses finely ground or powdered metal. Google it.

 

[EddieNFL]

Hence the name "Sinterfire."

I tried a batch of these a while back. I was surprised at the accuracy. My standard 55 gr load shot MOA fro an M4. I had read of folks shattering bullets during feeding, but I had no problems through a 500 pack. Even dropped a few and didn't notice any damage.