Can These Be Safely Used? 45acp Undersized Bullet

[Rodahayes51]

I have been having great fun increasing bullet diameters by powder coating them. I have 500 pulled 0.308 bullets that I have been increasing to 0.311-0.312 for using in my SKS. It's very easy. I tumble them for 2 minutes in a #5 plastic ham container with a teaspoon of Harbor Freight powder coat paint and air soft BB's and bake them for 15-20 min at 350 in a toaster oven. I was able to dramatically improve accuracy in my hand cast 38-55 bullets that were undersized. Go to the Cast Boolit forum for more info on powder coating bullets. I definitely wouldn't melt them down!

 

[Load Master]

Rodahayes51, that is an excellent suggestion! I have zero experience with powder coating, but this might just be the incentive to get me start.

What is the typical diameter increase with powder coating and how consistent is it?

 

[Rodahayes51]

Generally, a thin coat might add 1-2 thousands, a heavy coat 2-3 thousands. If you pre heat the bullets briefly the powder sticks better and the coat will be thicker. Set them upright on a pan with non-stick aluminum foil and Carefully! Set them in the oven. I can usually do about 100 at a time. Toaster ovens can be had for free or a song. I got mine free at church.

 

[Rodahayes51]

In fact, here is a picture of what I just did today

 

[au_prospector]

No pic! On the toaster oven, I was curious to see it.

The original loading over crimped the soft plated bullet and sized it down.
probably why they were pulled.

Safe to shoot? Sure it is. . .
Likely it will be a dirty inaccurate loading though.
Dirty because it wont seal and gas will leak by.
Inaccurate because it wont seal, wont grab the rifling, and gas will leak by.

Send them back if you can.

 

[Rodahayes51]

I haven't been able to get the picture. My wife got it on.

 

[Rodahayes51]

2 light powder coats and these 308 bullets now measure .3115-0.312. Very consistent.

 

[2011redrider]

I purchased a number of pulled 45acp 230gr plated round nose bullets. Most of them are .44925 inch diameter. A number of rounds made with these bullets can easily have the bullet pushed into the case. I am worried they move easy enough to cause Bullet Setback.

Is there any reasonable way to use these or should I consider them junk?

Update, just got my 2000 replacement bullets. Bullets were originally ordered in Jan and Feb. Included a label to ship the defective ones back to American Relo a ding on their dime. Pretty good CS in my book!