Does Coating Burn Off HT Coated Bullets in 45ACP?

[CQB45ACP]

Does anyone have any reliable information on whether coatings do or don’t burn off in 45ACP loads and which powders do or don’t burn it off?

Alliant advertises Sport Pistol as being specifically developed for coated bullets and I thought it had to do with not burning off the coating.

On another thread, I asked if Sport Pistol was particularly dirty and among the responses, @lordpaxman said he had recovered coated bullets shot with various powders and NONE had coating burned off. Acme coated bullets included. If I misrepresented his answer, my apologies.

As an aside, if coatings don’t burn off with other powders, why does Alliant make a big deal about Sport Pistol?

 

[Tirod]

I can see the possibility of the coating burning off aft of the rifling engagement. At the nose one maker discovered their polymer tip melted at the higher velocity and reformulated to stop it. I suspect a coating in front of the rifling is less likely to "burn" from powder as much as velocity.

In another perspective, the advertising guys tend to enhance a salable feature where it may not actually be doing anything. Like "GLUTEN FREE" on potato chips. Well, the potato is gluten free, but the other ingredients such as malt vinegar may have it. Those get eliminated. Or those gold "titanium" drill bits. Nope they are steel, it's just the plating, wear thru it and they are soft junk.

Sure we liked to know more about the proprietary stuff about the coating, yet makers are a bit reluctant to discuss it. The latter should be expected every time.

 

[AJC1]

At 45 Acp pressure and velosity not a chance.

 

[Rule3]

Because Alliant and other companies are in the business of ADVERTISING!!

If applied correctly HT doesn't burn off. There was some talk about HT dissolving when exposed to the chemicals in smokless powder over a long time.
Much to do about nothing!

I tried burning some coated bullets with a propane torch. The lead started to melt inside the coating, not the coating.!

 

[CQB45ACP]

Because Alliant and other companies are in the business of ADVERTISING!!

If applied correctly HT doesn't burn off. There was some talk about HT dissolving when exposed to the chemicals in smokless powder over a long time.
Much to do about nothing!

I tried burning some coated bullets with a propane torch. The lead started to melt inside the coating, not the coating.!

Yes I know the advertising angle of it (thus the question was an aside, not the primary question) but there must be some empirical data to support the claim lest they really are shameless.

Like your propane torch test!

 

[Rule3]

Yes I know the advertising angle of it (thus the question was an aside, not the primary question) but there must be some empirical data to support the claim lest they really are shameless.

Like your propane torch test!

Try it yourself. I also smashed them and crushed them in a bench vice.!

 

[Cemetery21]

Yep, we shoot into a bullet trap and recycle the lead. Commercially coated 45 and 9mm bullets are deformed, but still fully coated after being fired.

 

[CQB45ACP]

Try it yourself. I also smashed them and crushed them in a bench vice.!

I might…unloaded right?

 

[**Brian19**]

I feel that coated bullets have a distinct odor when fired. I assumed that smell was the coating burning and smoking to some degree.

 

[AJC1]

I feel that coated bullets have a distinct odor when fired. I assumed that smell was the coating burning and smoking to some degree.

I cant speak to anything but powdercoat and I have not smelled anything ever. Now shoot some euro 22 rounds and those have a distinct smell.

 

[edwardware]

Does anyone have any reliable information on whether coatings do or don’t burn off in 45ACP loads. . .

I've pulled a fair number of my and commercial HiTek and PC'd loads out of various test mediums and barrels, and the base coating is always intact. The rifling frequently damages or removes the coating at the grooves, depending on fit, alloy, etc.

 

[CQB45ACP]

I feel that coated bullets have a distinct odor when fired. I assumed that smell was the coating burning and smoking to some degree.

I’ve not noticed a special smell.

 

[1KPerDay]

I might…unloaded right?

Try it loaded. Film results. Profit.

 

[Cemetery21]

I feel that coated bullets have a distinct odor when fired.

Yes, we shoot inside an old horse barn. We've noticed a distinct smell like burnt wiring with some brands, not so much with Acme. But, when we clean out the bullet trap, coated (and plated) bullets are deformed but with intact coatings. We shoot very mild loads - don't know if that makes a difference on intact coatings.

 

[Kaldor]

With 230s? Not a chance to burn off in 45. I have pushed some 185 semi wadcutters to 1150 ft a second with no issues either.

I've pushed some 115 grain Acme in 9 mm from a PCC at 1500 ft a second and didn't have an issue either.

 

[Bcwitt]

It might be the surface finish of the bore that does that. A less polished bore might erode the coating faster, exposing fine dust to the flame & burning off. Just a theory.

 

[Englishmn]

Some of my rifle loads have blackened bottoms.
The powder coat is still there just slightly crisped.
They do smell like burning plastic.
Normal pistol rounds seem fine.
Magnum pistol blacken the bottom a bit.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

I asked Acme Bullets one day about what kind of temps their coating could handle, they told me there isn't a pistol or revolver load that burns hot enough to hurt the coating on their bullets.

 

[LiveLife]

Does Coating Burn Off HT Coated Bullets in 45ACP?

When primer detonates and starts burning powder charge, expanding gas leaks around the bullet before bullet base deforms/expands to seal with the barrel. This "blow-by" gas reacting with Hi-Tek coating before being blown out the muzzle is what we smell along with rest of expanding gas.

Countless members have reported (And also by my personal experience) that even at higher 9mm/40S&W velocities using different powders, Hi-Tek coated MBC bullets have retained intact coating after being fired.

So no, I do not believe Hi-Tek coating "burn off" at 45ACP velocities regardless of powder used.

there must be some empirical data

Members at Castboolits have tested powder coated bullets extensively and AFAIK, coatings have been tested to around 1800 fps before failing to produce leading.

I have shot both powder coated and Hi-Tek coated bullets in 9mm/40S&W/45ACP and unless coating was damaged during seating/crimping process, I have yet to see failure of coating in these calibers.

 

[forrest r]

I used to get a smell from my coated bullets when fired every now and then. Traced it back to operator error. I was under curing some of the batches of bullets I was coating. Was taking cold pc'd bullets and putting them in a toaster over (400*) for 15 minutes. It took 5 minutes+ for the oven to get back up to 400* and for the cold room temperature bullets to get up to temperature. Which left less than10 minutes of cook time for the pc coating to melt/bake/setup. I switched over to a pid controller for the cheap toaster oven I use and upped the cook time to 25 minutes per batch using room temperature bullets.

Don't know if it makes a difference but I pc my bullets instead of ht coating.

PC ='s powder coat. A dry powder that is put on the bullet by static electricity and is polyester based.
HT ='s wet pigments, catalysts & resins painted on the bullet and is polyurethane based

 

[lordpaxman]

There are different coating technologies as well. I don’t know how SP is “optimized for polymer-coated bullets”, but you could ask them. I haven’t shot Federal SynTech so I can’t say if it smells different, but I’ll know in a week.
I do like SP, I think it’s a great alternative to Titegroup and N320. I suspect Alliant wanted to break into the competition market and they have to some degree.

 

[Walkalong]

My guess is it simply has a low nitro content and burns cooler than some like Titegroup with a high nitro content that has a rep for burning hot, which it does. Of course Bullseye has a high nitro content and no one complains about it burning hot, so that's not all there is to it. Still, lower nito content powders are cooler burning all else being equal.

 

[CQB45ACP]

Lots of helpful replies, thanks.

Looks like the bottom line is in my application (45ACP) coated bullets are just fine with or without SP.

 

[kidneyboy]

As an aside, if coatings don’t burn off with other powders, why does Alliant make a big deal about Sport Pistol?

Marketing. Sport Pistol is marketed to competition shooters. Competitive shooters use a lot of powder, primers and bullets.

Of course Bullseye has a high nitro content and no one complains about it burning hot,

Old guys don't complain about things from their youth. Everything was better back then.

 

[bluejay75]

Your expanding or seating method might scrape some off but at pistol velocities I wouldn’t worry about it.