moly coating

[scrat]

yep molly coating. how does it work. where do you get it. I see sometimes molly coated lead cast bullets. The only molly i have ever seen is in an auto parts store. molly grease. im sure thats not what they use. i hear its baked on the lead bullets. when you touch the bullets it does not leave any residue on your hands and requires no other lubing. So my question is how do they do it. where do i get it.

 

[jmorris]

I once had a Lyman super moly tumble coat finishing kit.
from Midwayusa.com
Product #: 162840

It uses powdered moly and ceramic media to coat the bullets, it’s a long process and after 14 batches trying to figure out the correct mix (700 rounds) I decided that I should have listened to my inner voice that tells me to avoid products with “super” in the name. The bullets do come out looking beautiful, almost like a black/to gray mirror (depending on the amount of moly), but they were as smoky as a waxed lead bullet (maybe more) and they left what looked like a black spider web down the bore. If you are trying to duplicate coatings like on Precision bullets, good luck. Those who have figured it out are tight lipped. If you do learn anything, be sure and let me know.

 

[benedict1]

Just buy them from Bear Creek or Precision. You'll be way ahead of the game. They know how to do it right.

 

[BsChoy]

I put 15-25 bullets depending on caliber into a big pill bottle with a small amount of moly and some #3 shot, tape the lid down for extra safety and throw it in my bullet tumbler for about 1 hour. Tak them out onto a paper towel and get the excess off. Ready to go!

 

[scrat]

BSchoy.


really so where did you get the molly. how do they shoot. do they spiderweb your barrel as mentioned earlier. please do tell.

 

[BsChoy]

I have never seen a "spiderweb" effect. Let them tumble for a while and they will be evenly coated and work fine. My moly is the basic super moly from Midway. Will last forever.

 

[mc223]

Cabelas sells a kit as does midway. Some gun shops that carry reloading supplies may have moly. I use a teaspoon in a small Thumlers Tumbler(quart size barrel) with 300 bullets and about 500 Daisy BBs. Tumble for a couple hours. Separate the bullets and BBs from the moly with a kitchen Flour seive. Throw bullets and BBs into an old towel and slide from end to end to remove excess moly and to polish the bullets. Use a magnet to separate the BBs from the bullets and they are done.
Moly will reduce fouling of the barrel and will generally reduce velocities and pressure, given the same load compared to a moly load. I generall increase powder charge by .5 g to get back to the Nekid bullet velocity. Search for DavidTubb.com and see the articles section about Moly.

There are other coatings that may be better. Tungston Disulfide and Boron Nitride. Both are more expensive to use than moly.

Scroll down to Tungston Disulfide
http://www.lowerfriction.com/pricing.asp

some info on Boron Nitride
http://www.advceramics.com/geac/products/bn_coatings/

 

[snuffy]

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=677866

I got a kit from midway that included this molly. Since I didn't have a tumbler, and I wanted to try molly coating bullets anyway, I got the kit. Now it's sold under the frankford arsenal name.

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=610434

Their instructions say to place the bullets in an empty tumbler bowl, put a half teaspoon of the molly in and set it to tumbling. I makes enough noise to draw complaints from the neighbor, but more importantly, it dinged the noses on softpoint bullets, and snapped the tips off some v-max bullets! I saw on a forum somewhere that somebody was putting the bullets, molly, and some steel shot in pill bottles, then tumbling in with shells in corn cob. I tryed that, big vitamin bottles or 500 count ibuprofen bottles, work great.

I've never tried it on lead bullets. Normal 50/50 alox or the lee tumble lube liquid alox work well. I might try some as a first layer of lube sometime, then use the liquid alox as a final lube.

 

[MErl]

you are moly coating hunting bullets?

don't know, lead I can handle in food but molybdenum disulfide probably isn't as common in nature so I don't have that genetic resistance. personally I wouldn't use it on anything I would eat.

then again, the MSDS for it says it's fairly harmless in small quantities, less so then lead.. never looked before.

 

[BsChoy]

I don't imagine the animal is going to have enough time to metabolize the Moly throughout its body after the bullet passes through to be much of an issue...but I am not a scientist in real life )

 

[PowderApe]

Any velocity limitations from moly coated lead bullets?? Can I drive them out of a .30 M1 carbine at 1950 fps without shedding the moly "skin" ?? Any practical limitation to the much hyped Moly coating- .....What's it REALLY shoot like?

 

[scrat]

I use currently 50/50 allox and lee alox liquid lube. The lee lube is great stuff. very little to no leading at all. i just hate the stickyness it leaves. then your bullets look likd rueiqopajgqpu8eqtr98&%$%G. Then i have been just doing a lot of exploring on other coatings. seems like molly would be the way. Same time i have heard some horror stories on molly. A local gunshop used to sell a spray molly lube made by lyman. i was talking to the store owner today. He stopped selling it because almost every customer that bought it complained on how bad there barrels were coated with molly afterwards all the way down to the lands. he stopped selling it after that. Lyman is the one who makes it. Same time i have heard good stuff about it too. I guess the trick is knowing how much molly to use and how to use it.


Im suprised reloader fred hasnt joined in on this. Im sure he may know a thing or too about it.

 

[mc223]

Moly will coat your bore. That is how it works.

I would never use the spray stuff. Too iffy.

See the 2 articles on moly at the following link.

http://www.davidtubb.com/articles.html

I have used moly on lubed pistol bullets, but not as a replacement for lubes. Try some and post your results.

 

[jeepmor]

I see all this talk of how to apply, what's its claim to fame. Coat the bore to make it easier to clean, or more accurate, or both?

 

[Clark]

http://www.bergerbullets.com/faq.htm


Q: Should I shoot Moly Coated bullets?
A:
Any shooter who goes through a lot of rounds during a shooting session should use Moly Coated bullets. Moly is a dry lubricant that allows you to shoot more rounds before you have to clean. Since you get less fouling using Moly Coated bullets the accuracy level of your load will last longer within a shooting session. If your load did not shoot without Moly, adding Moly will not make your load shoot. Moly does not eliminate the need to clean your barrel. You just don't have to clean as often. Moly will reduce the pressure of your load, which will result in a slight loss of velocity. In most situations a little more powder can be added to get you right back to the velocity you want to shoot. If you are shooting a compressed load with non-Moly bullets you may not be able to add more powder. It has not been conclusively proven that premium accuracy life of a barrel will be extended using Moly. However, since you don't have to clean as often due to reduced fouling premium accuracy during a particular shooting session does last longer.

Q: If I use Moly Coated bullets how should I clean my barrel?
A:
The following is one way to clean when using Moly Coated bullets. It is not likely the only way you can clean if you are using Moly Coated bullets.
1. Push one patch wet with Kroil Oil through the barrel
2. Repeat step 1.
3. Push one dry patch through the barrel.
4. Repeat step 3.
5. Push one patch wet with Butch's Bore Shine through the barrel.
6. Repeat step 5.
7. Let the barrel soak for 5 to 10 minutes.
8. Push one dry patch through the barrel.
9. Repeat step 8.
10. Using short strokes back and forth push one patch wet with USP or JB Bore Paste through the barrel.
11. Push one patch wet with Kroil through the barrel.
12. Repeat step 11 twice.
13. Push one dry patch through the barrel.
14. Repeat step 13 three times.
15. Use bore scope or visually inspect muzzle for copper fouling.
16. If copper is present repeat steps 10 through 15.
17. If you are storing the rifle push one patch wet with quality gun oil through the barrel.

Q: How do I break in a barrel using Moly Coated bullets?
A: Moly Coated bullets will not shoot consistently until a barrel is properly broken in with Moly Coated bullets. Walt Berger has found the following procedure to work best in his barrels.
For a new barrel:

1. Shoot one Moly Coated bullet then clean using the Moly Coated cleaning procedure listed above.
2. Repeat step 1 five times.
3. Shoot three Moly Coated bullets then clean using the Moly Coated cleaning procedure listed above.
4. Repeat step 3 five times.

For a broken in barrel:

1. Thoroughly clean the barrel.
2. Shoot ten Moly Coated bullets then clean using the Moly Coated cleaning procedure listed above.

Your barrel is now ready to shoot Moly Coated bullets.

My moly spiel:

It gets to be something like Ford vs Chevy, Republican vs Democrat.

What you believe affects what you see.

There are more important things than moly vs non Moly:
1) Do you believe moly will help?
2) How well lapped is the bore?
3) Do you prefer fighting Copper or fighting Moly?
4) Do you have the discipline to follow a Moly regime?


These questions are more important than the subtle advantages and disadvantages of moly vs non moly, so discussion is difficult.

I am a moly believer, using only moly coated bullets, I prefer to get an unfired, factory lapped barrel, and burnish it with Lyman Moly Bore Cream before first firing. That way I don't get any Copper under the Moly. I clean with Kroil and Flitz on a patch on a jag. Then alcohol patches, then dry patches, and then re burnish. I can get 100 to 1000 shots at 3500 fps between cleanings and maintain varmint accuracy. Low velocity cartridges like 17HMR seem to do just fine at 2600 fps with no moly.

I use Lyman Super Moly Bore Creame for barrel preparation.

I get a new barrel with no Copper.
I clean the barrel with Alchol.
I push a dry patch through.
Then I burnish the bore with moly with a patch or brush with 25 strokes until the moly is rubbed into the metal.

Then when the bore is dirty with moly, I shoot a moly coated bullet through as a fouling shot.

After 200 shots, the bore cleans like it had only one shot.

Don't get any on your good clothes.

My rifles are moly above 2600 fps and not moly below 2600 fps.

222, 223, 22-250, 6mmPPC, 6mmBR, 243, 257RAI, 270, 7mm Mauser, 7mmRM, 300Sav, 308, 7.5 Swiss, 30-06, 300WM, 7.62x54R, 8x57mm, 338WM, and 338L are moly.

17HMR, 6.5x55, 303 Sav, 30-30, 7.62x39mm, 303 Brit, 35 Whelen, 44mag, 45 Colt, 45/70, 12 ga slug are all non moly.

My hand guns are all non moly; 25acp, 32acp, 32 S&W, 38 S&W long, 7.62x25mm, 30 Mauser, 380, 9x19mm, 9x23mm, 38 S&W, 38 sp, 357 mag, 44 mag, 45acp, 45 auto rim, and 45 colt.

 

[30Cal]

I shot moly through my match gun for a year or two back when it was "in." Velocity was a tad bit lower for a given powder charge. It was a little easier to clean up. IME, a moly'd bore will get pitted in high humidity long before a non-moly'd bore.

All said and done, it was a lot of work for little to no return. Interestingly enough, I shoot with three guys who are sponsored by the bullet manufacturer quoted above. None of them shoot moly.

 

[PowderApe]

Does the moly flake off of does it just burnish into the barrel metal leaving streaks. Any of the weapons using moly in semi auto rifles? I heard the flaking moly will plug the gas orofice in the bore as it goes by and will jam the action. Any truth??

 

[30Cal]

I don't think there's any real truth to that.

Ty