Murcury Loaded JHP's...

[BluesBear]

Kinda like the people that supposedly glue a primer into the end of a HP?

You mean like these?

They worked VERY well. They are lousy for self defense but they do "explode". Which is exactly what they were designed to do.


However the mercury in a hollow point IS wide spread URBAN MYTH. Which is a polite way of saying your "friend at work" who's about to inherit some special JHP's is FOS.

 

[280PLUS]

I had a friend once who claimed to be a Special Forces VN vet. He also claimed that mercury was used in bullets by assassins (snipers) during the war to ensure that if the initial impact didn't kill, the mercury poisoning would because there was no way to remove it once it had atomized within the body.

But then you read say Joseph Wards book on VN sniping and see where they (the team as a whole) rejected some softpoint ammo one of the sniper's dads had sent over because they weren't Geneva inproved.

He also claimed (even though being an avid drunk) that the CIA still called him when needed for "special missions".

At the very least, whether it works or not, wherever these rounds would be impacting would create massive mercury contamination for others to be exposed to. Then, of course, there's the contamination wherever the actual loading is done.

Side note: I can remember 7th grade science class (Circa 1969) where we would put blobs of mercury in the palms of our hands and play with it by pushing it around with our finger. You know, to watch it separate and rejoin which was always cool.

Now, recently some kid brought some to school and they had a massive evacuation and hazmat teams decontaminating. BIG furor.

 

[HankB]

About 30 years ago I remember seeing "Mer-Core" bullets as reloading components at an Illinois (!) sporting goods store. They were in baggies with a cardboard tag which described their awesome capabilities. IIRC they looked like conventional jacketed bullets with the nose sealed by something that looked like asphalt.

In principle I suppose they'd act sort of like Glaser safety slugs with really, really really fine shot.

Heating the mercury wouldn't make it explosive - mercury is processed with nitric acid and alcohol to make fulminate of mercury - but it WOULD allow you to get a good whiff of mercury vapor.

I once ran into a guy making his own explosive bullets. He was drilling out hollowpoints and putting a primer into the nose . . . but to get more "bang" he was taking primers apart, scraping the priming compound out, and packing it into the nose by hand.

He still seemed to have all his fingers attached, and his gun wasn't in pieces, but when he offered me a few to try I declined.

 

[StopTheGrays]

Didn't the police chief in Jaws 2 do the mercury thing or was he putting something else in the ammo he was putzing with?

 

[zippo8]

Heating the mercury wouldn't make it explosive - mercury is processed with nitric acid and alcohol to make fulminate of mercury - but it WOULD allow you to get a good whiff of mercury vapor

Ah...The magic of Hollywood. And all ricochets give off sparks too.


I believe it was the Exterminator. Hadn't seen that one in a while.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Hmmm.

What did his dad die from?

Will the EPA arrive to confiscate his bullets?

-keep us posted on developments...

lpl/nc

 

[LiquidTension]

I seem to recall something like this happening in a Jaws movie, but I can't remember which one. They all run together

 

[cpileri]

Lotsa houghts here

Here's what I think I know:
1. Mercury will dissolve the lead, and thus will permeate the projectile making it appear very silvery and shiney. This of course will touch the powder, and I dont know if it will deactivate it.

2. According to gunwriter's webpages, a mercury filled hp was used to assassinate the russian governor who initiated gun control in finland. Supposedly did increase expansion and sent lots of little globules of mercury perforating his guts. Died not of mercury poisoning, but of peritonitis/sepsis a few days later. But they were used, and did apparently 'work'.

3. Lots of liquids don't compress, as mentioned such as water, also the fluid in your brake lines, etc. the same gunwriter's webpages describes vaseline in 22LR hollowpoints.

I can only verify these things as far as this thread. Never tried any of it myself.

C-

 

[Magnuumpwr]

I have experience using mercury in JSP 44 mags. The bullets I used were Remington 240 gr. and with the help of an adjustable drill press drilled a hole 3/16" by 1/4 deep. One drop of merc and sealed with parafin wax. I shot dogs with both factory and modified bullets, the difference was that when shot with the plain JSP the wound channel was minimal. But when shot with the modified bullet, if hit in the ribs, would almost severe the animal in 2. It was purely experimental and I have since quit using my mercury for such things. My rounds were never stored for any time longer than a month. Everyone that thinks that mercury in a bullet is just a myth is sorely mistaken and if someone were ever shot with this load there is no doubt in my mind that they would not walk away from it! I do not recommend that anyone try this and if you do, I accept no responsibility for the results!

 

[Ohen Cepel]

Reminds me to pack some garlic in my next set of reloads, oh and a little silver for the werewolves

Sorry. I think all the good reasons to not do this has already been covered. It's just a bad idea for many reasons.

 

[RyanM]

Reminds me to pack some garlic in my next set of reloads, oh and a little silver for the werewolves

I think there's at least one company that uses silver as an alloying element in their cast bullets, for some weird reason.

Yeah, found it. http://www.laser-cast.com/Laser_CastBullets.html

 

[molonlabe]

I had a friend once who claimed to be a Special Forces VN vet. He also claimed that mercury was used in bullets by assassins (snipers) during the war to ensure that if the initial impact didn't kill, the mercury poisoning would because there was no way to remove it once it had atomized within the body.

Always view with Skepticism. If I had a dollar for every Navy Seal I met at parades, Moving wall memorials, etc. I would be rich. There simply weren’t that many of them.

My Sister in laws ex boyfriend was a Seal and cowers in the corner every time he hears a helicopter. Ya, know what I mean?

 

[Lone Star]

Didn't you guys see, "Jaws", or maybe the scene was in, "Jaws II". Police chief did that with the ammo for his S&W M15.

Myth, and probably, danger, in my view.

Lone Star

 

[Kingcreek]

Aside from the toxic heavy metal issue and the modified "dum-dums" ....
Isn't anyone else concerned about the guys other safety habits related to reloading? I wouldn't trust reloaded ammo from an unknown source and especially not from a known idiot. Dispose of all of it- don't shoot it.

 

[BluesBear]

The Mercury bullet bit has been used several times. It's one of those things that sounds good on paper unless you understand high school chemistry.

The theory of Mercury being the heaviest liquid, when inserted into a bullet, enables massive expansion.
Sort of like a Hyrda-Shok with self contained hyrdaulics.
Unfortunately even if the Mercury was stable inside the bullet, you could use it inside a Barnes bullet, expansion of small arms ammunition needs to be a controlled event. A proper expansion/penetration ratio is need to be effective.
A Mercury filled bullet would expand too soon just like a Glaser, a Magsafe or a Devastator/Exploder.


Of course blowing large chunks off of a shark is a lot different than trying to stop a rapist.
Of course blowing large chunks out of a rapist could be considered great fun. Unless you were the current rapee.

 

[Cosmoline]

I had a friend once who claimed to be a Special Forces VN vet. He also claimed that mercury was used in bullets by assassins (snipers) during the war to ensure that if the initial impact didn't kill, the mercury poisoning would because there was no way to remove it once it had atomized within the body.

That's good for a laugh or two. Real mall ninja stuff.

In "Jaws 2" Roy Scheider's character fills his HP's with Cyanide, not mercury. His idea is presumably that his .38 might be able to get the poison into the shark's system. Frankly this nutty idea has more merit than using mercury to enhance the impact of an ordinary bullet. The only thing you might accomplish is to cause the bullet to fail on impact. Even if the mercury gets into the body, it will just pool up and become part of the infected tissue, like spilled mercury pooling up in your hand. You will expose yourself to more mercury preparing the tip than you would ever be able to deliver into anyone with the bullet.

 

[GunWares]

If you want to make a truly deadly bullet, try sealing some au jus from Arby's into the tip of your hollow point.

 

[Thrash1982]

Once I went into Don's guns in Indianapolis and asked if they sold any reloading equipment or supplies. The guy at the counter gave me a blank stare and asked me why in the world I would want to do that. I explained to him why people reload and he just responded that his 'time was too valuable.' He then went on to say that if he were to reload he would make his own mercury filled teflon bullets. I shook my head and left the store.

 

[Mauserguy]

Alduro was right. That guys dad was a moron. Aside from handling a toxic chemical, rupturing the jacket of a bullet can lead to the jacket becoming lodged in the gun's barrel upon firing. The jacket is designed not to be broken, so if you cut it, the lead inside can fly out of the barrel, leaving the jacket as a dangerous barrel obstruction. Good luck to him.
Mauserguy

 

[DonNikmare]

That's just long range dentistry.

LOL

His Dad is still alive. Just having some health problems and not shooting or tinkering anymore.

Don't think he's Italian or American Italian but I'll ask, lol.

I'll also forward him this thread and see what he thinks. Knowing him..he'll get a laugh or two reading it.

You guys are the best!

Nik

 

[Crosshair]

What would probably be the most effective substance to put into a bullet would be lye. It's stable, easily handled and is inert against virtualy all non-organic materials. Can you imagine getting shot with one of those.

 

[whm1974]

Once I went into Don's guns in Indianapolis and asked if they sold any reloading equipment or supplies. The guy at the counter gave me a blank stare and asked me why in the world I would want to do that. I explained to him why people reload and he just responded that his 'time was too valuable.' He then went on to say that if he were to reload he would make his own mercury filled teflon bullets. I shook my head and left the store.

I find it hard to belive that a gunstore clerk wouldn't know why shooters reload. OR say something stuiped as "making his own mercury filled teflon bullets"

-Bill

 

[Sunray]

Dum-dums are hollow points originally made in the Dum-Dum(sp?) arsenal in India. In any case, most HP pistol bullets do not reliably expand at standard handgun velocities. Note that the operative word is 'reliably'.
Mercury does dissolve lead. However, mercury poisoning takes massive amounts of mercury ingested over long periods. Just like lead poisoning.
In 'Jaws', the Chief shot a scuba tank that the shark was chewing on. I doubt a full scuba tank would explode if shot though. Propane tanks don't either.

 

[g56]

I had one of the best laughs in days when I followed that link over to the page about the Kennedy assassination, one writer said:

"What should be pointed out is that mercury is only preserved in a liquid state when controlled in a chamber and not released to surrounding air and temperature. When it is exposed, it becomes hardened and remains in the hardened state."

Back in the 50's we kids would break thermometers to get the mercury to play with, it was kinda fun to play with liquid metal, of course we didn't realize the danger of mercury at the time. In Jr High School science our teacher had a small bottle of liquid mercury that he showed us.

 

[Cosmoline]

I doubt a full scuba tank would explode if shot though. Propane tanks don't either.

Don't know about scuba tanks, but propane tanks do indeed blow up. I shoot the little one pounders sometimes from a safe distance, and BAM!