Lucky
Member
Well, I might try some time in the future, still, but for the foreseeable future I'm convinced too. It's just not practical or worthwhile then.
Non-lead cast bullets?
- Thread starter Lucky
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Lucky
Member
That's what I read in the first place that piqued my curiousity! And now you come and do it again just when I'm cooled off? Damn you!
So, please go on. I'm resigned to not doing this, but I have to know what it is and how it's done.
Pleaee.
So, please go on. I'm resigned to not doing this, but I have to know what it is and how it's done.
Pleaee.
yes,but making copper bullets by machining them wouldnt that foul the bore of the rifle? barnes x bullets are solid copper and their also heat treated.correct me if im wrong but solid copper bullets that barnes make are heat treated for a reason,arn't they?
You can buy copper in various hardness grades (usually soft, 1/4 hard. 1,.2 hard. 3.4 hard. and hardened). It can be a PITA to machine the harder grades and get a good finish. If you really want to try machined bullets I would use the soft and then harden them. It is not difficult to harden copper but non-ferrous metals do not harden the same as steel.
Any good metallurgy text should have copper hardening protocols.
Any good metallurgy text should have copper hardening protocols.
Alloys
In general, any mixture of 2 metals will have a melting point that is lower than either, if the proportions are close to equal.
Copper can be mixed with Lead and Tin, there are or at least were Babbitt alloys that had Copper, Phosphorus and Silver.
Some Babbitt is still used, but when car engines stopped using poured rods, the amount of Babbitt rapidly diminished.
Some industrial supplys still have it and you can contact them for formulas.
A friend sent me some Babbitt and I have made and shot bullets of it, the BHN was 18 and I easily shot 2000fps gcs with no leading.
Don
In general, any mixture of 2 metals will have a melting point that is lower than either, if the proportions are close to equal.
Copper can be mixed with Lead and Tin, there are or at least were Babbitt alloys that had Copper, Phosphorus and Silver.
Some Babbitt is still used, but when car engines stopped using poured rods, the amount of Babbitt rapidly diminished.
Some industrial supplys still have it and you can contact them for formulas.
A friend sent me some Babbitt and I have made and shot bullets of it, the BHN was 18 and I easily shot 2000fps gcs with no leading.
Don
Joejojoba111
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And the machining process? I'm really not knowledgeable on this.
P95Carry
Moderator Emeritus
Let's assume you have no CNC then this is a hand turning op'.
From closest plus size bar stock, you'd need to put bar thru headstock spindle and 3 jaw chuck and probably do one at a time. Turning down to exact diameter axially and then make some form of profile cutter to form bullet nose. Once that is done part off at exact point required for given weight. Oh and add canelure after stage one if desired!
Then do it again -- and again -- and again .......................
Lucky
Member
Thanks a million guys!
I'm going to have to agree on the 5.56 stuff, I just need to find some place that will ship 1000 rounds 55grn fmj to Canada, at those $150 prices. Barring that I'll just buy the little fmj buggers and use my new reloading press.
In fact that rifle is dormant for a while pending paper-work. It's this dormancy which probably caused me to go out and buy a few hundred pounds of lead, and when that didn't quench my thirst I gave in and bought a non-restricted rifle on the weekend
So now I have a Winchester 94 in 30-30 I can cast bullets for (and I think I better, $15.00 per box of 20 cartridges), and it will be a lot easier to find a mould on ebay. I think I already saw some, called .309 iirc.
And about the copper rod, the thing is I read a document called 'The Pig Board' about cartridge effectiveness tests, and it particularly mentioned bullets turned from copper or brass drill rod. Flew right over my head, so I've been curious ever since.
If anyone wants I could post the documents some time too.
Thanks again.
I'm going to have to agree on the 5.56 stuff, I just need to find some place that will ship 1000 rounds 55grn fmj to Canada, at those $150 prices. Barring that I'll just buy the little fmj buggers and use my new reloading press.
In fact that rifle is dormant for a while pending paper-work. It's this dormancy which probably caused me to go out and buy a few hundred pounds of lead, and when that didn't quench my thirst I gave in and bought a non-restricted rifle on the weekend
So now I have a Winchester 94 in 30-30 I can cast bullets for (and I think I better, $15.00 per box of 20 cartridges), and it will be a lot easier to find a mould on ebay. I think I already saw some, called .309 iirc.
And about the copper rod, the thing is I read a document called 'The Pig Board' about cartridge effectiveness tests, and it particularly mentioned bullets turned from copper or brass drill rod. Flew right over my head, so I've been curious ever since.
If anyone wants I could post the documents some time too.
Thanks again.
cracked butt
Member
You can buy a mini lathe from harbour freight or grizzly for about $500 that you could use to turn bullets on. Brass drill rod is just brass bar stock that is straighter than regular bar stock. I would listen to what P95 said in his post unless you want to spend 1000x as much time making bullets on a lathe than actually shooting them.
trickyasafox
Member
there are steel core pull down 223 bullets for 26 k a pop floating around. if midway ships to canada i really recomend winchester bulk 55 gr fmj. i've had great luck with them and they run about 38 or 39 bucks per k.
just some suggestions.
what is swagging? that is just compressing lead into a form right? do people swag their own or is casting more time and cost effective?
just some suggestions.
what is swagging? that is just compressing lead into a form right? do people swag their own or is casting more time and cost effective?
The increasing cost of lead made me take another look at the periodic chart. After that, I'm thankful that we have lead. Not much else that fits the bill. Either cost, melting point, toxicity, or brittleness seems to rain toxic on the reloading parade. Why should I worry.. I'll never figure out how to put individual serial numbers on the darn bullets.
Lucky
Member
Swaging just means forming by force, afaik. The stuff where I saw the word involved a technique for using the brass from 22lr's to make the jacket for other bullets.
And sadly ammoman, cabellas, nor midway ship
No matter how much I try and convince them... Long run it might be worthwhile to just rent a mailbox and forward the ammo to myself, because customs says a person can import a couple thousand cartridges at a time without hassle, just declare it as 2000 5.56 cartridges and they go through... It's the export legislation on the US side that the dealers won't meddle with :banghead:
So there's options
And thanks for the hand-turned bullet info, I won't do it soon if every... But you never know, if I get a job somewhere and they have a lathe I might stay late one night.
And sadly ammoman, cabellas, nor midway ship
No matter how much I try and convince them... Long run it might be worthwhile to just rent a mailbox and forward the ammo to myself, because customs says a person can import a couple thousand cartridges at a time without hassle, just declare it as 2000 5.56 cartridges and they go through... It's the export legislation on the US side that the dealers won't meddle with :banghead:So there's options
And thanks for the hand-turned bullet info, I won't do it soon if every... But you never know, if I get a job somewhere and they have a lathe I might stay late one night.
"Zinc fumes are toxic"
Not true as we talkin about meltin zinc not zinc-plated staff
"Molten pure zinc does not cause health problems beyond the obvious burns if you pour it over yourself.
There are two main paths that lead people to think zinc casting constitutes a health hazard: Welding of galvanized (zinc-plated) steel, and casting of brass (a copper-zinc alloy). Both of these activities can make you sick from inhalation of zinc oxide fumes, so people's concern about zinc casting is not entirely unfounded. But these activities differ in important ways from casting pure zinc."
from http://periodictable.com/ZincSafety.html
David Wile
Member
Using Cast Bullets In Semi-Auto Rifles
Hey folks,
While I have no first hand experience shooting cast bullets in .223 AR-15s, I do have a lot of experience shooting .30 caliber gas checked cast bullets in AK-47s, SKSs, a Colt AR-15 in 7.62X39, a Ruger Mini-30, and several M-1 Garands. All of these rifles functioned flawlessly, the cast bullets did not foul the gas ports, and cast bullets are very kind to your barrels. I used the same gas checked 155 grain bullet for all rifles, but I sized appropriately for each caliber.
Best wishes,
Dave Wile
Hey folks,
While I have no first hand experience shooting cast bullets in .223 AR-15s, I do have a lot of experience shooting .30 caliber gas checked cast bullets in AK-47s, SKSs, a Colt AR-15 in 7.62X39, a Ruger Mini-30, and several M-1 Garands. All of these rifles functioned flawlessly, the cast bullets did not foul the gas ports, and cast bullets are very kind to your barrels. I used the same gas checked 155 grain bullet for all rifles, but I sized appropriately for each caliber.
Best wishes,
Dave Wile
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