Powder coating question

[Ian]

I would have suspected the other kind, but that's also a common effect of communicating with strangers via the written word only.

Properly done, powder coating seems to have a lot of potential to me. I probably see more realistic potential in it than most do because of my high-velocity rifle and bullet lube pursuits. Those two things tend to give a person a very intricate knowledge of the challenges of launching a bullet straight into the bore and managing fouling (aka bore condition) from the first shot to the last and in a variety of temperatures. A polymer jacket can help to mitigate the damaging effects of crooked launch, high torque moments, and high linear sliding speeds against the drive side of the lands as well as help maintain a very consistent bore condition shot-to-shot such as copper-jacketed bullets enjoy (perhaps more so depending on PC fouling accumulation). My hangup is time and too many other shooting interests to get back to this full-time, but I'm embarking on some experiments already using the .35 Remington and employing PC jackets and gas checks to enable shooting very, very soft bullets to the absolute velocity ceiling of the cartridge. Next I might step back and work on the .308 some and see what I can do there, since the PC should solve a great many of the problems we encounter when approaching full-on jacketed speeds in our high-powered rifles.

 

[Gary]

Just finished these to trial. PC'd and BLL(one coat) Stepped the powder charge up to max and I'll let you know how they do.

 

[Pistolero]

I have and am working with coated bullets, seeking improved accy. My only point was the
"PCing is the only way" which you have clarified. I was just making the point that IME the
conventional methods can work extremely well, and just because something is new doesn't
make it automagically superior to what has been previously used. Might be, might not.

Very open mind on this, seeking best accy in .38 Spl WC just now. I have many molds, testing many
different lubes and lube systems, from HiTek to commercial tumbled graphite/wax, Hornady "white powder" to BLL,
and standard old lubes, plus some of Ian's new concept lube. Also have spent some significant
effort on correcting any issues that the Model 14 had with the barrel and it's installation.

I just get a bit amused when someone claims to have "the only way". Glad you clarified - "for you".

Never was any hard feelings on my side, just a need to mention that other ways can work very
well indeed. I have pointed this same thing out to folks who think that for a soft alloy expanding
pistol bullet at full mag pistol velocities, you have to have a GC. Ain't necessarily so, either.

Read Ian's signature line again. I have also learned to rarely-to-never say "never",
"only" or "always", and to frequently add "IME", for "in my experience".

I've been enjoying the thread, trying to learn.

Bill

 

[Gary]

On the matter of GC, I completely agree, especially for pistol bullets. BTW, whose or what brand PC are you using. I know when I started I used HF PC and it's just not very good at all. A fella over on CB sells some fantastic PC ( Smoke4320). I'm going to PC some in Carolina Blue hopefully this week. The above pic is a combination of Yellow and some flecking of Black. Love the colors and color combinations.

 

[fiver]

you'll like that blue.

 

[Gary]

Happens to be my favorite color; plus matches my hometown school color, and my eyes. That right there should add 1/2 MOA.

 

[Brad]

Add 1/2 MOA? Wouldn't you want it to subtract 1/2 MOA? Oh wait, it is Carolina blue........

 

[Gary]

Brad, have you seen the reflection off those beautiful blue pills?

 

[Brad]

I see plenty of blue pills all day long. And white, geeen, orange, and pretty much all colors. Lots of capsules too. Don't forget, I'm a pharmacist.

That said, I will say some of the PC colors are far better looking than others. Blue and red would appeal to me far more than yellow or white. Gloss helps too.

But Carolina blue? Nope, can't go there. Now baby blue, I can do that!

 

[Gary]

I think I understand. You probably don't like KU blue either.

 

[Brad]

Seing as I went to pharmacy school at Creighton I should probably prefer CU blue but I'm rather apathetic about it.

KU blue would be fine. ISU red? No way. My kid bleeds Iowa black and gold.

 

[Gary]

I hear that!! I have a school buddy (Anesthesia School) that lives and practices in Lincoln, we have had yearly wagers on Jayhawk/Husker contests going back to the '70's. Pretty much a wash but keeps us in contact with each other.

 

[SierraHunter]

It's great to have all these options. With powder coated bullets I handle each one with nodlenese pliers and examine the coating, touch up if necessary, tap off excess powder, and place on non-stick foil. It's tedious, so once is enough. Some people are doing the shakenbake thing and just sifting out the bbs and excess powder and baking the bullets in a big clump, which is very expedient, but creates too many defects for my OCD to find tolerable. Seems the liquid Hi-Tek stuff is easier to use do to the bulk handling of the bullets, but still my preference is one coat, one bake, and done. Like you, I size every single bullet, sometimes before coating.

I've been sizing mine before and after coating. I've started tumbling mine in a FA vibratory with some steel and plastic BBS, after about a half hours I can just pick them up up with my fingers, and stand them up to bake. I tried dumping them in a pile but was not impressed. I just got a Smooth side NEI mold for a 230gn .308" with a slight boat tail. I need to build some kind of a rack, because they are a serious pain to keep them standing.

 

[SierraHunter]

if I were to do it I would be the dummy still filling the lube groove with lube.

I know of a guy that lubes the Barnes X bullets that have grooves.

 

[SierraHunter]

Wrong Rick! What I clearly said is summed up in the first sentence of my previous post. What I am saying is that PC offers as many advantages as traditional lube not to mention NO mess and LESS handling of the raw ingredient; LEAD! That said, IMO you CAN'T beat the accuracy of PC'd pistol bullets. They ARE as accurate as traditional lubed Lead bullets. To date I haven't experienced ANY Leading or burnt PC in my revolvers or Semi Autos. Also ,I just recently started using Bens BLL over my PC'd Lead and haven't really tested them out yet. BTW, have you tried PC in your own cast bullets? If you haven't, I'd urge you to give it a go.

Right now, the only advantage for me, is that the bullets are not sticky. I hate sticky bullets. I hate having bullet lube up in my dies, and on my loaded ammo. But, it's not that much cheaper then traditional lube, and it's really not any faster. And I have not had any better accuracy from any of my guns with the PC over a traditional lube.

 

[SierraHunter]

Working on it, Fiver. I waited until someone invented a method of applying it which was better than spraying, and once that happened it was off to the races. I know one way to NOT achieve accuracy in your handgun is to use a flat-based bullet and bake shake-coated bullets sitting flat on their bases on foil. Bevel base or gas check designs without the check shoot MUCH better due to even base edges. Standing PB bullets on their noses might work better.

Now this, I find highly interesting, and I may even have to play around with this a bit when I get some time that I'm nt working.

 

[SierraHunter]

I see plenty of blue pills all day long. And white, geeen, orange, and pretty much all colors. Lots of capsules too. Don't forget, I'm a pharmacist.

That said, I will say some of the PC colors are far better looking than others. Blue and red would appeal to me far more than yellow or white. Gloss helps too.

But Carolina blue? Nope, can't go there. Now baby blue, I can do that!

I want to find a orange like the old chevy engine blocks were.

 

[Gary]

Try Smoke's colors or www.prismaticpowders.com I think the latter are more expensive.

 

[fiver]

chevy orange sucked look for Mopar small block orange.

 

[freebullet]

My father asked me to put valve cover gaskets on an old crown vic while he was out of town. I decided I'd help him out but, with a twist. While they were off I painted one chevy orange, the other white, & they didn't leak anymore.