Considering looking into powder coating

[Bret4207]

I never thought the day would come, but I'm thinking about powder coating. I've watched several videos and it looks incredibly simple. Can anyone direct me to or offer their observations on real world experience with PC? No lube needed? When to size? Downsides? Looks like you could gain a thou or 2, what is realistic? Thanks.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

Hello and WELCOME!

There are times when both styles are useful. A few things that turned me to PC was;

1) Higher velocities before a GC was needed. This keeps costs lower and makes for a easier quicker process producing projo's.

2) Softer alloys can be used. This also saves $$ AND allows expansion i to the mix should you need that for hunting or defense.

3) Correct NO LUBE NEEDED. Farther savings $$ and re dusing smoke!

4) Sizing can be quicker too, But ya need so spend a bit of your savings for push thru dies.
CW

 

[Brad]

When to size depends a lot on what size bullets drop at and what you want in the end.
I find it easier to size before PC if bullets are already more than .001 oversize. I also size before if adding a GC.
Ian put me onto one key, you may need to size a little smaller than “normal”. Scraping the coating off in the throat defeats the coating. Might be .001 or so smaller is all but it can make a difference.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

I missed a couple Of your points.
Personally, the coating is easily contaminated and this effects the quality of the coating. SO, I coat directly after cast and DO NOT TOUCH projo's at all. I transfer with a spoon or just scopp them With my baskets.

Speaking to baskets. Its my preferred method BUT I have been standing some on Silicone baking sheets and standing smaller
Diameters into mini silicone ice cube trays, For baking.

The thickness of your coating is also able
To be regulated by sifting coated bullets. Longer ya "sift" the thinner the coating is.

When I first started I was not aware of this and when I cast a GC bullet I would carefully seat a GC, THEN PC and size. Now I know what powders are better for GC and seat AFTER-WITHOUT DIFFICULTY.

NOT ALL powders are created equal.
Some will coat easilly and not stick allowing basket baking.
Others coat beautifully but REQUIRE standing (Many Eastwoods)
Others still refuse to "shake and bake" at all and need to be strayed.
Remember ALL are designed to be straped with a neg elec charge to make Them stick. That's what powder Coating is / was.

I have a uTube channel and show the process. There is also a few orhers with channels desicated to this that may help Ya see how things work.

CW

 

[popper]

Make it easy for yourself, get Smoke's red/bacon grease/clear. They all work good. A little goes a long ways. I used to use elec. sprayer and convection oven. Now just tumble and cook on a hot plate. Yoshi copper cooking mats (relatively cheap) to set the bullets on (I stand everything on base). Baking returns alloy to AC, cook for an hour & WD if you desire. This is NOT good but LC07 brass full (40gr) IMR 4895 50/50 alloy PCd - ! 2500 fps - just shy of compressed load. Barrel is CLEAN. Shot off sandbag and recovering from flu shot so partly me? Probably just too soft alloy for pressure. This is extreme worst case for PC.

 

[Ian]

Go here and look at post #250 for my conclusions and theory of use. https://www.artfulbullet.com/index....-with-powder-coated-cast-bullets.4143/page-13

Search for Gramp's excellent thread on how he powder coats step by step with lots of photos.

 

[Ian]

Here: https://www.artfulbullet.com/index.php?threads/how-i-asbbdt-powdercoat.4538/

 

[popper]

AR10 after last shoot, not cleaned! Small amount of 'stuff' toward the muzzle that will wipe out.

40sw 165 PB PC after several hundred and not cleaned. Just shoot the junk out with a couple jacketed. Looks bad but still 3" @ 25 is al I can do anyway.

 

[Missionary]

We have no regrets putting our old Cool Wip containers to work.
I had serious doubts I had any idea what I was doing. But the first batch was 275 grain ACWW GC for our 375 H&H. Same slug we lubed and shoots well at 21-2200 fps.
So we loaded those first coated slugs with the same powder charge and touched off 25. That sold me !!! Going for 2400 fps next time north.

 

[Mitty38]

My thing main worry is contamination. And pre heating.
I keep the bullets as clean as possible.
Learn just the right amount to pre heat. So as to avoid moisture, and promote static but not melt the powder to the tub.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

AR10 after last shoot, not cleaned! Small amount of 'stuff' toward the muzzle that will wipe out.
View attachment 17032
40sw 165 PB PC after several hundred and not cleaned. Just shoot the junk out with a couple jacketed. Looks bad but still 3" @ 25 is al I can do anyway.
View attachment 17034

People Must think Im fulla dudu, when I tell repeated them I have fired thousands of PC boolits and NO FOULING PROBLEMS!!

 

[Ian]

People Must think Im fulla dudu, when I tell repeated them I have fired thousands of PC boolits and NO FOULING PROBLEMS!!

I don't.

 

[oscarflytyer]

so a PC ? If I have an as cast bullet that is .001-.002" undersized, will PC'ing them bump them up in size? My issue is/are a cpl old 43 Spanish Rolling Blocks that need a bullet bigger than will cast in 43 (~.440-.442), and 44 (.446-.448) is too big.

If I were to cast and get something in .440-.441 with pure lead or 40:1 - then PC - would it bump them up to .443-.444?

Thanx

 

[Brad]

Might need 2 coats to get .003 but it will do it.

 

[Bret4207]

Thanks to all. I am just rolling this around in my head. I don't mind lubing at all and I rather like the smell of the old faithful 50/50 Alox I'm still using. It has it's limits of course but I imagine PC does too. I'm just looking at options. I'm also looking at better stick lubes.

One question I did have was if anyone had noticed any advantage to PC, or of one brand over another, in rougher military barrels. I don't know enough about the stuff to even guess if it is better or worse or the same as traditional lubes. Think " dark, slightly pitted 7x57 Mauser 93" type platforms.

 

[JWFilips]

I never get fouling with PC ( as long as it is Cured properly)
I have shot up to 1000 rounds with cast PC bullets in my GEW 98, Arisaka , Savage 30-30 340 & 243 Win Ruger Between cleanings
I have shot ( recently ) 300 rounds each in my S&W 19, S&W 15 and S&W pre-27 With no signs of Residue
Only clean every thing when I feel guilty!!!

It used to take me about an hour to clean my pistols because there was alway lead somewhere.& they had to soak Etc...Takes me about 5 minutes now.
No Brass brushing...No Cylinder Brushing!

I always felt I was a Traditionalist Until PC! I will not go back!
And for all of my shooting The accuracy has improved!
Jim
P.S. I stand my bullets to bake So it is a bit longer then applying Traditional lube but it is worth the extra time

 

[Bret4207]

Jim, do you put the increased accuracy and better bore condition down to the PC itself (as a lube), to the increase in diameter (however slight), or to a combination of factors? That's part of my asking if one brand is better than another.

 

[Mitty38]

I was able to turn an undersized nose bore rider into a prefect fit with PC and sizing. Thus my Avatar.
Clears generally run thinner, High pigments usually will get you thicker.

 

[JWFilips]

Bret,
Granted You have the option of changing a bullet size on the fly....Especially if your moulds are undersize!
However I have found with PC you can size to Jacketed dimension and still Keep accuracy...it is that flexible !

But I still like to shoot a bit fatter but not as fat as I used to RE: 30-30 now is about .310" with PC where as before it was .311" or 312"
I have shot this at .310" PC and .311" PC without any accuracy difference.....But I would never shoot Trad Lube at .310" however

 

[JWFilips]

In my method of shake & bake Smoke's Clear PC gains me .003" on any bullet! But I also heat my bullets with a hair drier before I shake them!
Before I stand them I tap my tweezers holding them on the side of the container!
I use A PID on my oven so When I start the oven I figure 30 minutes to completion!
10 minutes to Pre warm to 400 deg and 20 minutes baking! Prefect every time (unless you double the batch or cut the batch in half) then you may have to baby sit the PID control!