Can lead bullets be shot from a Tokarev at high velocities without leading the barrel? I know that lead 44 Magnum bullets can get up to 1400fps. These may be hard lead with a gas check.
Lead bullets in 7.62x25 possible?
- Thread starter Teapot
- Start date
I know for a fact that you cannot avoid leading with a plain-based cast bullet unless you keep it to pressures too low to cycle the action. It's pressure, not velocity that is the issue, and for a semi-auto, you need a certain base pressure to cycle the action, so that limits your options.
As a minimum, you'd need to use a gas-check bullet with a good fit, and of a moderately hard alloy. There are very few suitable cast bullets available, and another concern is lack of lube volume.
As a minimum, you'd need to use a gas-check bullet with a good fit, and of a moderately hard alloy. There are very few suitable cast bullets available, and another concern is lack of lube volume.
I have run about 350 hard lead bullets through my 7.62x25. I purchased these from the Bullet Barn as I didn't have a suitable mold and I wanted to see how they would work prior to buying a mold. They are plain base FN and 96 grains, sized down to .309". I followed the load data from the Lyman manual for a lead 86 grain, starting with 5 gr of W231 and worked up to 5.5 ( guessing about 1200 fps). The pistol cycled well with 5 gr. but is shooting better with the 5.5. No leading of the barrel so far. Looking forward to working on it some more with the nicer weather.
