Coating Lead Bullets

[Ganderite]

I shoot a lot of DRG hardcast lead bullets. probably 100,000 a year. They are cheap and accurate. But I don't like the cloud of smoke caused by the bullet lube.

I was watching a YouTube video where a guy painted the bottom of his lawmower with a graphite paint that dried hard and was supposed to last a season of cutting. The graphite would be slippery and the grass would be less likely to build up under the deck.

I bought a can.

And I proceeded to paint the bottom of my mower. Note how I used the winch on my ATV to tilt the mower back by the roll bar. This makes getting under the mower (pulling the blades off for sharpening) easy.

The paint went on quite easily with a brush. It has a light solvent that dries quite quickly. This got me thinking that maybe it would coat a bullet.

I poured 500 bullets into the tumbler.

And then added a tablespoon of the graphite paint.

It takes a bit of stirring with the spoon to mix all the bullets up so they are all coated. The result is a coated bullet. Not as smooth as I would like, but they load just fine.

Tomorrow I will take three Canik pistol with very clean barrels and shoot one with 100 ordinary, untreated bullets and the other two with 100 painted bullets each, and then use the borescope to look for leading.

 

[cartwheel]

And the 2023 mad scientist award goes to......

Loving it!

 

[fingers284]

To bad there isnt still snow banks to shoot a few into to see what the rifling lands do to the painted shanks. I have recovered PC slugs shot into drifts (when they melt in the spring) and there is very little exposed lead in the rifling imprints.

 

[bearhunter]

Great experiment.

If it proves positive, much easier than powder coating

If it's durable enough for the bottom of a lawn mower, it shouldn't be to messy to handle, once it's dry.

 

[wharforb]

Tagged, really interested in how this works out!
Is your tumbler now dedicated to this or can you get the graphite off?

 

[Ganderite]

Just got back from the range. Tested 9mm and 40S&W coated bullets. Accuracy was as good or better than regular lubed bullets.

Looked at the barrels with a borescope. Leading with the SLIP bullets is worse than the regular bullets.

Sorry.

 

[wharforb]

Shyt, that's too bad!

 

[Bassmaster]

I tried a similar experiment a few years ago with powdered molybdenum....same dismal results

 

[Ganderite]

I am loading the bullets I coated and am finding another problem. The coating is building up in the seating stem and the bullets get seated deeper and deeper. I had to stop and clean the stem 3 times when loading just 200 rounds.

 

[ted_dent]

I am laoding the bullets I coated and am finding another problem. The coating is building up in the seating stem and the bullets get seated deeper and deeper. I had to stop and clean the stem 3 times when loading just 200 rounds.

I had that happen with Lee liquid Alox. Had to periodically clean the seating stem.

 

[G_Alan]

I am laoding the bullets I coated and am finding another problem. The coating is building up in the seating stem and the bullets get seated deeper and deeper. I had to stop and clean the stem 3 times when loading just 200 rounds.

Too bad about your test , interesting never the less.
Same issue with liquid Alox, so much happier using PC on my home cast. way less mess and hassle.

 

[Quiet]

A worthwhile contribution. By testing this and posting it you've saved others from having to try the same thing.

 

[fiddler]

Cool experiment. Did it change the diameter of the bullet by much?

 

[Ganderite]

Cool experiment. Did it change the diameter of the bullet by much?

Yes. Bullet is about 2 thou fatter. I was hoping that this would be enough to keep the lead off the barrel.

I coated about 2000 bullets of several calibers, so will keep tinkering.

 

[fiddler]

Great experiment.

If it proves positive, much easier than powder coating

If it's durable enough for the bottom of a lawn mower, it shouldn't be to messy to handle, once it's dry.

In all honesty shake and bake powder coating can't get any easier. Mix and toss a couple hundred rounds in the toaster oven and go to the reloading bench for an hour until it Dings.

 

[iron cat]

In all honesty shake and bake powder coating can't get any easier. Mix and toss a couple hundred rounds in the toaster oven and go to the reloading bench for an hour until it Dings.

Once I learned how to powder coat my cast bullet rifles , my leading problems went to zero, and I found I do not need to be nearly as accurate on my lead hardness as well.
Fouling even when using black was drastically reduced .
It sure is a game changer for me !
Cat

 

[Ganderite]

In all honesty shake and bake powder coating can't get any easier. Mix and toss a couple hundred rounds in the toaster oven and go to the reloading bench for an hour until it Dings.

Do they have to be laid out on end, on a cookie plate? Or just "tossed" in a bunch?

 

[bearhunter]

Do they have to be laid out on end, on a cookie plate? Or just "tossed" in a bunch?

They have to be laid out on a cookie plate.

If you just toss them in and they lay over, there will be a flat on where they touch the cookie plate and they will stick together if they're touching.

Other than that, it's very simple.

 

[bearhunter]

In all honesty shake and bake powder coating can't get any easier. Mix and toss a couple hundred rounds in the toaster oven and go to the reloading bench for an hour until it Dings.

Just takes longer.

I gave up on moly coating a long time ago, because it took to much time.

Ganderite's experiment didn't work out but it was fast and simple

I agree, powder coating is an excellent way to go and since it was first proven I've been powder coating everything I cast.

 

[saskgunowner101]

Do they have to be laid out on end, on a cookie plate? Or just "tossed" in a bunch?

I've had pretty good results without standing the bullets up. I swirl the bullets in a container with PC, gently pour them into a repurposed deep fryer basket, gentle back n forth roll to shake the excess PC off, and then onto the metal tray of the toaster oven. When the time is up, take the tray out and let it cool for a few minutes, and then drop it flat onto a hard surface. Most of the bullets will be seperated and you'll find pretty good PC bullets don't lead any more than "perfect" PC coated bullets.