lead v. copper plated

newgunboy

newgunboy

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Sorry for the newb question but can someone explain why some shooters state they only use lead bullets and others only use copper plated
The only cheap 9mm ammo I can find out there right now is lead round nose and I'm tempted to buy. My gun is a Beretta Ninety-Two and I don't want to have to clean it more than necessary.
Thanks
 
I shoot hand cast hard lead in .45ACP at very near the velocity of factory ammo and have had no problems with leading of the barrel. There is a difference between copper plated and jacketed bullets but this is only a concern in higher velocity rifle ammo.
Try some of the lead ammo and see what happens.
 
if you clean as necessary, plated or jackets give you probably 3x or more shots per cleaning . i use lead mostly , but i don't find cleaning every 500 a big deal .
 
I shoot lead in both my 9 and 45's and I like it great.I find it just as accurate and not a whole lot more cleaning involved.Some argue it causes less wear on the barrel(s) as well,however I don't think that would be much of an issue with fmj or tmj either..I save a lot of money shooting lrn vs the other stuff..
 
i only use copper plated.

i shoot 9mm almost exclusively and if i shot lead i would need to clean more, wouldnt be able to use a fast powder (fast powder = melted bottom of lead bullets). as it is now, I can use titegroup which is cheap and fast and I literally never clean my barrel since it always stays shiny.
 
I don't think it's really an issue with medium powered pistol bullets. I have never noticed lead deposits in any barrels, whether it be .45 or 9mm. I can't speak for hot rounds like 10mm. It's more of an issue with hi-powered rifles IMO.
 
Lead bullets fired in pistols at high velocities will deposit smears of lead in a barrel, but the velocity has to be high. I didn't always see it in 9mm Para, but did in .357 Magnum. Leading can be difficult to remove mechanically, but I've used the Lewis Lead Remover successfully, and there are electro-chemical methods that work well. If you load, a "gas check" placed on the bullet will reduce the risk of leading pretty well, as will using lead hardened with tin (wheel weights). But when I was actively shooting (mostly 9mm Para), I used jacketed bullets because they were easier to deal with.
 
Clean your bore, try a box of 50 and check the deposits. I do not have any major leading issue with my 9mm. I clean my pistol approximately every 500 rds. It might be different if you are loading maximum powder charge.

newgunboy said:
Sorry for the newb question but can someone explain why some shooters state they only use lead bullets and others only use copper plated
The only cheap 9mm ammo I can find out there right now is lead round nose and I'm tempted to buy. My gun is a Beretta Ninety-Two and I don't want to have to clean it more than necessary.
Thanks
Click to expand...
 
heavenIsAlie said:
i only use copper plated.

i shoot 9mm almost exclusively and if i shot lead i would need to clean more, wouldnt be able to use a fast powder (fast powder = melted bottom of lead bullets). as it is now, I can use titegroup which is cheap and fast and I literally never clean my barrel since it always stays shiny.
Click to expand...


Melted bottoms. No not even. If this were true then plastic shotgun wads would melt in the barrel and the old paper wads would burn. Lead is a poor conductor of heat. The bullet is in the barrel for such a short time there is no chance in hell the base of a lead bullet is about to melt. Leading in barrels can be caused by gas cutting or to hard or to soft of a bullet but NONE will be caused by the base of the bullet melting. Take a propane torch and pass it over a lead bullet as fast as you can and see how much heat the bullet absorbs.

To remove leading quickly wrap 100% copper chor boy strands around a cleaning brush. Fast and effective.
Take Care

Bob
 
If you are buying bullets or commercial reloads, as opposed to casting your own, I would base my decision on the relative cost difference. For the same price or only a few dollars more per thousand, I would pick plated or jacketed. Conversely, I would choose plain lead if you can realize a significant cost saving.

Cleaning lead fouling isn't particularly difficult using the copper scouring pad (Chore Boy) trick. Provided that you have bullets that fit your bore and are properly lubricated, you should not have any problems going several hundred to a thousand rounds between cleanings while still having acceptable accuracy.

Contrary to popular belief, Glocks and other pistols with polygonal rifling can also use lead bullets. You just need to be a little more careful about monitoring the barrel for excess lead buildup.
 
i routinely go over a thousand rounds of lead in my 9, 45 and 38 with no leading or build up. As stated above, unless your pressure levels/velocity are into the max magnum range, you won't see leading if your bullets are sized correctly and lubed. I like plated as they're clean to handle, but they don't shoot any better, and often not as well...the plating is just one more variable in the bullet construction process that can off balance a projectile. And there have been lots of threads on poor plated bullets in canada. I can purchase 500 cast 124 9mm for half the cost of plated, and about 20% of what FMJ would cost...that equals lots more shooting. My 9 and 38 get loaded with bullseye, which is pretty darn quick and i have no leading.

a common mistake is to way over do the taper crimp on cast bullets and in effect size them down so they are no longer the correct size. this will generate gas cutting at the base and then you will lead like mad!

As said also, glocks and HK's will both shoot lead just fine, but in them you will get leading, and probably have to clean every 3-600 rounds, depending on your gun and load.
 
Canuck44 said:
Melted bottoms. No not even. If this were true then plastic shotgun wads would melt in the barrel and the old paper wads would burn. Lead is a poor conductor of heat. The bullet is in the barrel for such a short time there is no chance in hell the base of a lead bullet is about to melt. Leading in barrels can be caused by gas cutting or to hard or to soft of a bullet but NONE will be caused by the base of the bullet melting. Take a propane torch and pass it over a lead bullet as fast as you can and see how much heat the bullet absorbs.

To remove leading quickly wrap 100% copper chor boy strands around a cleaning brush. Fast and effective.
Take Care

Bob
Click to expand...
What causes all the extra smoke then? The lube? It was always explained to me as being the lead
 
heavenIsAlie said:
What causes all the extra smoke then? The lube? It was always explained to me as being the lead
Click to expand...

Like he said ...the lube. The reason why so many shooters who shoot indoors find themselves with high lead blood levels is from the lead contained in the priming compounds along with less than adequate ventilation in the ranges. The reason for .45acp cartridges being loaded with small pistol primers is due to the fact the primer manufacturers found they could not get the large pistol primers to work well with lead free primers. To my knowledge no lead free .45acp ammo is made with large pistol primers.

Take Care

Bob
 
The smoke caused by the lube on lead bullets is why I use plated or jacketed bullets for major matches. I have encountered situations where the smoke has actually obscured the target and cost me time and hits.

For practice and club matches I use whichever is cheapest.

John
 
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