Metal Question

fat tony

fat tony

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I am thinking of making some steel slugs for a reloading experiment, not to worry I'm going to do a fair bit of research before actually doing this, I am going to turn them myself, not interested in going into business whatsoever, I was thinking of using a leaded free machining steel to make them out of, I was thinking 3/4" rod would be a good material to use due to it's nice machining qualities. What is the specification for this material so I know what to order? Best regards all. :)
 
While mild steel has been used for jacket material, I would be very hesitant to try and drive a steel solid. Without a softer core to give way, I worry that even the softest steel would be too hard.
 
I have heard there was a slug called the 'Blondeau' slug, that was used in the early 20th century in France, it was predominately steel and used lead bands to help with upsettage - I am wary of the need to allow for upsettage. The thing is there is a company that sells specialty 12 gauge slugs that are used for bomb disposal guns mounted on bomb robots, they drive them at very high velocity with very heavy steel slugs, other than that I don't know much about them.
 
Most of the bomb disposal "Guns" are actually high pressure water canon, not projectile firing. YRP do/did have a bomb disposal robot with a shotgun, but I believe it used birdshot or powdered zinc ammo as required.

If you are talking about making a steel penetrator for a rifled slug barrel, I think your 3/4round bar would work fine.
 
fat tony,

You will be looking for 12L14 round or hex bar. Low carbon, Leaded, mild steel bar. Sometimes called Screw Machine Stock. Not too expensive. Turns really nice.

Consider going the sabot route along the lines of the Brenneke slugs.

Of course, you could just turn up a mold, and cast what you want from there. Or, if you wanted to complicate things a bit, make slugs, then make a mold to cast the driving bands on.

Cheers
Trev
 
You should be able to find a plastic shot cup about the right size/length for the slug you are making. A suggestion when loading is to build up the bottom of the shot cut with a fibre wad (can you even still get them?) if necessary. If the bottom of your slug is hollow, and the shot cup has thin plastic, the pressure could force/tear the cup allowing steel to come in contact with the barrel.
 
Undersize with a big enough sabot, like your example, shouldn't cause too many problems. I'd sure be generous with my 'undersize' though - better too small than too big, for obvious reasons!

-M
 
Hmmmm......

If you do use a rifled barrel, that pretty much takes choke out of the picture.

Some opportunity to send one down the tube of the wrong barrel, if you push the size up too high, but the rifled tube would be good!

Cheers
Trev
 
Hmm, I wonder why those Greek slugs are brass, possibly so they can charge more for them / rust resistance / easier to machine? - you know if you buy something like that they are likely to be cost prohibitive.

Edit: another option might be to make them like Remington Buckhammer slugs with a nylon jacket & steel core glued / pressed in. hmmmm.
 
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