Mystery 22 Caliber Hollow Base Bullet ???

[SaddleTramp]

I have been reloading ammo for 55 years and I have never run across bullets such as these.
These bullets came in a lot I bought from a fellow Gun Nutter.
He had the box marked ??? Unknown
The box was a Barnes box and the specs on the box were completely different.
The first 4 pics are a sxs comparison with a regular 55 grn FMJ
They mike out at .222 caliber
.862 oal
.2750 hollow base depth
and 50 grn weight FMJ
Any one out there have some info?

 

[digitalblue]

Possibly tracers?

 

[gregc]

they look like projectiles that someone has thrown into the casting post prior to making bullets with the lead being melted completely out of the projectile. i take range scavenged pistol projectiles that have the lead base melted out that look like this out of the casting post frequently.

 

[mkrnel]

Just a FMJ bullet that did not complete the full drawing and forming manufacture process. They never should have been been sold or passed through the QC inspection if factory made or they could be incomplete homemade FMJ's from the .22LR shell bullet swaging process.

This guy shows some he made -

 

[struff55]

well that clears it up 4 answers and 4 theory's
for sure not tracers they have orange or red tips

 

[mkrnel]

well that clears it up 4 answers and 4 theory's
for sure not tracers they have orange or red tips

Tracer bullets also have a cannelure crimping line/groove.

 

[SaddleTramp]

There is only pure lead in the base and the jackets are copper not 22 brass.
The length of the jacket is on par with some 68 and 77 grain bullets I have on hand.

 

[mkrnel]

There is only pure lead in the base and the jackets are copper not 22 brass.
The length of the jacket is on par with some 68 and 77 grain bullets I have on hand.

How can you tell the difference?

Very few bullets are actually copper-jacketed, though it's a little more than it used to be. Standard has always been gilding metal, copper mixed with zinc. You'll note the percentages may vary, but that combination is brass.

Copper is usually only electroplated on projectiles. Brass, is the more common bullet jacketing material actually, and can have the lead alloy poured into it. Pure copper only bullets do work. Barnes bullets started with copper before changing to an alloy to avoid copper fouling among other issues. Hornady GMX bullets are made from a gilding alloy that is closer to common brass than it is to copper.

Full swaging of .22LR cases into bullets usually removes all .22LR case markings too.

 

[Bigbubba]

Hey ST
I was stumped as well
One guy I talked to thinks they were improperly finished- namely the copper jacket wasn’t cut off at the bottom

I’ve never seen anything like it before

 

[SaddleTramp]

I kind of agree with the unfinished theory. If they were a factory screw up some one maybe scooped them up before they went back to recycle.
The tracer theory was interesting but there is only pure lead in the base and as mentioned there is no canalure for crimping although that may have been a separate step further down the line. I am not sure how tracer compound is attached to a bullet.
There was some .22 rimfire bullets that had a tracer like substance on the base of their bullets around awhile ago.
The lead levels in the copper jackets are all consistent and the weights overall only vary .001 to .003 and I don't believe these came from a homegrown bullet maker. There are over 60 of them in the box .
They will go on the shelf in the loading room. Maybe one day some one may have the answer.
Some day if I get desperate for Zombie Bullets I will finish filling them with lead .
They should weigh about 70 grains. Just right for my Ruger American.
Smooth Trails...Saddle Tramp...

 

[Cocked&Locked]

It would be interesting to know accurately what the diameter is, measured with a micrometer.
I wouldn't trust that cheap Chinese digital caliper too far.

 

[unstableryan]

This was a good reminder that I have a can of .22 cal tracer projectiles around somewhere. One day we shot 223, 308 and 300 Rum tracers one after the other. .223 drops off fast, 308 is a tossed football and the RUM looks like a star wars blaster into space. Haha.
Load a couple up near the higher end of the book load and see for yourself.