Barrel Leading like a sewer piple

[bruce381]

Ok smart guys (ment in all respect) since I have reloaded and cast for 35 years I still learn somthing here each time I log on.

Anyway here goes.

45 acp Kart barrels on 2 custom 1911's both slug .4510
Saeco 69 Boolit, wheel weights air cooled sized .4515
ww 231@5 grs or so.

Never remebered any leading when I was shooting 50-75 per range trip

Well ran out of ww231 bought AA#2 loaded 1000 rounds on dillion using AA#2 @ 5 grs or so.

Well now my range trips I burn 200 rounds and the barrel looks like a sewer pipe with lead.

Was at a loss to explain, so have been shooting up the AA#2 loads (even bought a lewis lead remover) finally I ran out of AA#2 load.

I also finally found some ww231 went back to that load and today 200 rounds NO lead at all.

So my question with my boolit fit not as good as should be WILL or CAN a powder type change take you from sewer pipe lead to none?

Bye the way new larger size die on the way from midway.

Thanks

bruce

[JIMinPHX]

I've noticed that Bullseye seems to cause my pistols to lead a little more than Unique sometimes at equal velocities, & with all other components being equal.

[onondaga]

It could be the difference of powder fouling between of the two powders. Black patches does not mean lead. Silver slivers when you bronze brush barrels over a newspaper means lead.

Your bullet sounds small too and you don't mention your alloy selection tested hardness and if it is appropriate for your load pressure/velocity. You don't mention your throat size. If a .452"+ bullet will chamber, I'd go there. A harder alloy and higher mold temp would likely get you .452"+ with the mold you have if it is dropping WW at .4515". Try WW:Lino @ 7:3 for BHN 14, cast with mold hot enough to slightly frost bullets and you will pickup 1 to 1.5 mil in bullet diameter.

Yes, minor changes in load pressure can cause significant differences in leading.

Also, if you are even not case mouth flaring before seating bullets or not using an "M" die you can also be sizing or shaving your bullets even more undersized when you are seating them. Undersized, too soft, too hard and insufficiently lubed bullets are the primary causes of leading. Oversize is GOOD.

Your bullet size now is only .0005" over G to G slugged diameter, I would expect leading till you get .0020" over.

Gary

[Ford SD]

Ok smart guys (ment in all respect) since I have reloaded and cast for 35 years I still learn somthing here each time I log on.

Anyway here goes.

45 acp Kart barrels on 2 custom 1911's both slug .4510
Saeco 69 Boolit, wheel weights air cooled sized .4515
ww 231@5 grs or so.

Never remebered any leading when I was shooting 50-75 per range trip

Well ran out of ww231 bought AA#2 loaded 1000 rounds on dillion using AA#2 @ 5 grs or so.

Well now my range trips I burn 200 rounds and the barrel looks like a sewer pipe with lead.

Was at a loss to explain, so have been shooting up the AA#2 loads (even bought a lewis lead remover) finally I ran out of AA#2 load.

I also finally found some ww231 went back to that load and today 200 rounds NO lead at all.

So my question with my boolit fit not as good as should be WILL or CAN a powder type change take you from sewer pipe lead to none?

Bye the way new larger size die on the way from midway.

Thanks

bruce

AA#2 from web site
No.2 200 Lead SWC min5.2g velocity826 max5.8 max velocity939 max
pressure17,400

win data
231 200 Lead SWC min4.8g velocity800 @14900 psi max5.5 max velocity910 max pressure19,600


comparing the data above 5.2g of AA#2 looks to be a very low pressure round and is probably is not enough pressure to bump up your bullet to seal round and that is what is causing your leading

sizing to a larger size (as long as it chambers in your match barrel)
and loading to a min of 5.2g of AA#2 should stop leading

or just go back to your old powder 231

[Huntducks]

IMHO which is not worth much:-D Bullseye is not as clean burning as Unique so i'm sure your see more powder residue then lead fouling.

I don't shoot WW231 or AA#2 can't help there.

That's my opinion.

[turbo1889]

Increasing your charge of AA#2 slightly to about 5.5gr. or switching to Accurate Solo-1000 might do the trick assuming you want to stay with an Accurate brand name powder.

The last time I messed around with Accurate powders in the 45-ACP I found best performance with the same charge as you are using of 5.0gr. only I was pushing a 235gr. boolit not a 200gr. boolit so that is telling me that your problem might be that you need to throttle up a bit or jump up to their next faster burning powder (A-S1000).

Other then that, I can tell you that personally I’ve pretty much settled on using IMR Trail Boss for my entire 45-ACP lead boolit handgun loading. Only using other powders for when I'm trying to squeeze every last drop of performance out of jacketed bullets or making carbine long gun loads with either cast lead boolits or jacketed bullets.

As to some saying your boolit is undersized. Obviously it worked just fine with your previous loads using the Winchester powder and from what I gather you didn't change anything but the powder. That said, though, I usually like to have at least a full thousandth squeeze fit and usually more like a couple. If you get lucky with a magic load you can get away with less which sounds to me like what was happening previous its just you didn't know what you had until you didn't have it anymore.

[Bret4207]

Different pressure curve give different dynamic fit. Your first load was likely "bumping" your boolit a bit and giving you a better fit. A different sizer die, powder, crimp, etc. can alter that.

[btroj]

Yep, Bret has it. It isn't just peak pressure, it is the pressure curve that matters. One load might bump up the bullet, the other gives a more gentle push and does not bump it up.

This is part of finding a balance between components. Just like all 15 BHN bullets are not the same not all 800 fps loads are the same. How you get the velocity is as important as the velocity itself.

Brad

[Larry Gibson]

bruce381

"Never remebered any leading when I was shooting 50-75 per range trip

Well ran out of ww231 bought AA#2 loaded 1000 rounds on dillion using AA#2 @ 5 grs or so.

Well now my range trips I burn 200 rounds and the barrel looks like a sewer pipe with lead"

You made two significant changes there; a change of powder and shooting more than twice as many shots. An answer might have been found regarding the powder difference if you had the same or more leading at the same 50-75 shots as with the 231. Considering the two changes it is hard to tell what/where the problem is. Only by isolating one change will you know the real answer.

BTW; what lube are you using?

Larry Gibson

[Guesser]

I use A#2 in 38, 38 S&W, and 32 S&W with very soft bullets-no leading. In 45 ACP I use Bullseye- no leading. In 44 Special I have tried almost everything and get leading. All my bullets for these are cast from the same very soft alloy. In my 44 it has to be the gun, I just haven't figured it out yet.

Every gun and load combination is an entity to itself and then we introduce ambient temperature and humidity and the human element and its a wonder we make anything work well. I just keep trying and keep good records so I don't reproduce the mistakes all over again.

[bruce381]

Hi thanks for all the info.

using LARS BAC lube
I think the borderline boolit size maybe being bumped up by the 231 is the answer.

It may take a higher 5.5gr load of AA#2 to bump up. But for now I'm back to the 231 which i ran 200 rounds this week NO lead same load same alloy etc.

Guess what i learned also is not load 1000 or so rounds before I look at barrel.

some guys asked I correctly bell cases boolit is not undersozed sized upon using a taper crimp.

alloy is WW air cooled

mixed cases, and 200 rounds with original 231 load no lead with AA#2 load leding within 50 rounds and yes I know what leading looks like.

lyman .452 die in on the way

will stick with BAC no heater requred

Thanks for all the posts

[Bret4207]

Fortunately a bit of 4/0 steel wool on a worn bore brush and a little solvent with remove the leading quickly without harm to the barrel.

[hedgehorn]

Fortunately a bit of 4/0 steel wool on a worn bore brush and a little solvent with remove the leading quickly without harm to the barrel.

Good tip. I will give it a try