Anyone have pics of Antimony wash?

[el roboto]

Have been looking but unable to find any pics of it.

[btroj]

Think light grey wash in the bore. No lumps or threads, just a grey wash. Look on tops of lands in particular.

[el roboto]

Think light grey wash in the bore. No lumps or threads, just a grey wash. Look on tops of lands in particular.

That sounds like exactly what im experencing. A light gray coating on my lands. I've been trying to identify it. A lot of people believe it to be leading I just have had my doubts. I just read about antimony wash and I think that my be what im experencing. http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?218443-Is-this-leading

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=86300&d=1383508985

[btroj]

Leading to me is lumps or streaks in the bore. A light grey wash isn't leading. Without looking down the bore myself it is hard to say for sure.
If it looks similar to copper fouling but is grey instead then it is Sb wash.

[el roboto]

Leading to me is lumps or streaks in the bore. A light grey wash isn't leading. Without looking down the bore myself it is hard to say for sure.
If it looks similar to copper fouling but is grey instead then it is Sb wash.

There isnt any lumped material, or large sheers of lead. What it is is a gray coating running most the length of the lands with a few broken up sections.

[el roboto]

Leading to me is lumps or streaks in the bore. A light grey wash isn't leading. Without looking down the bore myself it is hard to say for sure.
If it looks similar to copper fouling but is grey instead then it is Sb wash.

I've never seen copper fouling but I just looked up pictures of it and yes it looks exactly like that

[btroj]

Pretty well answers the question then.

Antimony wash is something that just happens with some alloys. I generally ignore it, I just don't find it to be an issue.

[el roboto]

Pretty well answers the question then.

Antimony wash is something that just happens with some alloys. I generally ignore it, I just don't find it to be an issue.

I tend to over obsess about these things. Thank you for helping me but to bed this issue thats been bothering me for a week now :)

[btroj]

Don't obsess!
Go cast and shoot more!
Plenty of time will be found later to obsess over all sorts of minutiae. For now learn to make a good bullet and how to load it without damaging it.

Go shoot more and have fun.

[geargnasher]

Antimony wash usually doesn't build up past what is laid down on the first shot or two and rarely affects accuracy negatively. It's common when pushing the top end of rifle loads using alloys not containing much tin to balance the antimony. Balancing the antimony with tin causes it's own issues at the extreme limits of cast boolit velocity, so I live with the wash and don't add too much tin. Antimony wash usually comes out 90% or more with a solvent-dampened patch, the remainder with a couple strokes of a bronze brush. Leading is far more stubborn.

Gear

[el roboto]

Antimony wash usually doesn't build up past what is laid down on the first shot or two and rarely affects accuracy negatively. It's common when pushing the top end of rifle loads using alloys not containing much tin to balance the antimony. Balancing the antimony with tin causes it's own issues at the extreme limits of cast boolit velocity, so I live with the wash and don't add too much tin. Antimony wash usually comes out 90% or more with a solvent-dampened patch, the remainder with a couple strokes of a bronze brush. Leading is far more stubborn.

Gear

It is happening with my .45 acp rounds loaded with 5.7 or 6 grns of unique. It is as you describe, and about half of it or so is removed with a hopps 9 patch and the rest comes out rather easy with a brush. Any thoughts on how to eleminate it?

[btroj]

Some lubes seem to reduce it. Best ways I have found are to shoot lower antimony alloys at lower velocities.

In the end I just ignore it. It is there, I know it is there, but I don't care about it.

[7Acres]

El robato, I get the same antimony wash you are experiencing. Using the same caliber, powder and load you say you are using with my wheel weight lead.

[detox]

Try shooting some pure lead bullets to see if so called wash goes away.

[Shiloh]

Leading to me is lumps or streaks in the bore. A light grey wash isn't leading. Without looking down the bore myself it is hard to say for sure.
If it looks similar to copper fouling but is grey instead then it is Sb wash.

+1 leading is a thin foil of lead. Lead wash comes out with a tight patch, and certainly a bronze brush.

Shiloh

[JeffG]

Some lubes seem to reduce it. Best ways I have found are to shoot lower antimony alloys at lower velocities.

In the end I just ignore it. It is there, I know it is there, but I don't care about it.


Great idea, thanks for this!

[JeffG]

Antimony wash usually doesn't build up past what is laid down on the first shot or two and rarely affects accuracy negatively. It's common when pushing the top end of rifle loads using alloys not containing much tin to balance the antimony. Balancing the antimony with tin causes it's own issues at the extreme limits of cast boolit velocity, so I live with the wash and don't add too much tin. Antimony wash usually comes out 90% or more with a solvent-dampened patch, the remainder with a couple strokes of a bronze brush. Leading is far more stubborn.

Gear

Thanks Gear, this is very helpful!

[runfiverun]

it's like gear say's on the alloy.
the antimony on the surface of the boolit forms little dendrites [hooks] that hang off the surface of the boolit these are what you are seeing deposited on the barrel.
tin makes the surface smoother so you don't get the wash [so does lowering the antimonial amount just not the same way of course]
you might could try a wetter lube too this might lower what you see [shrug] or not worry about it.