I wonder if......

[docone31]

Since lead is going to be an historic relic, someday, is it possible to make a tool to make a sabot jacket from polyethylene milk jugs.
We are able to get tools to make gas checks from aluminum cans, why not?
Or possibly, a jacket made from an aluminum can to half jacket a cast zinc slug.
I am not referring to swageing here, just making a sabot.
Anybody wandered down this avenue?

[1Shirt]

Interesting thought!
1Shirt!:coffee:

[docone31]

Zinc is harder, lighter, and does not expand well.
Using zinc is going to take some out of the box thinking.
Traditionally, lead was used as it was easy to acquire, use, and people had worked with it.
Zinc, is an entirely different ballgame.
Molds will have to be different, designs will have to be for zinc, tooling will have to stronger.
That is my idea of jacketing smaller zinc projectiles for the caliber. Making a sabot.
If, the .30cal could be saboted to fire .224, and fire it effectively, why not sabot a .30 to fire .684, or 7mm?
The FreeChex gas checks, how about 1/2 jacketed FreeChex? Or something similiar?

[felix]

Biggest problem with zinc is that most of our barrel twists will have to be steeper to compensate the lack of density. It would be interesting to take the Swede out for trial using standard shaped boolits folks now use, but with boolits made entirely of zinc. ... felix

[docone31]

Felix, that is what I was pondering. The 6.5X55 is real long. I wonder, if, making long in .30, or 6MM, would allow for the twist.
The Accelerators used standard .30 cal twist and did alright.
Running zinc is going to take some creative thinking. As long as wheel weights were available for the taking, zinc was a liability. Now.....
I do not see any answers coming today, but with enough thinking, who knows.

[yondering]

The little I've read about zinc indicates that zinc bullets (boolits??) don't need jackets OR lube. There was an article about it in one of the gun rags a number of years ago.

I cast a few zinc bullets in my Lee 452-255-RF mold, and other than the sprues being hard to cut, and needing higher casting temperatures, it wasn't difficult. The melt had a lot more "skin" to it when pouring, so bottom pour pots might need to be modified, but my ladle worked fine.
I did run a couple of them through my Lee sizer, but have not shot them yet. They weigh right at 200 grains each, as opposed to 260gr with WW. They are very hard of course, compared to lead.

[StrawHat]

I think C.E Harris or someone did a test with zinc bullets in a rifle, a 45 caliber if I remember correctly. Unfortunately, that is all I don't remember of the article.

Not sure if it was the American Rifleman or one of the handloading mags.

Does this jog anyone else's memory?

[.45Cole]

What I'm betting on *please* is that there is an enormous ?sp amount of lead being consumed and many (probably) suppliers. A few of them will stick around and lead will be cheap for a while. Can't just stop this flow of material w/o it going elsewhere. Anybody interested in a group buy of custom blend alloy, 10,000lbs min[smilie=1:

[Scrounger]

From another Forum: First one I picked up - got lucky

"Handloader's Digest", Twelfth Edition, pp128-132.

I don't have convenient access to a scanner or photocopier or I'd copy the article and send it out.

Not sure about pure zinc, but article says lube is unnecessary with Zamak (a particular alloy, possibly also known as Kirksite).

Flux with salicylic acid (ie asprin) or substance known as D-flux.

Article emphasizes that sizing will be nearly impossible, although bullets that are even 0.001" undersize should work OK, and better undersized than oversized.

Remove jacket fouling prior to shooting.

Run the alloy about 50 degrees F hotter than you do with lead. Sprue holes may need to be enlarged 25 to 50%.

Don't let sprue completely harden or you can't cut it.

Don't roll crimp.

[floodgate]

Over the years there has been a LOT of experimentation with zinc and zinc-alloy bullets, starting at least as far back as the 1930s. Search this website for "Zinc", "Kirksite", "Jim Harvey", Prot-X-Bore", etc., and you'll find many threads and posts on the subject, with reference to articles in the "American Rifleman" and other sources.

The consensus is that they can be made to work, but not as well as lead alloys - but zinc DOES offer an alternative if lead vanishes fromthe scene. Bismuth and bismuth/tin alloys (in the 5 - 10% tin range) are another possibility - search "Bismuth" for discussions.

Zinc has some (minor?) toxicity issues; bismuth is reportedly classed as non-toxic, but is in the same range, pricewise, as tin; zinc is quite a bit cheaper. Check the "Rotometals" website for current pricing.

Floodgate

EDIT: Search Zamak", too - thanks, Scrounger. Fg

[yondering]

I wonder why no roll crimp? Did it give any details? The zinc bullets I cast were hard enough, I don't think even the heaviest roll crimp would damage them.