Beating the dead heat treating horse

[Nora]

I was over haunting the LASC web sight looking at some info on heat treating. http://www.lasc.us/HeatTreat.htm It's listed with them, that WW's are 12 BHN wile WQ-WW's are 18 BHN. The article just discuses the outcome as being harder if heat treated in an oven. Ok, but what If I'd like the opposite result? Is it possible to somehow reduce the hardness of the boolit once hardened by what ever means used? Let's say you've got a hand full that have been water dropped, then a month latter you decide that they'd better suite you at 12 BHN. Or for that matter, air cooled that you'd like softer that 12 BHN. By what means if any would you use to reduce, not increase it's hardness once already cast? I'm more on a "quest for knowledge" so if it's not do-able that's fine, I'm just curios. :coffee:

[giz189]

Yes, they can be softened. Paco Kelley describes putting his castings in a pan of water and heating just the part of the nose that does not touch the rifle barrel until it just turns a different color with a propane torch or you can put them in the oven at about 400* for 30 - 40 minutes, then just turn the oven off and let them air cool to ambient or room temp. Of course, this is done before sizing and lubing, Paco sizes, installs gas check lubes and then heats his casting, according to the article I read.

[longbow]

If you re-heat boolits that have been water quenched or oven heat treated to 450 to 475 degrees F (just below melting), leave them for an hour or so then let them slowly cool they should return to ACWW hardness.

You won't get ACWW any softer without melting and re-alloying.

Longbow

[randyrat]

ACWW will be softer than 12 BHN within two weeks or so of casting. So that leaves you with 2 weeks to shoot a softer boolit if you want. Or just plan ahead and mix some soft lead with your WWs.