Jim
12-28-2009, 02:38 PM
First, Mr. Moderator, if this is not the right place for this, please accept my apology and, by all means, transfer to the correct section.
Second, let me remind everyone that gluelits, although only powered by primers, are NOT to be underestimated. Actually, that's the point of this post. ANYTHING propelled from the barrel of a firearm(or airgun, for that matter) should be taken as seriously as a fully loaded round.
Now, having said all that, I will proceed with my point.
As most of you know, I've been researching and experimenting with gluelits since the late summer of 2006. Recently, I decided to build a gluelit trap for an indoor range in the basement. Two 2X4s, 48" long, with a 24" X 30" piece of Masonite screwed to the 2" sides constituted the main frame. A piece of 1/2" polystyrene insulation, same size as the Masonite sheet, on the other 2" edges of the 2X4s, serves as the target backing.
I hung this contraption from the joists of the basement overhead and push pinned a standard NRA 50' small bore rifle target to it. I pushed a grease lubed .454 RB mold cast gluelit into a .45 Colt case primed with a large pistol primer and loaded it in my trusty old Colt New Service revolver.
RANGE IS HOT! At a measured distance of 15", I fired at the target. I heard the gluelit hit the target backing and then saw something flying left to right through the air just behind the target. Upon inspection, I discovered that the gluelit had PENETRATED THE MASONITE BACKING!
That thing flying through the air was the gluelit after it ricocheted off the shop fridge door. I took the Masonite backing off and installed a sheet of 1/4" Plexiglass. Another test, this time with a large magnum rifle primer to test for maximum energy. The Plexiglass stopped it.
If you think gluelits don't have any bullet energy with nothing but a primer behind them, think again. A .45 caliber ball made of hot glue that will penetrate a 1/4" sheet of Masonite and then ricochet 15 or 20" across the basement has enough energy to sting the hallaluya out you.
Added in Edit mode:
I just came up from the shop in the basement. I cast a .458 RB gluelit, primed a .45-70 case with a lg. mag. rifle primer and stuffed the RB all the way down against the primer flash hole. I put a touch of 10 weight oil on the inside of the case with a .45 caliber bore mop and ran a clean, oiled patch down the barrel of my Gibbs bolt action .45-70 to pre-lube it. Loaded and fired at the bullet stop. The impact did not penetrate the 1/4" Plexiglass, but you could see stress marks in the refracted light. Think about that. An RB made of hot glue with enough energy to stress 1/4" plexiglass. That's got some zip to it.
As always, SHOOT SAFELY!
Second, let me remind everyone that gluelits, although only powered by primers, are NOT to be underestimated. Actually, that's the point of this post. ANYTHING propelled from the barrel of a firearm(or airgun, for that matter) should be taken as seriously as a fully loaded round.
Now, having said all that, I will proceed with my point.
As most of you know, I've been researching and experimenting with gluelits since the late summer of 2006. Recently, I decided to build a gluelit trap for an indoor range in the basement. Two 2X4s, 48" long, with a 24" X 30" piece of Masonite screwed to the 2" sides constituted the main frame. A piece of 1/2" polystyrene insulation, same size as the Masonite sheet, on the other 2" edges of the 2X4s, serves as the target backing.
I hung this contraption from the joists of the basement overhead and push pinned a standard NRA 50' small bore rifle target to it. I pushed a grease lubed .454 RB mold cast gluelit into a .45 Colt case primed with a large pistol primer and loaded it in my trusty old Colt New Service revolver.
RANGE IS HOT! At a measured distance of 15", I fired at the target. I heard the gluelit hit the target backing and then saw something flying left to right through the air just behind the target. Upon inspection, I discovered that the gluelit had PENETRATED THE MASONITE BACKING!
That thing flying through the air was the gluelit after it ricocheted off the shop fridge door. I took the Masonite backing off and installed a sheet of 1/4" Plexiglass. Another test, this time with a large magnum rifle primer to test for maximum energy. The Plexiglass stopped it.
If you think gluelits don't have any bullet energy with nothing but a primer behind them, think again. A .45 caliber ball made of hot glue that will penetrate a 1/4" sheet of Masonite and then ricochet 15 or 20" across the basement has enough energy to sting the hallaluya out you.
Added in Edit mode:
I just came up from the shop in the basement. I cast a .458 RB gluelit, primed a .45-70 case with a lg. mag. rifle primer and stuffed the RB all the way down against the primer flash hole. I put a touch of 10 weight oil on the inside of the case with a .45 caliber bore mop and ran a clean, oiled patch down the barrel of my Gibbs bolt action .45-70 to pre-lube it. Loaded and fired at the bullet stop. The impact did not penetrate the 1/4" Plexiglass, but you could see stress marks in the refracted light. Think about that. An RB made of hot glue with enough energy to stress 1/4" plexiglass. That's got some zip to it.
As always, SHOOT SAFELY!