knurled boolits

[44mag1]

Anybody here ever try to knurl there boolits like hornady does??? I was thinking of a boolit with no lube groove,knurled, with some kind of liquid lube. Should work. might be too time consuming unless all was automated.

[yondering]

The knurling can be done easily with a coarse file. Lay a thin cloth on a flat desk or tabletop, put the bullet on it, and press down with the file while rolling it a couple revolutions.

I've used this method for paper patching, but haven't tried it with lube.

[longbow]

Corbin makes diamond knurlers for just that purpose:

http://www.corbins.com/hct-2.htm

Or a groover:

http://www.swage.com/ftp/pr-hct3.pdf

I made a "groover" that puts small annular rings into a smooth boolit and that works too. Sort of like the Lee tumble lube grooves but swaged in.

So the answer is yes... and it works. I don't think it takes any longer than sizing/lubing. I use this for smooth boolits from pushout moulds since they can't be cast with lube grooves.

I tried buying lube grooves but couldn't find any that fit.

Longbow

[Echo]

It seems that using two coarse files, one on the bottom, the other on top, might get a good cross-hatch.

[303Guy]

I tried buying lube grooves but couldn't find any that fit.:bigsmyl2:

You folks put me onto knurling with two files (one file will work too) and it worked for me. The knurling remains intact on the full circumference of the fired boolit, proving that it works.

Echo

I have only tried it with my own lube that I call 'waxy-lube'. I doubt it is anywhere as good as 'Felix Lube' but it has the advantage of being easier to mix up and it did seem to do what I required of it. It has to be melted and the loaded boolit dipped and dripped so there is the disadvantage but I had my set up going already for a rather unique 22 hornet system.

[yondering]

It seems that using two coarse files, one on the bottom, the other on top, might get a good cross-hatch.

This is true, although a single cross hatch file will do the same.

[oley55]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/images/misc/quote_icon.png Originally Posted by Echo http://castboolits.gunloads.com/images/buttons/viewpost-right.png (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?p=817411#post817411)
It seems that using two coarse files, one on the bottom, the other on top, might get a good cross-hatch.



This is true, although a single cross hatch file will do the same.

an old topic to be sure. regardless: doesn't this make the bullet diameter smaller? I ask this because when embedding fire lapping compound into soft lead bullets, I ended up with a few that disappeared into the shell case. No doubt I applied too much pressure and too many times back and forth, but it makes me wonder....... I presume the file method of knurling described is just a single revolution of the bullet. (?)

I have some .357 SWCs with a fairly shallow lube groove (IMO). Although I haven't tested them yet, I fear the lube (Ben's Red formula) will run out in a 24", .357 Rossi lever gun. I was reading some Q&As on the Corbin sight about their knurling tool and they claim a knurled bullet will actually hold more lube than a single grooved bullet. So I wonder if the lube filled knurls would help.

I just may have to play with this a bit. To be sure it is an "on the cheap" option and I'm all about that.

[lead-1]

oley55, I have never tried to knurl bootlits but I would think as long as you aren't trying to squish them and just mark them you would be ok. You might even make them a little bigger in diameter, many years ago I had knurled pistons of a two stroke dirt bike to get an extra couple weeks to months from them or to keep from boring the cylinder right away.