leading with PC bullets in .45 acp

[chris12]

So I got a new mold for my RIA 1911. NOE's H&G 68 copy. I tried that sized to .452 and lubed with 45/45/10 and with 5 gr Bullseye and while it gave me very good accuracy I had leading in the first inch of the barrel.

So I thought I would give powder coating a try. Everything the same except i powder coated my bullets. I had the same results. Lead in the first inch or so of the barrel. I dry tumbled them with harbor freight red and sized afterwards. I thought the powder coat looked really good and it didn't flake off when I pounded one flat.

My question is do you guys think this is a problem with how I'm coating my bullets (My first time trying it) or is it something bullet hardness/size related. I'm using range scrap. Also, this morning I tried lubing my bullets to 45/45/10 unsized and I had horrible leading thru the entire barrel.

What do you guys think?

[flyingmonkey35]

Slug your barrel.

Leading at the end of the barrel normally indicates not enough lube is used.

Where you are doing PC boolit size might be the issue.

I have thousands down range with no leading.

And just enough resdue to make me question but a quick wipe down shows its clean.

[chris12]

I will get a slug of my barrel today and take it to work tomorrow to measure it.

The leading is on the chamber end of the barrel and not the muzzle end.

[sparky45]

What Flyingmonkey35 said. Slug that barrel cause it sounds like you're shooting a tad bit small projectile. Measure the finished bullet (after coating with PC) and if it's .453 load some and see if it makes any difference. Otherwise you got barrel troubles. BTW, all 4 of my 45's like PC'd bullets.

[bangerjim]

Slug away!!!! I have sent tons of 45's sized at .452 (.451 for 45ACP) down various barrels of pistoles and long guns that are ESPC or BBDT and ZERO leading! None. Nada. Zip.

You could have a size problem. Check it out and let us know!

banger

[prs]

Chris, when I had persistent leading problems with my two then new 45ACPs, I got some leading no matter what I tried and I tried lots of things. LLA and Recluse were of no use on any of the several different bullets. NRA lube made a noted improvement, BAC a little less improvement. I was getting really good at de-leading barrels. With a clean barrel, both pistols shot remarkably well for maybe 10 rounds with LLA or Recluse; maybe 30+ rounds with NRA 50:50, but once accuracy started falling off, it would go to Hyades in a hand basket. I became aware of the root of the problem pretty quickly, the leade or beginning of the rifeling was way too abrupt, almost 90 degrees. The first shots would scrape the boolits and subsequent shots not only scraped more, but also ironed out the previous leading down the tube. Alloy hardness did not matter much, powders and velocities did not matter a great deal either. I finally gave in and ordered a Manson 45ACP reamer and put a nice taper on the leade of each barrel. BINGO! Now they shoot all the different boolits I loaded before and the tumble lubes work as well as the old stand-byes. I did not start PC experiments until after the barrel mods, but I have no reason to believe the PC would not have been shaved off the boolits too. So, check your barrel where the case mouth seats and look at how that shelf transitions into the rifling. If it is abrupt and sharp, there is your Huckleberry! Take a sharp awl or nail and trace that chamber end firmly and you may lift a ring of lead to expose just how sharp that edge is. Recent manufacture barrels seem to be going this way.

prs

[tomme boy]

PRS is telling the truth. Most of the pistols being made today are this way. It is a cost cutting method by the manufacturers.

[flyingmonkey35]

Leading at the front of the barrel can be caused by a few things

1. Bad barrel as prw stated
2. Boolit sized to big.
3. Improper seating depth.
4 improper crimp

Slug the barrel and you eliminate 2

To check 3
With the barrel out of the firearm gauge check it.

Dose the full round freely drop in and fall out?
Dose it sit flush?

Rember this is science with proven methods to resolve this .

Never give up never surrender!

Sent from my phone

[tomme boy]

The problem is the leade

[chris12]

The throat of the barrel doesn't seem to be too sharp, but I'm not ruling that out as I have no other 45's to compare it to.

The rounds do fall in and out of the chamber easily. They sit flush as well.

This isn't a new gun it is just a new mold. I have been using the lee 228 gr. bullet for a while now with decent accuracy and no leading (although with a fairly mild load). I'm only switching bullet designs because i have some feeding problems with the lee bullet.

I have my slugged bullet sitting on top of my lunch box waiting for work tomorrow where i have a micrometer and will check back in when i have a measurement.

[Wayne S]

Did you slug the bbl. at the muzzle OR at the throat ? IMHO, you need to slug the throat and size to the nearest .001 OVER your throat's Dia.
One trick to check if there are any rough areas in the throat/ bbl is with the bbl out of the frame after you slug the throat is to push a cotton ball through the bbl.. Any thing other than a smooth surface will snag a small piece of cotton.

[dilly]

You guys think the new mold is dropping smaller than the old one?

[chris12]

Ok, so my barrel measures just a hair under .454

[runfiverun]

read what tommy said...

a barrel that big belongs on a colt made revolver.

[guncheese]

im having leading in the RIA 9mm i picked up last month
the powder coat thick or thin isnt holding up
when i got the gun i noticed the bore was parkerized and slugged at .3535" (yes i typed that right)
now after much scrubbing and lots of shooting
it slugs at .3555" (weeeeee!)
but its still leading pretty bad
i got out the magnifying stuff today and i see that the bore really isnt very smooth has tool chatter and other rough spots both cross ways and length ways to the bore
i tried polishing it with a lead slug cast onto a old bore brush and pumice handcleaner and comet cleanser (didnt have any lapping paste)
its better looking but i have my doubts
im really spoiled with my Kart barrel in the 45 its like a mirror in there and nothing sticks to it
i hate to have to get a new barrel for it, as this just isnt working out and its affecting the accuracy potential of the gun
i dont know if RIA would get me a new barrel and if they did would it be just as bad

[prs]

If it shoots one style of lead boolit without leading, then Tommy and I may be barking up the wrong tree. If it is the modern abrupt leade, you would not be describing it as "doesn't seem too sharp", they are not hard to spot when you see them. .454" in an ACP barrel? Wow! Typical slugs with them measure .451" or so for the barrel groove diameter.

prs

[chris12]

I thought .454 was big too but I measured it twice and had someone else confirm my measurement. So do you guys think I should try going with a different barrel?

[guncheese]

ive shot .454-.456" in .45acp if it chambers the gun really doesnt care lead is soft
but ive havent seen a bore more than .452
but saw a taurus in a article that was .4535"

[chajohnson]

I've got a Taurus PT-145 that slugs 0.4565". Biggest mold I have cast only 0.454. I've scrubbed probably a pound of lead from that bore. Then started just using vinegar & peroxide to get ride of the lead. Finally just quit using cast in it. Seems to shoot J-bullets OK. Just recently acquired a Lee black powder mould that's supposed to cast a 220 gr., 0.457 conical for a Ruger Old Army 45. I'm in hopes of powder coating it & squirting it down range w/o any leading. Hopefully it will chamber.