Done with harbor freight black

[jcameron996]

I have been casting for awhile and powder coating for about a year and a half. I started out with the hf red with okay results and when that ran out went to the hf matte black. That is turning out to be a huge mistake. The threads that I read about it being abrasive seem to be painfully true. The rifling in the first half inch of a 5 inch xd barrel is GONE. I don't have an exact count, but probably around 3000 rounds in the last few months. I closely inspected the barrel on my 2011 and didn't see any obvious damage but the wife's xd barrel is done. For those of you that have been using it with good results, be careful. I for one am done with it.

[Fishman]

Just a question, because I don't know about your pistol. Is it possible what you are seeing is the rifling leade? Many modern pistols have an abrupt change from chamber to rifling, but others are more gradual.

[jcameron996]

No, I have two of the same pistol. Mine is in semi-retirement since I started shooting the STI. I pulled it out to compare and it is an obvious difference. I would try to put up a picture but there is no way I would get anything anyone could see with my limited(read non existent) camera abilities.

[xacex]

I stopped using the flat black myself because I noticed a change in accuracy. It was not as good with the HF flat black.

[osteodoc08]

45cal and I also had issues with it sticking well. We've had the best luck with HF red. This was using his HF electrostatic gun set up.

[NavyVet1959]

Were you using the electrostatic or the tumble method for applying the powder to the bullets? Were you resizing afterwards?

Wow... Post #1999...

[jcameron996]

I was using the electrostatic method with the harbor freight gun, and sizing to .357 with a Lee push through sizer.

[Fishman]

That's a bummer. Thanks for the report.

[LAGS]

Did the HF black wear out your sizer too ?

[jcameron996]

As far as I can tell the sizer is fine.

[NavyVet1959]

As far as I can tell the sizer is fine.

Since those 3000 bullets also went through the sizer, you would think that it might be noticeable in the resizer die also.



Wow... Just noticed... Post #2000...

[Smoke4320]

Probably a combo of added heat makes the barrel wear faster

[jcameron996]

That and several thousand pounds of pressure.

[Motor]

The sizing die is very likely harder steel than the barrel. From my own experience with XD pistols (these were 45acp) they have very little lead. If there was any full diameter boolit beyond the case mouth it would hit the rifling and prevent the action from closing. I don't know if the 9mms are the same but I doubt they have long lead in's.

Motor

[Maximumbob54]

Please wrap some solid copper Chore Boy around a bore brush and be absolute sure it's not lead. I've almost used up an entire pound bottle of HF matte black and between .38's, 9mm, and .40SW I have no leading issues and my bores all look fine. I just do not see how it can work for so many and then not for one.

[Pellethuntr]

I have not had any problems with the HF matte black. But I have also not shot 3k rounds out of any one gun. Interesting to see what others have to say.

[bangerjim]

I have had absolutely ZERO problem with ESPC and HF matte black. Have inspected the bores of at least 8 guns with thousands of rounds thu and not a single sign of wear or abrasion. None.

You got something going on with the barrel the rest of us do not?

I will continue to use HF black and all other various maker's gloss & matt colors on the market.

Sorry to hear of your problem. Clean your barrel as suggested. I cannot see how you could have removed ALL the rifling!!!!!!!!!! Other than sub-quality barrel?

banger

[jcameron996]

I've put several hundred strokes on this barrel with the brush wrapped so tight you could hardly start it and have seen no change in the appearance of the bore. I'm going to work on it some more tonight, but I'm pretty sure the barrel is toast. I'm currently looking for aftermarket replacements if anyone has any ideas. I'm going to use the trashed barrel to finish off what I have loaded as long as it will give enough accuracy to make it somewhat worthwhile. I sure don't want to pull between 2000-3000 bullets.

[bangerjim]

I just remembered this:


FYI............I did find that a very early bottle of HF black did seem slightly abrasive to the touch. That was well over 2 years ago. Bottles since then have not shown that property.

The test I listed on here was:

Take a black coated boolit and twist it between your thumb and 1st finger while pushing it into your other thumb and 1st finger on the nose. If you see whiteish powder-like residue on the nose.....that is YOUR skin cells!!!!! THAT is abrasion.

I only saw that on one bottle of powder years ago. I am sure HF changes sources of powder about as often as some change their undies! Typical of them.

Try the test and let us know what you find.

I coated all of those (~400) with either VHT copper or other colors of gloss ESPC. I used that powder to coat some of my machine shop tooling holders for the metal lathes.

banger

[jcameron996]

I've only bought two bottles of the black powder. The first one was when I bought my setup a little over a year and a half ago. No telling how long it set on the shelf before I bought it. The last one was earlier this spring. I will do the test and let everyone know what I find out.