soft lead

[firewalkerd1]

Hi gang, Just received my powder from Smoke so new to PC. Has any one tried using soft lead (water pipe, roof lead, stick on ) with this powder? I have read till my eyes crossed and didn't find any comments on this. Looks like it wouldn't matter what lead was used as long you got a good coating. I pour mostly pistol boolits below 900fps.

[Grmps]

As long as the lead / cast boolits are clean the powder will stick just fine. I just powder coated a bunch of soft lead black powder mini's and rb's.
If your casting for modern pistols you're going to want something a little harder than pure / soft lead

[OS OK]

I've used roofers flashing and it's soft, PC'd it and experimented making HP's...it's too soft at 750 FPS and the mushroom just peels away under impact pressure in an impact test in a water column, almost looking like it was melted off. It did not lead the barrel when shot at 875 FPS and it had no problems with the PC coating. In a pistol cast they actually cast pretty well. In a regular RN or RNF or TC profile (anything but a HP) I would imagine they'd go splat pretty well.

[popper]

I shot some soft in 40sw, worked OK but you have to really watch for setback in semiauto & case may swage them undersized which reduces neck tension. So it works but take care.

[HeavyHev]

+1 to popper

I had problems using soft lead in my semiauto handgun. I could size to .358 but after seating the bullet and then pulling them, they were closer to .353. As anyone in here will tell you, fit is king and a projectile that is 2 thousands smaller than groove diameter isn't going to shoot well. I would recommend mixing in some superhard or foundry alloy from RotoMetals. All tumbling ceased after I did that as my hardness approached an estimted 15 BNH.

To answer your question though, I don't think soft lead has any problems with powder coating than any other harder alloy.

[prickett]

Soft lead is like a sausage. A durable shell containing soft innards. I never had it work. The soft lead easily deforms and you get keyholing at 10 feet and/or the case (i.e. the powder coat) ruptures and you get leading.

Powder coating only allows a SLIGHTLY less hard alloy.

[rototerrier]

Softest I go is 50/50 COWW/SOWW and only in 45. Works great. For 9mm I use COWW + SN and sometimes go a little harder.

But, you just never know until you try it in your gun. They'll either lead your barrel and/or be inaccurate or they won't. Doesn't take long to clean a pistol barrel!

[firewalkerd1]

Thanks for all the replies. I will be casting for cowboy and 1911 45acp. I will try doing the 50/50. I will try to keep at or below 875fps.

[OS OK]

Speaking of soft Pb...'elvis ammo' just posted an interesting video using 10 BHN, cast SWC's & PC'd in a 5"-.357 Mag. @ very high velocities, 110g. & 160g. running 1,600 & 1,475 FPS respectively, they grouped well too.

357 Magnum Missiles, Test, Ballistic Gel, Target, FPS. (Count on It) #4

Elvis is entertaining and tries to put all his information out front for consideration.

[popper]

I shot 40sw with alloy I could scratch with the back of my fingernail, BLL coated, 165gr PB close to 1k fps. No keyholes @ 25 yds. SOWW or 50/50 should be plenty hard, neck tension is the possible problem for soft alloy. A design with crimp groove would help.

[chuckw11]

I use the lee 200 gr RNFP PC them with old lead Xray blocks, they are quite soft, out of a 16 barrel they are going 2100-2150 FPS(tested on three different cronos) in 45 APC, I have had no leading, I use them for plinking and dear hunting, they have ridiculous expansion, against a steel plate in excess of 1.25 inches, deer rib, heart and lungs was close to an inch as it broke the ribs on the other side but did not exit. I have cycled nearly 2000 rounds through this barrel almost all have been the cast lead, maybe 200 230gr FMJs have been through it, and no leading issues at all. I use the LEE factory crimp die, and Promo powder as to bullet deformation, I have only noticed the line from the crimp die, I will pull a coupld now though to check the actual base as I am curious.

[Dragonheart]

I have PC pure plumbers lead and fired at 1400 FPS with no leading and certainly no keyholes. Those that are having problems I suspect are not getting a proper coating and cure of the polymer. I have also fired PC range lead, which is about 10 bhn in excess of 3500 fps with no leading and no keyholes. Your results are going to depend largely on the thickness of the polymer. Rifling is typically about .004" deep and a properly coated and cured polymer is as hard as copper. With handguns you can shoot just about anything; rifle accuracy is typically better with a harder alloy.