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Thread: Leading WITH powdercoat

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
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    Leading WITH powdercoat

    I've been PCing for about three years and after cleaning my bullseye gun, I've found severe leading, in the bore. I shoot a fair amount so clean every 3-500 rounds. The only difference is the powder... vampire red from powder by the pound, or prismatic coatings, can't recall and can't find the reciept.

    Bullets have been cast using same alloy composition, but possibly a different batch. Sized on same equipment. So the most obvious difference is powder

    I've got new bullets cast, coated and loaded up with previosly good coatings for testing... we'll see how it goes, but wanted to share my first PC failure and see if anyone has experienced this.

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  2. #2
    Boolit Master MyFlatline's Avatar
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    Keep us posted, In over 6 years , I have not leaded. That even includes the Harbor Freight PC.. And I also shoot quite a bit..

  3. #3
    Boolit Master



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    Sounds like you have been doing it a while and probably have a good technique. Could a batch have slipped thru that didn't cook long enough?
    At one with the gun.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master gpidaho's Avatar
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    That was my first thought. Maybe a short bake time. Gp

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
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    I shoot a lot of different guns with my ASBB HF red and most of them have beee pushed to "full power same as J word" levels.

    Leading with PC has only been an issue with 9mm (cases were sizing boolits down too much) and "TC/Ruger only" 45 colts (boolits to small to start with).

    There have also been several bottleneck chamber guns where accuracy has gone bad before full power, but this was still with no leading.

    If I had a new gun start leading with PC, I would be thinking about boolit fit & cook temp/duration (typically time to do a smash test).

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy
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    If you have any that are still not loaded do the "smash test" and see if its coming off.

  7. #7
    Boolit Buddy
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    Cure is the same... I'm a stickler for that, and the oven I use is convection with a built in timer, so cure cycles are pretty easy to controll. Temp is set to 420f, but that is due to some differences I measured vs what I was seeing on my data logger. Smash rest was tried and passed...

    Plan on shooting different coatings tomorrow. Will advise...

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  8. #8
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    A couple questions.
    what gun are you shooting these in
    have you changed the sizing or seating depth
    what alloy are you using/have you changed the alloy
    Have you checked the oven temp recently? Countertop oven temperature varies with the surrounding temperature,
    Some powders require a 20 min bake time AFTER they start melting
    Are you using a hotter load?

  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by Grmps View Post
    A couple questions.
    what gun are you shooting these in
    have you changed the sizing or seating depth
    what alloy are you using/have you changed the alloy
    Have you checked the oven temp recently? Countertop oven temperature varies with the surrounding temperature,
    Some powders require a 20 min bake time AFTER they start melting
    Are you using a hotter load?
    Gun is a 5" 1911 in 45 acp. Kart barrel

    alloy is range scrap with some added lino, approximately 95, 2.5, 2.5

    No change is seating depth, sizing or powder charge.

    Haven't checked oven temp, but garrage is heated so environment should not be colder. Oven is only two years old and is only used for powder coating (so pretty new)

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  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master popper's Avatar
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    same alloy composition, but possibly a different batch Possible problem here but IMHO it's the powder. PC comes in several grades with different mechanical properties. Cook for 1/2 hr, mark and try those. age hardening of the alloy could also make a difference, but it is a 45ACP. You could also cook for 1 hr, WD. Then any leading is definitely PC problem. I've used HF, Smoke's and Hitek and I can get leading from those in 40SW stiff loads but it's a process or alloy problem
    Whatever!

  11. #11
    Boolit Master
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    If you are not monitoring the temperature and duration of the oven with a good separate thermometer then that is likely your problem. Oven thermostats can not be relied on and you have to know for sure the PC cure was to specs. A Taylor glass Oven Guide thermometer can be read through the glass door and responds quickly.

  12. #12
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    range scrap alloy content can be all over the place. the est I got was 94.6/1.26/4.14 with a BHN of 12.8 (with 45 ACP you could go down to 8 BHN and be OK)

    Re-check the oven temp.

    If your shooting for the best accuracy and want to use range scrap, I would suggest smelting large batches of the range scrap and send a sample of each pot to BNE to XRF for you so you can smelt it again and alloy it so ALL your lead is comparable.

    https://www.prismaticpowders.com/sho...13/vampire-red


    VAMPIRE RED
    Item: PSS-3013
    Description:
    Vampire Red is a dark red. This color is a polyester solid tone powder coat and has a high gloss finish.

    CURE TIME & TEMP: 12 min. @ 400°F
    As always, the cure time starts when the substrate reaches temperature.

    this PC should be fine unless it was a bad batch

    A couple suggestions

    Re-check the oven temp.

    cover the bottom of your oven with something that retains heat (I use ceramic BBQ briquettes) this greatly speeds recovery time from when the door is opened

    Bake for 20 min after the PC starts to flow

  13. #13
    Boolit Buddy
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    I've read all the suggestions on oven temp, alloy composition, smelting batches, etc and I'm confident these are not the issue for various reasons. I suspected they were not the case before I posted, (which is why I posted in the first place) but I'm now convinced it's the powder.

    I fired 50 rounds coated with smokes black sized to both .453 and .452, and neither leaded, 50 rounds with vampire red... significant leading...

    Problem solved... powder disposed of... and its on the list not to buy again...

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  14. #14
    Boolit Master
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    One thing about Smokes Powder is it is a proven performer.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check