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Thread: Under cured PC

  1. #1
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    Under cured PC

    I'll tell you what happens when you don't get a good cure on PC...it smears off in the barrel then gets cooked on by subsequent firings. My fault, I wasn't monitoring the temperature, only set the temp on oven and started baking after up to temp. The old oven couldn't maintain temp, and I didn't realize it. Bullets looked good, passed the smash test, but were not bonded well enough for shooting.
    This is a terrible mess to clean up. I takes repeated soaking with Kroil, scrubbing with bronze brush, and scrubbing with Iosso bore paste. Eventually got things cleaned.
    As advised on this forum, I bought a glass oven thermometer, and a new toaster oven. I watch the thermometer and make sure it is over 400 at all times while curing.
    By the way, I found the toaster ovens with quartz elements heat up faster than the standard elements, and seem to hold temp at a more constant level.
    If you suspect you have an under cured batch of pc bullets, you may want to re-consider before firing. Just wanted to pass this along.
    Dan

  2. #2
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    PC dissolves very easily in either acetone or Lacquer thinner. You don't always have to use "gun" related solvents! Some acetone and 0000 steel wool will do the job nicely.

    Just proves that temp monitoring is very critical step to an "easy-peazy" hobby process.

    Have fun shooting.

    banger

  3. #3
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    Heres another option for you. I always had a hard time seeing a thermometer inside the oven.Had to use a flashlight and keep my window clean. Get yourself a digital thermometer with a thermocouple. Drill a hole in a pc bullet. Secure it with high heat aluminum tape. Stick your bullet in with the bullets when you bake the. Temp changes instantly and the thermometer is on the outside of the oven.When your bullets hit the recommended temp start a timer. Takes all the guess work out of it. It is just another option. Doesn't hurt to have options!
    Boolits !!!!! Does that mean what I think it do? It do!

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    Acetone works as described and shotgun wad cleaner should get it out too. Brownells sells some powerful wad cleaner and it will wipe shotgun wads out quickly. It depends on what you have available. The Kroil, Iosso, bronze brush gig obviously worked, but man what work.

    You've probably already done so, but bake them rascals again. Did you get any lead build up?

    I just read your other post about unknown powder and coverage. Was this incident caused by the powder and the rifle mentioned? I have PC'd for a couple years and coated thousands of bullets, but do not consider myself an expert. That said, I've only used known powders and I use a high gloss. I'd rather cure for a longer time even though it might not matter.
    Last edited by DHDeal; 02-12-2020 at 07:33 PM.

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  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by DHDeal View Post

    I just read your other post about unknown powder and coverage. Was this incident caused by the powder and the rifle mentioned? I have PC'd for a couple years and coated thousands of bullets, but do not consider myself an expert. That said, I've only used known powders and I use a high gloss. I'd rather cure for a longer time even though it might not matter.
    I was using HF Red. The toaster oven would not keep up temp after adding bullets, but I didn't know at the time.
    Now...different oven, monitor temp, and different powder. No problems so far, and the new oven has no problem at all maintain temp.
    Also thanks Slide. Suggestion noted.
    And so far, I've only had the chance to fire a few of the new powder, and so far no problems. I want this powder to work, I have at least 15 lbs of the stuff. If it works, and I think it will, I have a good supply.
    Thanks, Dan

  7. #7
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    Conditor, powder on the base of the bullet, what are you saying?
    Or are you making your own tracers?

    Nice photos.

  8. #8
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    Some powders WILL dissolve some PC formulas if in contact for a period of time (varies). Find out which ones you own do it and either store your loaded rounds nose up or get rid of that powder(s).

    I saw no degradation in shooting performance with know gun powder stuck on the base of the boolit. It still burns! And goes BANG!

    I did.



    bangerjim

  9. #9
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    Uner cured PC can be affected by some powders.
    To be safe, bake for 25 min at 400° in a preheated oven, preferably with a PID control.

    [after I put PID's on one of my ovens and casting pot I no longer worry about temperature

    ** most countertop ovens temperatures will vary with the surrounding temperature due to the location and type of thermostat ** re-check your temperature setting when the surrounding temperature changes

  10. #10
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    I've read many posts over the last few years with people asking about undercured PC and with the exception of the possibility of bad PC (probably not an issue and bad PC is just when it doesnt cover I suppose), it seems temperature is the main culprit. A good thermometer is a PC saver. I do cheat on the time as I'm lazy or busy so I turn my timer to 30 minutes from a warmed oven and come back later...

  11. #11
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    I find my oven takes 12 or 17 minutes sometimes a little longer to get to 400 showing on taylor precision thermometer , so I set temp high on oven and while loading trays I watch when it gets just above 400 I set temp to 400 and timer to 20 and continue to load trays and monitor , so far it will hold temp at 400 when it attains it , but I like to set higher and back it down when I reset the timer works for me and I am happy

  12. #12
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    On most of the Prismatic Powders the manufacturer recommends 12 minutes after the substrate reaches 400 degrees; powder flow has nothing to do with it. A Taylor glass thermometer is great at monitoring the ambient temperature in the oven, but understand 400 degrees air temperature is not the same as bullet substrate temperature.

  13. #13
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    After learning the PC process, much reading on this site, and on the PC site for manufacturers. My oven takes 5 minutes to heat up when filled with 2 trays of boolits of 200 to 250 grains. I load the oven, turn it to 400 degrees (checked by thermometer) and set a timer for 15 minutes.

    At 15, I turn it off, check the thermometer to ensure it stayed at temp, and let them cool. Five years and tens of thousands of PCd boolits later, so far so good. I even checked boolits in gunpowder for days, weeks, and months, still no problems. BTW, I only used Harbor Freight Black until I ran out. Since then, Prismatic. Still no problems.

    Well, just one problem. Once, while cooking some Lyman 225-415 boolits, I somehow left a piece of cardboard on top of the Black and Decker toaster oven. I was shocked it didn't catch fire and didn't even discolor from heat. The boolits melted and slumped, but didn't puddle the lead. PC was intact! Never did that again
    Common sense Gun Safety . . .

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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