Prot-x bore bullets?

[gun toting monkeyboy]

I found a .358" Prot-x bore mold on ebay, and I have the zinc gas checks on their way from Hawk bullets. So now what? Does anybody have any experience with loading these? Do I load them like any other cast bullet? What about lube? I have been hearing conflicting things about that. Some say lube, some say don't. Some say lube them until you have a layer of zinc built up in the bore. Supposedly, I can use pure or nearly pure lead with these, and get no leading in the barrel, due to the zinc washers. And that would be great, if the mold were a hollow point. The problem is that this one is a wadcutter. Should I still go with the soft lead? Or does it not really matter?

-Mb

[dbosman]

You'll need some tin, to fill the mold and fill the hole in the washer and behind it.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-x-bore-358500
http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Chapter_10_GCkorPB.htm

[lotech]

These were written up very generally in a feature length article in HANDLOADER magazine #253, more than ten years ago. Zinc washer production was not held to tight specs (maybe those of more recent production are, I don't know). I'd have to look through a lot of old notes, but I did get relatively good accuracy with an original .45 ACP hollowpoint mould that used the washers. I believe I used a wheelweight alloy and added no tin. I shot these bullets unlubed and also tried them with conventional lubing. If I remember correctly, conventional lubing provided no additional advantage.

I did a good deal of experimenting with this process and found it interesting, but also found out it wasn't worth pursuing after my curiosity was satisfied. This and half-jacketed bullet swaging were fairly short-lived fads in the '60s. Some may wish to argue the point, but none of these bullets offered much, if anything, in the way of advantages over conventionally cast bullets that fit and are of the right alloy for the load.

[blackthorn]

FYI There is one of this type of mould for sale in the swap/sell section. Do not recall the caliber at the moment. Comes with 1,000 washers.

[gun toting monkeyboy]

The zinc washers are available from Hawk Bullets. They had an extensive write up in the whole concept, and were one of the main reasons I pulled the trigger on the auction. According to their site, they are having the washers made to very exactly specs, and out of very pure zinc. Many of the previous makers hadn't followed either the specs or the correct alloy for the washers, resulting in problems with the entire system. At least according to them. I was hoping somebody on here had played with them. I am mostly interested in the process of coating the inside of the barrels with a very thin layer of zinc, which is supposed to decrease friction and leading.

-Mb

[lotech]

The zinc washers are available from Hawk Bullets. They had an extensive write up in the whole concept, and were one of the main reasons I pulled the trigger on the auction. According to their site, they are having the washers made to very exactly specs, and out of very pure zinc. Many of the previous makers hadn't followed either the specs or the correct alloy for the washers, resulting in problems with the entire system. At least according to them. I was hoping somebody on here had played with them. I am mostly interested in the process of coating the inside of the barrels with a very thin layer of zinc, which is supposed to decrease friction and leading.

-Mb

I'm not sure this zinc coating really occurs to any great extent, and if it does, is it in any way beneficial? Jim Harvey/ Lakeville Arms called this process "sherardizing" or something similar (I haven't read about any of this in a long time and this is strictly from memory). Zinc washer specs held to tight standards may make some difference as to accuracy but I won't speculate on how little or how much. I do recall measuring the diameter of some of the original zinc washers marketed by Lakeville Arms and diameters did vary enough that some would likely not touch the bore when fired.

There was a lot of marketing done with all of the Lakeville Arms products. My experience indicates some lived up to claims, but my results with others were inconclusive as to actual usefulness or advantages over more conventional bullet making methods. I still have some of these washers in the original cloth bag but I'm not sure on the caliber as I haven't seen them in a while. Good luck with your project; hope it turns out well.

[lotech]

Another point... well known gunwriter Kent Bellah of Saint Jo, TX did more to promote Jim Harvey's Lakeville Arms products than anyone else. He used and reported on the products extensively. Bellah died in 1966, but his articles can still be found in old HANDLOADER'S DIGESTs and other publications.

[gwpercle]

My best high school buddy's Dad had a mould and the zinc washers that went with it , Lyman # 358500 .
He would warm up both mould and washers , use forceps to pick up a washer and insert it into the mould slot , close the mould and fill with alloy , when opened the zinc washer was on the base held by a "lead rivet" ... the zinc washer scraped the rifling clean ... there was that exposed "rivet " of lead on the boolits base . No lube or lube grooves ... just the zinc washer . He gave me a few , cast boolits and washers , for my budding "boolit collection" but I never tried to shoot any .
With all the zinc wheel weights ...maybe a zinc mould to cast zinc bases would be feasible ,
Gary

[smithnframe]

I have one with washers for sale in the swappin and sellin forum here!