PC wearing out barrels?

[gnappi]

I read on another site where a shooter claimed a big bore handgun had the barrel worn out by using powder coated bullets that had paint that was not "designed" for firearm use.

That surprised me because I never heard of a paint formulation made specifically for firearms. Thinking further on the issue, I began to wonder if some metallic paints could abrade a barrel over time? Has anyone ever heard of this issue and substantiated that it can happen?

[Recycled bullet]

I've heard that and similar things "you'll ruin that 30 caliber shooting lead" "you'll wear out the barrel on that Blackhawk shooting lead" "ain't no way you're getting accuracy shooting lead"
"It ain't possible to shoot 9 mm accurately with lead bullets without jamming up the gun"

Too many ignorant men in gun shops have told me that what I'm already doing successfully for years is not even possible??? It's too much work to educate an resistant man and it's unclean to indulge the desire to humiliate him. It's easier for me to just keep to myself, to not engage and allow someone else to continue to choose their own path even if it's to their own detriment.

If they are not hurting other people with their ignorance it is okay.


Gun barrels are made of ordinance steel. Gun barrels are designed to hold tens of thousands of pounds of pressure and incredible unbelievable heat of the expanding gas combined with any erosive or abrasive nature between primer and powder ejecta.

I would not be surprised if his powder coat powder was contaminated with ground glass or ceramic media. That's the only explanation that I can possibly think of. Imagine trying to scratch a bathroom mirror with polyester plastic it's just not going to happen.

Frankly by the time I wear out a gun barrel with my hand loads I will have most definitely gotten my money's worth out of it. I could probably buy a lifetime supply of gun barrels with the cost savings shooting my hand loads versus buying even the cheapest available ammunition online over the service life of the gun.

I will go rub an ultimate Chrome powder coated bullet on my bathroom glass mirror and see if it's scratches... maybe I'll learn something new

[gpidaho]

Pc would be far down the list of things I'd worry about wearing out a barrel. Way below gritty lead from old wheel weights, improper barrel cleaning and hot gasses. Any barrel will eventually wear if shot enough. Gp

[mehavey]

Consider PC to (Literally) be just a polyester paper patch

[Wheelguns 1961]

There has been a rumor about Harbor Freight black pc. It is rumored to contain an abrasive. I don’t know, and hve always used Smoke’s powder.

[elmacgyver0]

I don't care, be a good excuse why I need to buy a new gun.

[Winger Ed.]

The truth doesn't stand a chance against a good myth.

[Recycled bullet]

I don't care, be a good excuse why I need to buy a new gun.

I like that. I'm off to the gun store!

[deltaenterprizes]

When I first read about powder coating there was a thread that cautioned about some powders containing silica , same thing as sand.
My first attempts were not successful due to the garbage powder that I was given.
That was over 15 years ago and if it was a big problem I would think that it would have been widely reported on this site.
My second attempt with some good powder was successful and I am happy with the results!

[charlie b]

I've put over 5000 powder coated bullets through my .308 with no measurable wear to the barrel. Even the throat hasn't 'moved' more than a few thou in that time. All of them have been with Ford Light Blue or clear.

In the old days the metal flake and pearl paints had some 'bad' stuff in them. That changed over the years.

But, if you think about it, what 'metal' would they add to look like bronze or copper? Bronze and copper. Silver? Nickel or Aluminum. None will damage a barrel any more than jacketed bullets that contain copper, zinc, and nickel. So, worst case they will wear out a barrel as fast as jacketed bullets.

If worried about it, then use clear PC.

[Harter66]

There's a sticky here "29,000 cast through an m29" or something to that effect.
L ad is more slippery than copper and PC is even slicker .
Paper patch is rumored to wear out barrels too and paper does have abrasives in it but the throats seem to give up first .

[high standard 40]

The only issue I can think of with powder coat damaging a barrel would be with some of the powders that contain ceramic. I don't have statistical proof that ceramic would damage a barrel but I would be unwilling to test the theory.

[deces]

I am more apt to believe that the fellow wore out his barrel using strong solvents while cleaning it.

[Recycled bullet]

Wow I wonder if paper patch bullets polish the lands and grooves??

[country gent]

barrel steel is around 30-35 RC on the upper end any harder is hard on chambering reamers. glass runs well over 70 rc. Most shop towels have 2 sides one is a coarse side the other is a smoother side both sides will polish or scratch materials even glass. Its not always hardness that is the problem but grain form or structure. An aluminum oxide wheel is harder and will cut steel quickly but wont touch carbide.A silicon carbide wheel is softer and cuts carbide but does little to steel.

Both coated bullets and paper patched will polish a bore, but I suspect that if not contaminated it will tale many thousands of rounds to show. Once any tooling marks ir imperfections are gone this will slow a lot do to the change in surface area.

[Iowa Fox]

I only use Smokes power because he's always been there for us. My only concern is I hope I live long enough to wear one out.

[pworley1]

I didn't jump into powder coating at the beginning because I wanted to see what the long term results might be. After a few years and almost no bad reviews from people who were actually using it I decided to try it. After thousands of bullets down range I am still sold on powder coating. It has provided a great improvement in accuracy in the antique military rifles with worn bores.

[BNE]

Yawn……. Here we go again….

[stubshaft]

Better buy a well made gun not the CHEAP stuff!

[405grain]

Long, long ago i read on the interweb that some people were having trouble with Harbor Freight black being gritty and abrasive. Back then HF only stocked 4 colors; red, yellow, white, and black. The red was the only color that worked halfway decent on bullets, and even then it was awful compared to Smoke's powder and Eastwood Ford light blue. Thankfully Harbor Freight stopped supplying black a long time ago (and it hasn't been missed). Like a lot of people, when powder coating bullets first became a thing I started out with HF red, but after the first time I used Smoke's powder the HF stuff went straight into the trash. I'm sure that there are lots of types of powder coat that for one reason or another are poorly suited for coating bullets, (designed for corrosion or chemical resistance, or maybe even as a non-slip surface), but Smoke has tested all the powders that he sells and all of the ones I've tried have worked really well.