lead bullets coated with polymer paint

[Skip62]

Can you go over your procedure for the powder coat?
My bullets are coming out with a rough texture and yours look great.

The blue ones are Klass Kote epoxy paint, and it lays flat on the bullet. The black ones are the PC, and they are rough, you just can't see it in the picture very well. Like piglet said, thinner is better. The first coat on the black went on pretty smooth, it was the second coat I don't think I had thinned enough. I start with 2 to 1 MEK to PC. It's going to take some experimentation with application. On that batch the first coat was poured in a 2 1/2 quart mixing container, then I added boolits while swirling and the coat was very thin and smooth. 2nd coat, I put the bullets in the bucket, and slowly poured the mix on top while swirling, and they quickly got sticky, so I don't think there wasn't enough thinner in the 2nd coat. If you figure it out before I do, let me know. I would like it to lay down a little more than it does. 3 very thin coats might be the way to do it.

Good luck.

I used MEK cuz it's what I had, not cuz I thought it was better, and it may not be.

[popper]

Whizzer - bunch of reports of happy users without gas checks, rifle or pistol? I assume you are talking accuracy here. That will also depend on PB quality, load & alloy, not just the coating. So far most posts are technique and like/dislike for various coatings. Do we need separate threads for various coating performance reports?

[morrisammo]

Whizzer - bunch of reports of happy users without gas checks, rifle or pistol? I assume you are talking accuracy here. That will also depend on PB quality, load & alloy, not just the coating. So far most posts are technique and like/dislike for various coatings. Do we need separate threads for various coating performance reports?

no gas checks,,, on any bullets,, and I can't say I use a super,,, lead mix,,, wheel weights, and scrap from the scrap yard,, I buy from,,, 100LBS,,,, tin added 1 Lb,,,, been doing that for many years,, they shoot great,,

I just got the 223 AR- bullets,, working with the coating,,, for me that was the Holy Grail,, pistol bullets are easy,, rifle bullets at 2000+++ fps was the problem,, but not anymore!

[Whizzer]

well it worked for me,, with AR 15,,, cast bullets,,,, <snip>

Yes, I did read that. Your review carries some weight. If you really have "no dog in the hunt" yet still give a thumbs up...that kinda tends to leave a mark.

Thanks.
Stan

[piglet]

3 very thin coats might be the way to do it.

I am using three very thin coats, very little PC and much acetone.
There is also difference between powders. Some give shinier results than others.
I have only black Infralit, and it is quite shiny.

[cstrickland]

no gas checks,,, on any bullets,, and I can't say I use a super,,, lead mix,,, wheel weights, and scrap from the scrap yard,, I buy from,,, 100LBS,,,, tin added 1 Lb,,,, been doing that for many years,, they shoot great,,

I just got the 223 AR- bullets,, working with the coating,,, for me that was the Holy Grail,, pistol bullets are easy,, rifle bullets at 2000+++ fps was the problem,, but not anymore!

Morris sorry if I missed this but this is a big thread. you quote 2000 +++ fps. what does the +++ equate to in your AR ?? I have been looking for a 3 gun / practice load as well, and was looking at a 55 grain , and wanted about 2600 fps. do you think you are reaching those speeds ??
I

[morrisammo]

Morris sorry if I missed this but this is a big thread. you quote 2000 +++ fps. what does the +++ equate to in your AR ?? I have been looking for a 3 gun / practice load as well, and was looking at a 55 grain , and wanted about 2600 fps. do you think you are reaching those speeds ??
I

That means I have not run them through a Crony yet,, but the low end data 22 Gr list the bullet going 2900FPS so a guess that 20 GR is at least in the 2000 FPS range,,, cast bullet , holds less pressure,, so just a guess.

I will get to Crony them,, but I have to make more and load them,, before the next,, time I go to the range,,

I'm just happy they work! and shoot good groups,, at 25yds,,

[popper]

I'm using HF PC system. Saw a definite improvement in 40, 30-30 PB (pushed reasonably hard), 308 GC is the same. Alloy is ~ COWW. Solves the leading & cleaning problems.

[Skip62]

I am using three very thin coats, very little PC and much acetone.
There is also difference between powders. Some give shinier results than others.
I have only black Infralit, and it is quite shiny.

Ahhh, I missed that somewhere. Thank you

[bmiller]

I got a chance to shoot over a Chrony tonight. Noe 55 grain, aluminum gas check, hi-tek coating. 21.5 grains of wc844. Chronoed at 2519 average out of my 16" m4. 135 Noe 9mm 3.5 grain of 700x, shot it out of my 6" para p-18. 1085 average. Hodgon website says 3.5 is only good for 900 fps. The 6" barrel has something to do with that. But even with my 5" top end I am getting higher velocity than the charts say I should. Overall I am very happy with the product.

[AverageJoe]

Ok, I made 2 attempts at this PC/Acetone tumble thing.

The 1st try, I mixed 1 part PC to 2 parts Acetone, the mix was thin but got thick quick. I shook it until the Acetone flashed off, then it got real thick and sticky. It is the red one in the 1st picture. Look like bad raisins.

The 2nd try, I mixed 1 part PC to 3 parts Acetone. This mix was ultra thin and I did 2 coats, but I did not spin them too long. 1st coat was red and the 2nd was black, to check coverage. You can see the bottom coated in the 2nd picture.


1st attempt on left (red) & 2nd attempt on right (black)

2nd attempt side and bottom.

Definitely need to improve my application process.

[Skip62]

Hey AverageJoe, looks like 2 things to me. 1) the powder didn't mix completely. 2) pouring too much on, it needs very, very little. After the first coat you should still see the color of the boolit underneath, translucent. Very thin, multiple coats.

You'll get it, takes some experimenting. If you don't cure it, you can wash the powder coat off with acetone, save the jar you wash them, it's all reusable, that's something I really like about it. If it dries, just add more acetone, and it comes back to life.

[AverageJoe]

Hey AverageJoe, looks like 2 things to me. 1) the powder didn't mix completely. 2) pouring too much on, it needs very, very little. After the first coat you should still see the color of the boolit underneath, translucent. Very thin, multiple coats.

You'll get it, takes some experimenting. If you don't cure it, you can wash the powder coat off with acetone, save the jar you wash them, it's all reusable, that's something I really like about it. If it dries, just add more acetone, and it comes back to life.

Thanks Skip62, on to trial 3. Do I slush them around until they dry in the mixing tub or do I pour them on to a grating when still wet and recover the excess? I did it until the acetone flashed off and they got sticky... Real bad sticky.

[Skip62]

I don't have it down, but getting closer.

[Whizzer]

Sure Popper, I'm interested in accuracy. But no more so than a cure for leading. (I have a Kahr PM9 that leads, but I know other Kahrs don't seem to, or so I've been told.)

I don't think separate threads for performance and coating techniques is necessary. I think they will ultimately go hand in hand.

And I'm pleased to see YOUR positive results here. I'm definitely seeing more of what I've been waiting for.

[HDS]

(When do you guys sleep?)

Piglet, I sent you a PM.

I actually have no doubt that the Hi Tek coating is good stuff. And that definitive velocity testing of homebrewed alloys, backyard sizing parameters, using who knows what techniques for applying and baking the coatings, and a myriad of different propellants and loading data, and many many more variables.... makes publishing results that are meaningful an elusive dream. No...make that impossible.

What I am still waiting for is a bunch of reports of happy users without gas checks. Like a preponderance of evidence you might expect if you were a juror--not just a handful of reviews. Having said that, I'm moving in the direction of using HiTek's coating eventually, because I'm beginning to see more of those stories.

This thread is HUGE and there is a lot of reviews here already. Just not EXACTLY the number of reviews I need before dropping 100 clams. I'm still "hitched to the wagon".... pulling all those deadbeat moochers and welfare broodmares making babies who'll turn into the criminal element---that I have to pay for---and not inclined to spend my hobby $$ carelessly, when I have to save it for other needs.

Stan

I've seen independent reports that show the .223 and the green hitek coating used without leading and without gas checks. Accuracy was not to be found however. But they did use gas checked bullet designs without gas checks so without a plain base bullet to test with I don't think anyone has answered this for sure yet.

[Skip62]

Thanks Skip62, on to trial 3. Do I slush them around until they dry in the mixing tub or do I pour them on to a grating when still wet and recover the excess? I did it until the acetone flashed off and they got sticky... Real bad sticky.

I hear them start to get sticky and then pour. If it's too wet, then they are hard to get off the grate, too dry there real rough. I haven't done it enough to know to for sure what works best though.

[Ausglock]

G'day All.
Well.
Here is my first go at coating with HI-TEK's coating.

I cast a few 1000 9mm and 45 pills.


Got my oven.


Mixed the coating. 100ml colour, 100ml acetone and 20ml of catalyst. Because you only use a very small amount for each coating, I mixed far too much. I used a 600ml Coke bottle with a resealable top as the applicator.


Had the local sheet metal place bend up 4 trays from stainless perforated plate. Placed 300 pills in the bucket, poured is a very small amount of coating and swilled them around until the coating started to dry. then laid them out on a tray to dry.


placed in the oven at 180Deg C for 12 minutes. Then removed and let cool on the tray. then did a crush test on the pill.


Then re-coated and cooked for the second time. when cool I did a second crush test.


the coated pills were placed in a tub and given a light spray with Hornady oneshot case lube and pushed through a Lee size die in a little Lee C press. The plastic catch cup on top is a Blank CD cover with a hole in the centre to slip over the top of the size die.


The finished product.


I' am going to load 100 of the 9mm pills in 38 Super and some of the 45 SWC for the Para GI Expert and fire them off on Sunday to see how they shoot.

Thanks to HI_TEK for his assistance and and for the coating.
I must say, this is so bloody easy to do. There is nothing to it. I will never use a Lube sizer again after using the HI_TEK coating. I was going to try the Powder coating and acetone coating process, but the HI-TEK coating is so easy, I am not even going to try the PC/Acetone.

Next batch, I will only mix 50ml colour, 50ml Acetone and 10ml Catalyst as this will be more than enough to coat a few 1000 or so.

Thanks

[Ausglock]

before and after shot.

[HI-TEK]

before and after shot.

Trevor,
They look great.
Thank you for your blog, detailed steps and results.