Hi-Tek test again with questions

[landers]

Hello all,
A few weeks ago I posted the results of my Hi-tek coating in my .38 revolver and how pleased I was, it totally sold me on using this. Well yesterday I took out my 45 acp with my favorite load and coated boolits and experienced terrible leading the entire length of the barrel, the worst leading I have ever experience, from chamber to muzzle in 50 rounds. I think it is due to something I did in the application process but I am not sure. I did used the exact same batch of hi-tek and did everything, dry time, oven time, ect ect as the 38 boolits but had quite the opposite results at the range. Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I am thinking maybe the acetone was not completely evaporated before they went into the oven, just a guess, even though I did wait quite a while before they went in. They did pass both the smash test and acetone wipe test before I loaded them. Thanks in advance for any ideas or input, I am just not sure how I got two completely different results in leading when I tried to do everything the same.

Landers

[runfiverun]

I don't think the coating is your problem.
acetone dries fast enough on it's own, in an oven it'd be gone in a minute.

something changed in your process affecting the boolit fitment.
maybe a bhn change from the oven, or just not enough of the hi-tek.

[IraqVet1982]

Would oversized Boolits cause this?

[jwber]

Did you ensure you weren't scraping coating off when seating?

[tja6435]

How's the throat of your barrel look?

[landers]

Thanks to all for the input,
Runfiverun, I baked the boolits at 400 for 13 minutes and the alloy is 20-1 so I don't think the BNH changes from my normal boolits

Iraqvet1982, I size the boolitas after coating so they are the same as my normal lubed loads, which do not lead

Jwber, I am very careful to ensure I have a good bell and case size as to not swage or scrap my boolits, I normally cast a pretty soft alloy 20-1 so I am pretty sure I didn't remove the coating during loading.

TJA6435, well as far as I can tell the throat is fine, the load I have is a great load for this pistol with regular Magma lube but it really didn't like the Hi-Tek for some reason, leading me to believe it was an error in the application.

Landers

[Leatherhead Bullets]

Your alloy may be too soft at 20-1. Would you be willing to share load data and what the bullets were sized to? The 45 is a low pressure round, and is generally pretty forgiving. Also, 2 or 3 coats on the Hi-Tek?

[landers]

My favorite load for this pistol is a 200gr boolit sized to .452 using 20-1 alloy over Winchester 231. I used two coats of Hi-Tek on the exact same batch of boolits I cast that I loaded for my non coated loads, which leave no trace of leading. The reason for my concern is that I followed the exact same coating process that I used for my .38 loads which gave me amazing results with the coated boolits while this 45acp coated boolits left lead, and a lot of it, in such few rounds the entire length of the barrel.

Landers

[edctexas]

Have you slugged the barrel? Maybe the size is not quite right. I have had problems and had to fudge (the Lee sizer). I am currently running test to see if size is as critical with PC. You coating is similar but a different application process.

Ed C

[landers]

Thanks to all for the input, I have slugged the barrel, I have been able to develop some very good loads that do not lead at all with this pistol using conventional lube. I did not change anything except replacing conventional blue lube for the Hi-Tek. The reason I suspect it was a problem in the application, just not sure what part, of the Hi-Tek is that these was leading all the way to the muzzle, not just at the throat, which is an indicator of lube failure.

Landers

[HATCH]

you do not want acetone to "dry" in the oven.
you want it to dry in the air.
The problem with baking it when the acetone is still wet is that the coating will not bond with the lead.
It will bubble cause air to get between the coating and the lead.

I let mine dry for about 20 mins in the house. I coat in my house but bake in the shop.

[ioon44]

Thanks to all for the input, I have slugged the barrel, I have been able to develop some very good loads that do not lead at all with this pistol using conventional lube. I did not change anything except replacing conventional blue lube for the Hi-Tek. The reason I suspect it was a problem in the application, just not sure what part, of the Hi-Tek is that these was leading all the way to the muzzle, not just at the throat, which is an indicator of lube failure.

Landers

Have you pulled any of your .45 Hi-Tek boolits to see if the coating is in tact and measure the pulled boolit?

I let my Hi-Tek coating dry for 24 hours just to be sure.

[zomby woof]

What color was the HT? While I load my 45 acp with a little softer lead, maybe not that soft. The 45 is very forgiving though. I made the mistake with some 9mm loads. I thought the lead I was using was hard and it was very soft. I got terrible leading with the 9mm. I shoot the same boolits in my 38 spl and no leading. Different application. So now I have lots of 38 spl boolits. I am curious which color you used.

[Ausglock]

you do not want acetone to "dry" in the oven.
you want it to dry in the air.
The problem with baking it when the acetone is still wet is that the coating will not bond with the lead.
It will bubble cause air to get between the coating and the lead.

I let mine dry for about 20 mins in the house. I coat in my house but bake in the shop.

This.....is your main problem.

The 38 that coat and shoot ok should be weighed.
then use the exact same weight of 45 bullets to coat and bake.
I suspect you are overloading your oven with too much alloy.

in 9mm I can bake 250 bullets at once.
in 45 I can only bake 175 bullets at once.

try this and see what happens.

[landers]

everyone input is greatly appreciated,
I will let the next batch dry longer before going into the oven,maybe placing them in front of a fan to ensure total evaporation. I will also definitely pay attention to the weight going into the oven, not quantity, as to not overload and get a complete cure on all the boolits. Again thanks to everyone, I am hoping to have another batch coated and tested by next week. I will keep you posted.

Thanks,
Landers