question about heat treating

[lead chucker]

When heat treating bullets just the exterior of the bullet gets hard right. when air cooled does the bullet get the same hardness all the way through?

[Pat I.]

When heat treating the bullets get hard all the way through. You'd have to case harden for just the exterior to get hard and if there's a way to do it I sure haven't found it. When air cooled it's the same hardness through and through too.

[JeffinNZ]

I agree with Pat. I have heat treated boolits, filed them down to mid way and tested to find they are the same in the middle as the outer surface.

[lead chucker]

Thanks for the replies, a guy learns a lot here.

[MtGun44]

JefF,

Thanks for that report. I had a pretty strong OPINION that this would be the case - but since
I had never actually tested it, or heard directly from someone that has, I made no comment.

Now - I have learned another fact about casting and heat treating.

Thank you, sir.

Bill

[Char-Gar]

Some years back I tested a bunch of air cooled and heat treated bullets of different alloys. for age hardening. I measured them every week until they have achieved max hardness. When I was done I filed the noses way down and retested.

My results were the same as Pat's and Jeff's. Same hardness way down in the bullets as it was on the surface.

[MBTcustom]

MTgun44 took the words right out of my mouth. I am not so surprised that somebody performed this test and documented it thoroughly, as I am that it took less than 7 hours for several of those persons to read and reply to the question with their experience. All I can say is that we have the right people reading these forums!