Ironduke
01-19-2014, 04:40 PM
Gents,
I am interested in the PC and/or electroplating processes for some specific applications. But of course I have some questions.
Here are some things I think I would like to do. I think I'd like to plate or coat some cast boolits for use in 500 S&W, 454 cas, 45 Colt, 45 ACP, 45-70 Govt (lever action) and maybe 30 cal, (300 blk).
I have watched some youtube vids about the processes and thumbed through this forum. I think the ideas are fun, and I could see getting into one or the other o both just for the fun of it since the cost is pretty low. Here are my basic questions:
1. Either process eliminates the need for typical wax based cast boolit lube, right?
a. If not, what are the benefits?
b. I'm thinking about my 300 BLK here specifically. I don't like the Lee Liquid ear wax coated boolits in the AR mag. I don't want waxy build-up in my action or crud sticking to my boolits before going into an autoloader. Plating or PC would be really cool for this application.
2. The electro plating seems to lay on a jacket only around .001 thick. Recovered boolits on youtube vids show the plating is gone from where the lands engraved the boolit. This indicates that the copper is being deposited in the barrel, and since PB is exposed, there must also be PB in the barrel. If leading still occurs, why bother plating?
a. Wouldn't thicker plating be better? If you could get 4-5 thou. of plating, your boolit would be tougher and prevent leading. Of course you'd need to size the boolit back down since it would be .008-.010 too large diameter with a jacket that thick.
b. Speer gold dot and fusion bullets are plated this way. Jackets can be really thick; some .500 cal Deep Curl bullets feature jackets .035 thick making for a very tough bullet.
c. does the thin plating protect the boolit base from flame cutting? Would thicker plating reduce/eliminate the need for gas checks?
3. The PC option looks fun. I think some wide HP 300-350 gr for 45-70 would sure look sweet if coated black or gray with the shiny lead HP. Similarly, a 300 gr WNFPGC would be cool loaded in 454 cas or 45 Colt when coated black.
a. Since nothing is free, what are the down sides to PC boolits? Certainly some of the PC stays in your barrel. How do you get it out?
b. How do you make sure you get a nice consistent thickness in your coating? I know when I spray paint things, I can feather some parts and have running drips in other areas. How do you prevent that?
c. Are there any terminal performance benefits of PC boolits?
d. does PC help protect the boolit base from flame cutting?
Thanks for any help on these questions.
I am interested in the PC and/or electroplating processes for some specific applications. But of course I have some questions.
Here are some things I think I would like to do. I think I'd like to plate or coat some cast boolits for use in 500 S&W, 454 cas, 45 Colt, 45 ACP, 45-70 Govt (lever action) and maybe 30 cal, (300 blk).
I have watched some youtube vids about the processes and thumbed through this forum. I think the ideas are fun, and I could see getting into one or the other o both just for the fun of it since the cost is pretty low. Here are my basic questions:
1. Either process eliminates the need for typical wax based cast boolit lube, right?
a. If not, what are the benefits?
b. I'm thinking about my 300 BLK here specifically. I don't like the Lee Liquid ear wax coated boolits in the AR mag. I don't want waxy build-up in my action or crud sticking to my boolits before going into an autoloader. Plating or PC would be really cool for this application.
2. The electro plating seems to lay on a jacket only around .001 thick. Recovered boolits on youtube vids show the plating is gone from where the lands engraved the boolit. This indicates that the copper is being deposited in the barrel, and since PB is exposed, there must also be PB in the barrel. If leading still occurs, why bother plating?
a. Wouldn't thicker plating be better? If you could get 4-5 thou. of plating, your boolit would be tougher and prevent leading. Of course you'd need to size the boolit back down since it would be .008-.010 too large diameter with a jacket that thick.
b. Speer gold dot and fusion bullets are plated this way. Jackets can be really thick; some .500 cal Deep Curl bullets feature jackets .035 thick making for a very tough bullet.
c. does the thin plating protect the boolit base from flame cutting? Would thicker plating reduce/eliminate the need for gas checks?
3. The PC option looks fun. I think some wide HP 300-350 gr for 45-70 would sure look sweet if coated black or gray with the shiny lead HP. Similarly, a 300 gr WNFPGC would be cool loaded in 454 cas or 45 Colt when coated black.
a. Since nothing is free, what are the down sides to PC boolits? Certainly some of the PC stays in your barrel. How do you get it out?
b. How do you make sure you get a nice consistent thickness in your coating? I know when I spray paint things, I can feather some parts and have running drips in other areas. How do you prevent that?
c. Are there any terminal performance benefits of PC boolits?
d. does PC help protect the boolit base from flame cutting?
Thanks for any help on these questions.