Made my first batch of PC bullet. Everything went well until......

[Pbr322]

I got home from the range and began to clean out my pistol barrel. There was a very tough, hard-to-remove carbon fouling in the grooves that I have not seen with conventionally lubed bullets.

Some background on the bullet prep: these were 200gr. Lee SWC cast from wheelweights and air cooled. The PC was HF red applied by tumbling with airsoft pellets. The bullets coated very well and were baked at 400F for 20 minutes. Bullets were sized after coating to .452 (.002 over groove diameter).

I loaded these up the next day. The load was 6.0 grains of W-231, starline brass, CCI 300 primer, which is my go-to load for my .45acp. Pistol is an SW M&P compact .45.

Accuracy was on par with 45:45:10 lubed bullets. There was a Notable lack of smoke with the PC bullets.

I did clean the barrel thoroughly before firing the PC loads to look for any leading. I saw only light streaks of gray on the lands after 50 rounds. The carbon fouling was eventually removed with the chore boy method and Hoppes but required over 5 minutes of scrubbing to get it all out.

Has anyone else experienced this? Any ideas of how to remove this stuff faster and more effectively?

I would like to keep using PC, but it's not so appealing if I'm going to have to scrub the barrel aggressively after each session.

[jcren]

Not sure, but check your oven for actual temp. Here is a barrel that has had 4-500 red dot/200swc powder coated rounds since the last time it had even a patch through it.
164240

[popper]

Not carbon fouling. Check your oven temp. Soak in acetone for a while then a clean patch. I have noticed with any of the coatings - if it works, just about the same smoke as jacketed, when it fails, big cloud of white smoke. Coating wears going down the barrel so if you have junk at the muzzle, coating isn't thick enough. Also depends on gun and boolit design. Many have problems with throat edge peeling off coating, but that usually causes real leading. Coating works fine, just takes a few trys to get it right. Start with small batches till it works, then motor on.
Actually I stopped PC for pistol because HiTek is more productive, cost isn't that much more, less trouble and very reliable.

[OS OK]

I got home from the range and began to clean out my pistol barrel. There was a very tough, hard-to-remove carbon fouling in the grooves that I have not seen with conventionally lubed bullets.

Some background on the bullet prep: these were 200gr. Lee SWC cast from wheelweights and air cooled. The PC was HF red applied by tumbling with airsoft pellets. The bullets coated very well and were baked at 400F for 20 minutes. Bullets were sized after coating to .452 (.002 over groove diameter).

I loaded these up the next day. The load was 6.0 grains of W-231, starline brass, CCI 300 primer, which is my go-to load for my .45acp. Pistol is an SW M&P compact .45.

Accuracy was on par with 45:45:10 lubed bullets. There was a Notable lack of smoke with the PC bullets.

I did clean the barrel thoroughly before firing the PC loads to look for any leading. I saw only light streaks of gray on the lands after 50 rounds. The carbon fouling was eventually removed with the chore boy method and Hoppes but required over 5 minutes of scrubbing to get it all out.

Has anyone else experienced this? Any ideas of how to remove this stuff faster and more effectively?

I would like to keep using PC, but it's not so appealing if I'm going to have to scrub the barrel aggressively after each session.

I had the same situation with the grey streaks, (antimonial wash looking), tougher than my mother-in-law to get out!
I think that they are PC smears also they show up in PC'd batches that were not cured at the 400 degrees for the proper time period.

My 'Chinesecheapo-imitation piece-o-spit' convection oven was 'OFF' by -125 degrees. I bought a handheld type thermometer and took readings inside the middle of the next batch and discovered this…since I've re-calibrated the knob on my 'Chinesecheapo-imitation piece-o-spit' oven all has been well and no more 'antimonial looking wash' in the barrel.

[Pbr322]

Thanks to all who replied. I will be checking the bake temp carefully and will be coating a few more bullets to take to the range on Friday. I'll report what happens....

[bangerjim]

I have shot many thousands of PC'd rounds (all cured for 10 min after powder turns shiny at 400F verified by oven thermometers) with absolutly ZERO smearing, gunk, or stuff in my many barrels.

And that is with all HF powders and Smoke's offerings also. Both BBDT and ESPC.

You have something going on with your oven temp. Check it. Most El Cheapo ovens are off 50-100F from the dial! My new digital Oster oven is within 6F of digital front setting anywhere in the huge oven cavity (used 2 analog oven thermometers and 2 K t/c's into a digital temp recorder all at the same time to check). It does pay off big time to go 1st class and buy a BRAND NEW good convection oven! Less than $100.

banger

[Pbr322]

So I coated a new batch of bullets. I made sure the internal temp of the oven was 400F (used my casting thermometer)164519. Baked bullets for a full 20 minutes at that temperature.Fired 50 rounds of the same load as before through a clean barrel and got this164520.
Would estimate residue was reduced by 75-80% compared to my first batch. Used some laquer thinner on a bore brush to clean and the stuff came out fairly easily. Would additional bake time eliminate the remaining fouling?

[websterz]

Is this a new or fairly new pistol? When my SR45 was brand new I had similar residue in the bore. After several hundred rounds the residue was reduced to the point that a couple of brush strokes was all it took to clean the barrel. I figure the rifling was a bit rough and just needed time to smooth out. Just a thought.

[Pbr322]

Not a new pistol, I have shot over 2000 rounds through it since I bought it. The bore was a little on the rough side when I first got it but it's pretty smooth now.

[Pbr322]

Here's the same barrel after it's been cleaned.164532

[Smoke4320]

I will bet you the casting thermometer is also off .. mine was by 25 degrees.. and a BIG reason almost everyone who tries a PID in casting is sold .. The cheap thermometers we have been using are off .. sometimes a good bit.. I actually used a BBQ grill electric thermometer to find my problem before purchasing a PID
Your still not at an actual 400 degrees .. Either access a much better thermometer or up them 25 degrees and try again .. If no good up another 15 degrees and try again
hang in there it will get better and you will enjoy shooting coated bullets

PS when I started both my oven and casting thermos decided to conspire to lie to me .. made the first couple of batches INTERESTING to say the least ..

[websterz]

Here's the same barrel after it's been cleaned.164532

Well I see your problem. Your 007 is missing. It must have fallen out at the range.

[popper]

Pull a dummy rnd & make sure not getting scraped when loading. Other than the powder granules, looks like either minor scuffing at the throat or coating isn't thick enough in spots. Especially with WST or fast powder & hard alloy. Bumps the nose enough to cause a small scrape, then down the barrel. Actually it doesn't seem to hurt accuracy any.
That is a pretty hot load.

[Pbr322]

Got my 007 back. The rangemaster found him:razz:164571

[websterz]

Got my 007 back. The rangemaster found him:razz:164571

Well then, problem solved!

[OS OK]

That picture reminds me of the fact that I can't understand most of the Brits. I suppose it's English they are speaking but I can't distinguish between their words. It sounds so bad to my ear that it makes me think they intentionally do it for some reason…literally...just don't get it!

[Pbr322]

That picture reminds me of the fact that I can't understand most of the Brits. I suppose it's English they are speaking but I can't distinguish between their words. It sounds so bad to my ear that it makes me think they intentionally do it for some reason…literally...just don't get it!

I never got the differences in spellings: e.g baulk, calibre, colour, fibre, honour etc.

BTW -007 said he likes his PC bullets "shaken, not stirred." :razz:

[flyingmonkey35]

Use eds red to clean your barrel.

Cheap and effective the mix of acatone / karasoine / mineral spirits and atf.

Strips and desloves any residue plastic / and lubes

Powder coaters best friend.

[OS OK]

I never got the differences in spellings: e.g baulk, calibre, colour, fibre, honour etc.

BTW -007 said he likes his PC bullets "shaken, not stirred." :razz:

I think it's 'old English' with the spelling…I get mixed up on that too…have spelled that way since I was a spud.

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

I bought a nice brand new B&D convection oven, and a thermometer. I ran it inside my house oven first. Set the oven at 400-degrees and set the temp gauge in the middle. After 30 minutes the oven showed the set 400 and the gauge showed 410-degrees.
Went out the next afternoon, and did it with the B&D. B&D showed 400, gauge showed 385-degrees.
Tomorrow, I will set the B&D for 410-degrees, and give it a go.

Rich

[BJ343]

Try understanding Australians mate....

[Smoke4320]

I find most Australians easy to understand AL least till I run into a fair dinkum wally
Now some Scott's, Irish, English much harder