Hi-Tek troubleshooting

[JasonYbarbo]

I jumped in and bought 4 samples of different colors and finally got to the range and tested them out. The black cherry went on and looked great but i did get a lot of smoke and leading on my .40. The ones that i coated for my 1911 did not smoke and no leading. I will put the details of the loads below. By searching I have self diagnosed that I did not cook them long enough but wanted other's opinions. Since the first attempt i have added a brick to the oven to help maintain temperature as well. I am assuming that the lower pressure of the .45 the coating was enough but the higher pressure of the .40 wore the coating off by the end of the barrel.

Mix is 10 grams of powder (weighed) to 60ml of pure Acetone.
6ml to 4.5 pounds of boolits.
Tumbled until a definite sound change.
Cooked for 12 min in a black and decker convection oven. Was using an oven thermometer and now have a k coupler hooked to my Fluke Temperature probe.
Second coat was the same except I water quenched when removed from the oven.
Both passed the smear and smash tests.

1911 full size 5" with Lee 230 TL TC over 5.2grn of CFE Pistol
.40 is an FNX 40 4" barrel with Lee 175 TL TC over 5.4grn of CFE Pistol

[ioon44]

Sounds like you are off to a good start, I like to mix larger batches of coating 20 grams to 100 ml of Acetone and some times double the amount.
I try to dump the bullets before the sound changes because at that point the coating is getting sticky and rough.
The K type coupler is a good move and I like bricks in the oven also.
I used Kroil to remove under baked coating from my Glock .40 barrel.

You didn't state your alloy, I stick with 6-2-92 alloy and never water drop, soft alloy could be a problem in the .40.

I run CFE Pistol in my 9 mm's with great results and like VV 310 for my .45's.

[fredj338]

I do the same with HT for all my service stuff, 9mm, 40 & 45acp. I tend to run the 9 & 40 @ minor vel levels, so haven't seen any leading issues. The smoke thing can vary from day to day though.

[Ausglock]

Yep 40 like a harder alloy, just like 9mm. 45 will shoot soft alloy all day.
Check the lead in to your rifling. you might have sharp rifling and need throating.
My Para 45 needed throating to get it to shoot lead free.