Melting lead and finding steel jackets?

[Fifield92]

My FIL and I are melting down a large quantity of range lead and after pulling out all the jackets, finding at least 10% of the jacket are magnetic. This is an indoor range which only allows pistol rounds, how is this possible?

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Tula, Wolf, Red Army, and the like use copper washed steel jackets IIRC.

[Dusty Bannister]

Many indoor ranges prohibit steel jacketed bullets because they are hard on the metal back stop plates. Good to find the steel before you take the jackets to the scrap dealer.

[Winger Ed.]

They've been around awhile and any pistol range that has had their back stop chewed up by it won't allow the stuff on their range.

I've been to ranges where they inspect your ammo and if it is packed loose, they dig around in it with a real strong magnet.

[GregLaROCHE]

My indoor range prohibits even copper jackets, but when I melt down the range scrap, I find a bunch of them.

[Fifield92]

My indoor range prohibits even copper jackets, but when I melt down the range scrap, I find a bunch of them.

Wow Guys, that is really interesting, I didnt realize there were that many people running steel down their barrels! That has to be cutting the life of a barrel in half...

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Good read. Not sure if they have run tests in a pistol caliber.

https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/brass-vs-steel-cased-ammo/

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Plenty of 7.62x51 is also steel jacketed…

https://www.outdoorlimited.com/rifle-ammo/7-62x51mm-nato/winchester-7-62x51mm-nato-usa76251ac-147-gr-fmj-steel-jacket-ammo-can-120-rounds/

[fastdadio]

I have my opinions on this subject. There a lot of things to consider whether or not to shoot the cheap east bloc ammoes.
Moar reading for those interested;
https://www.gunssavelife.com/lucky-gunner-torture-test-5-56-ammo-steel-does-erode-your-barrel/
https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/brass-vs-steel-cased-ammo/

[GregLaROCHE]

Wow Guys, that is really interesting, I didnt realize there were that many people running steel down their barrels! That has to be cutting the life of a barrel in half...

I was talking about copper jackets that were not allowed. A lot of people cheat.

[Fifield92]

I was talking about copper jackets that were not allowed. A lot of people cheat.

Your right, alot of Companies cheat and aren't truthfull with their customers....

[Fifield92]

Good read. Not sure if they have run tests in a pistol caliber.

https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/brass-vs-steel-cased-ammo/

I like reading luckygunner! But he is talking about cases not the jackets which are actually slung through the barrel.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

I like reading luckygunner! But he is talking about cases not the jackets which are actually slung through the barrel.

Steel cased ammo generally has a steel jacketed bullet that has a very thin coating of copper commonly referred to as “copper washed”. The drop off in accuracy in the test is due to wear resulting from slinging a steel jacketed bullet down the bore.

[Fifield92]

Steel cased ammo generally has a steel jacketed bullet that has a very thin coating of copper commonly referred to as “copper washed”. The drop off in accuracy in the test is due to wear resulting from slinging a steel jacketed bullet down the bore.

Ok, thanks for that clarification! I get it now!! :)

[remy3424]

I don't shoot at any public ranges, but I was under the impression that ranges (indoor) were likely to not allow "unjacketed" bullets, to try to minimize the lead in the air issues. I have often wondered if my PC "jacketed" boolits might be allowed or not.

[Chaparral66]

Our indoor range prohibits jacketed boolits, back stop can't handle jacketed. Plated, PC, Hi-Tech or lubed are fine. The end result is typically the only shooters at the indoor range are casters/reloaders.
I have some range scrap from the dirt berm that I have not yet smelted down. It will be interesting to see what I get. In know there is at least one 100% copper boolit in the bucket.