Coating or plating bullets

[jcadwell]

The local indoor range will not allow the use of bullets with exposed lead. For some reason they will allow 'coated' bullets. It costs enough to go the range that I usually shoot 400-500 rounds, and forking out 50$ for commercial plated bullets is unlikely.

I've considered copper plating, but it isn't cost effective in the quantities I desire.

I've also looked at Moly, tungsten, and boron nitride coating. Moly looks the most likely.

Are there any alternatives that are easier, safer, or better in some way? I've thought about trying impact plating with copper powder. Heck, I'd spray paint the darn things if nothing else...

I'm trying to load 38SPL target loads, and perhaps 40 S&W.

Thanks.

[MtGun44]

Try dropping a very clean (like rinsed in alcohol or naptha) boolit in a solution of copper sulfate
strong enough to look really blue. May have to warm up the water to get enough
dissolved. I know that this will plate an 'electroless copper' onto a bare and clean
nail, not sure it will work with lead, but worth a try. If you put a copper wash on the
boolits this way you may meet their requirements.

Bill

[HeavyMetal]

I have had several ranges here in SoCal try several different "scams" on ammo types. Most of them designed to get you to buy thier ammo.

The last one wanted you to use "lead Free" ammo only! At the time you couldn't buy the stuff anyplace but he had plenty. Policy has changed a bit in three years think his business got "slow", but I haven't been back.

I bet you are not the only local shooter to disagree with this "rule".

Sadly you only have three options, buy his ammo, shoot some place else or try to talk some sense into the owner of the range. Keep in mind that this my not be his doing! His insurance company might be forcing this on him, his ventalation system may be old or any number of other reasons caused by poor funding.

My option would be talking. you may be able to solve his problem and make everyone happy, or not!

Only one way to find out, ask!

[beanflip]

Heres a link that might help


http://forums.handloads.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=22347&PN=1

[jcadwell]

I'll have to try that electroless technique. I have an eletroplater for circuit boards, just didn't want to pollute the system.

As for talking sense into the range; They haven't been receptive. They are a corporate-feeling range. There aren't any other indoor ranges around here, and the outdoor ranges are just too chilly.

Handloaded ammo is allowed, but it has to be either 'coated' or plated. I figure if it doesn't look like lead, it won't be a problem.

[Shiloh]

Geez,

How long do you think it would take to plate 400-500 boolits?? Sounds like the pre-procedure reduced sizing would be a crapshoot at best.

Shiloh

[jcadwell]

I've thought about building a tumbler to electroplate bullets. A bucket full of solution, with an electrode running down the middle and some fins that conducted electricity. Imagine a concrete mixer.

You could plate 500 bullets at once, without the hassle of hooking them all up to individual electrodes. Then it would take half an hour or so to put a coating on... Other than dealing with copper solutions, this might be the way to go.

[2ndAmendmentNut]

Heck, I'd spray paint the darn things if nothing else...

If there was no place else for me to shoot that is what I would do.:bigsmyl2:

[jdgabbard]

They make you use jacketed or "plated" ammo because they don't want to be exposed to the lead... Its dangerous you know... If they only knew that jacketed ball has exposed lead meeting with hot gasses during every shot... They'd probably just shut up...

[leftiye]

Re: Copper plating..... Look up threads by member - Gently. Or P.M. me.

[1874Sharps]

Sorry to hear of the difficulties with the indoor range. I remember reading an article or advertisement back in the 80s, I think, about an electroplating tool that would copper coat about a 100 boolits at a time. I never bought it or heard anything else about it since then. I did try to make a single boolit electroplating apparatus out of the DC power supply of an old tape recorder, copper sheet metal and copper (II) sulfate solution. I am sorry to say that I could not get a very good electroplate on the boolit. Now just because I was not very successful does not mean you will not be. Perhaps if I had had a better DC power supply things may have been different, I do not know.

[Wally]

Sorry to hear of the difficulties with the indoor range. I remember reading an article or advertisement back in the 80s, I think, about an electroplating tool that would copper coat about a 100 boolits at a time. I never bought it or heard anything else about it since then. I did try to make a single boolit electroplating apparatus out of the DC power supply of an old tape recorder, copper sheet metal and copper (II) sulfate solution. I am sorry to say that I could not get a very good electroplate on the boolit. Now just because I was not very successful does not mean you will not be. Perhaps if I had had a better DC power supply things may have been different, I do not know.

How did you clean/pickle the bullet that you tried to copper plate? It shodul be cleaned with acid and you then cannot touch it with your fingers as oil in your skin will prevent a good plating.