Aluminum boolits

[junkman1967]

Anyone ever cast aluminum into boolits? Just curious

[capt.hollis]

I don't think that'd be a great idea.

[WallyM3]

That'd be a mighty warm drop.

Depending on alloy: 850F to 1250F (approx.).

[Stephen Cohen]

I read that the American military did some trials with aluminium projectiles, it was claimed velocities of 6000fps were obtainable. I very much doubt they would be much use for anything. Caliber was 30/06.

[TheGrimReaper]

Would be neat to turn all my empty coke and beer cans into projos!!!

[rmatchell]

I might be wrong but i think some cannon shells have been cast aluminum

[Wally]

Aluminum would be hard to cast and is much less dense than Lead---it could be swagged, but it is a poor substitute for lead. Zinc would be better.

[dondiego]

Don't try casting aluminum in a Lee mold! You will get a surprise.

[bangerjim]

Arnold encountered a gun that spit Al boolits in the movie (I believe) "Eraser". But, then, that was military sci-fi.

They would be VERY light and would take probably way more powder than your case would even hold to get velocities you need/want.

Al is normally injection molded by specialized automated molding machines or, as I did in one of my Metals Engineering Technologies classes in college, cast in cope & drag molds using ultrafine casting sand and forms of what you want to cast. The temps would be beyond the reach of most hobby casters....as noted above.

Yes, aluminum is very prevalent. But leave it for boats, beer cans, and screen doors!

banger

[bhn22]

Don't try casting aluminum in a Lee mold! You will get a surprise.

That sounds like bitter experience talking...

[dondiego]

That sounds like bitter experience talking...

Not really but it just seems that if you are pouring molten aluminum into an aluminum mold.............

[Smoke4320]

Not really but it just seems that if you are pouring molten aluminum into an aluminum mold.............

but if you use the English version Al-lew-minium and pour it into a unubtainium mold you will have something or maybe nothing

[oldpapps]

Good thought but....

Comparatively very low density, would loose velocity, momentum very fast. Aluminum oxide is a great abrasive, just what I want to push down my barrel. Hardness could be adjusted so, no aluminuming (sort of like leading). Less to get going, so great velocities for short distances.

Gold would be great except it could become very costly quick.
Copper, copper alloys, would work. Oh, that's right Kalafonia already uses that.
Iron filings (or any other heavy/er material) set in some epoxy could work.

I think I will stick with lead and sometimes put a coating on it or it into a can of some other metal.

Keep thinking.

Enjoy,

OSOK

[JakeBlanton]

Might be interesting to see a plot of the trajectory of such a bullet. Wiffle Ball trajectory, perhaps?

[WiederladerTV]

Don't try casting aluminum in a Lee mold! You will get a surprise.

LOL...with this you can modify a 452 mold to cast some nice 9mm boolits

[dverna]

I read that the American military did some trials with aluminium projectiles, it was claimed velocities of 6000fps were obtainable. I very much doubt they would be much use for anything. Caliber was 30/06.

I thought I read somewhere that it was impossible to drive a bullet faster than 4700 fps due to the way smokeless powder burns???

Don Verna

[Hickory]

Aluminum is the material of choice for projectiles in the rail gun and can reach velocities at 6000+ fps.

[MtGun44]

Lots of shrinkage, high temps, low mass, PITA all the way around.

Bill

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

My dad has always pronounced it loonamon, FWIW.

I think one of the big problems with loonamon bullets would be the lack of mass. Seems they would slow down in a hurry

[Shiloh]

WOnder if galling would be a problem with aluminum boolits.

Shiloh