Interesting lead article

[hemmjo]

I found this link on site I use regularly. (speedy metals.com).

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/...reme-pressures

The article talks about how lead changes properties under pressure. It made me wonder if the pressures involved during shooting cause and changes.

[Bookworm]

Two thoughts:

First, the pressures referenced in the (very short) article are orders of magnitude larger than the pressures we deal with inside a gun barrel.

Second, nobody really knows what goes on inside a barrel during the bullet traveling through. I've heard theories, conjecture, interpolations, and flat out guesses. But, there is no hard proof.

For instance, there is still a great deal of debate about just what boolit lube does during the time it's in the barrel under pressure and heat.

That said, it was a thought provoking few paragraphs.

[popper]

Actually impact pressure to harden lead works, used in some battery plate manufacture. Doesn't apply to bullets.

[kevin c]

I though pure lead didn't work harden at all, or maybe that's just under the conditions in which we typically use it.

[samari46]

Walt Melander founder of his bullet making company once told me that the compression of the bullet actually squeezes the bullet lube out of the lube grooves when traveling down the barre. The lube asks like a lubricant and prevents the hot expanding gasses from getting past the bullet acting almost like a gasket. I prefer calling it a boundary fluid. Years back when working with mechanical seals it was found that during the operation of a 300 hp motor and pump with ceramic face on one side and carbon face on the other gave a very short life before the seal would leak. #6 fuel oil is a very dirty medium as it contains a lot of contaminants especially dirt and foreign elements which isn't conducive to long seal life. We tried injecting steam, steam cylinder oil,and even anti freeze nothing worked. Changed seal faces from the two mentioned to silicon carbide and tungsten carbide and seal life was greatly improved. Since the #6 fuel oil was right below the mechanical seal and if the old carbon and ceramic seal faces were used the oil would migrate up to the seal and eventually contaminate it. Frank

[popper]

Ain't gonna get 580million psi from a gun.

[Scrounge]

Ain't gonna get 580million psi from a gun.

Not anything you want to be holding onto, anyway!

[Bookworm]

Walt Melander founder of his bullet making company once told me that the compression of the bullet actually squeezes the bullet lube out of the lube grooves when traveling down the barre. The lube asks like a lubricant and prevents the hot expanding gasses from getting past the bullet acting almost like a gasket. I prefer calling it a boundary fluid. Frank

And did Mr. Melander offer any proof of his statement ? Or even any evidence ?

As I stated, I've heard a great many theories, etc., but never any proof.

While I admit his guess does sound logical, and may even be what is happening, so far nobody can prove anything.

[dmccord]

Now that would be a magnum on steroids.