Do airsoft bb inserts work?

[Metroxfi]

I'm brainstorming for my next couple of large projects. Between my dad and I, we've been able to adapt and make some hollow point punches for 9mm/38 and we just need the time to replicate the same for 45 handgun.

I used some reject bullets as test pieces so please ignore the hideous powdercoating.20250428_122334.jpg
20250428_122356.jpg
20250428_122445.jpg

First picture is a squished 9mm bullet to form basically a cylinder with a gaping hollowpoint. The next is with an airsoft bb dropped in the mouth and kissed with a BTSniper notching die, then some noses formed on some tests.

I like the way they formed and I like the way they look, I need to make some proper coated ones to actually shoot. My question is, will the bb help or hinder the expansion? Corbins billet balls state that they move and derform to help expansion but airsoft bbs (especially these ones) are brittle and will shatter. I've picked up countless jacketed hollowpoints from the range that are clogged with wood, dirt, and rubber backstop material. Would the plastic in the bbs act more to clog than to expand? I can only find pictures of formed bullets with bbs in the cavity, no actual comparison or recovered bullets showing proper expansion.

I'm really trying to see if they're even worth using. I'm not opposed to buying the corbins bullet balls but at 5 cents a piece, with how many I want to make and load... it'll cost quite a bit. I can get 6mm polypropylene balls off ebay for 1 cent a piece and airsoft bbs are nice and cheap, if either of them would work that'd be great. Does anyone have pictures or proof that airsoft bbs don't just clog the hollowpoint cavity?

[wilecoyote]

I'm also playing with these things in .357 and .44, but I don't expect miracles compared to a traditional hp, except for some aesthetic pleasure_ for now, I can only say that in .44magnum the accuracy does not suffer, but it's nice to see the hollow cavity yellow plastic coated, once the airsoft ball is propery squished inside_ I think that the impact speed would play a much more important factor, but I would also like to have information from those who have tried them it on gelatin, water bottles, wet papers, etc._

[DsGrouse]

Its worth testing.

[sukivel]

I would like to see the results of shooting a few into various media.


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[rolltide999]

There has been a lot posted to this forum down through the years on this topic. I did a quick search on the word "airsoft" on the forum's search engine, and then looked at anything that came up from the swaging forums. Most of the pics, if not all of them, are mostly from BT Sniper, and a couple from Grumpa and Duke In FL, I wish to send out special word of thanks to all, but especially BT Sniper. BT has done a lot to promote swaging bullets as a whole, and he has shared literally volumes of info on this forum and I have learned so much from him. Basically anyone who makes swaging dies has a lot to share, but BT has been more open than most with posting useful info here.

From the pics of several fired rounds pictured below it would seem the airsoft BB's facilitate, or at very least DO NOT inhibit expansion. Grumpa confirms same in his verbal description of his 45 ACP bullets.

BT Sniper, Serrated jacket HP with spitzer swaged airsoft BB
pellet 001.jpg

BT Sniper, exposed lead HP with spitzer swaged airsoft BB
pellet 002.jpg

BT Sniper, HP with BB inside
pellet 004.jpg


BT Sniper, HP with BB inside
pellet 005.jpg


BT Sniper, RN swaged BB in HP
pellet 006.jpg


BT Sniper, RN swaged BB in HP + fired round
pellet 007.jpg


BT Sniper, RN swaged BB in HP + fired round
pellet 008.jpg


BT Sniper, Spitzer swaged BB in HP + fired rounds
pellet 009.jpg


BT Sniper, Spitzer swaged and unswaged BB's
pellet 010.jpg


BT Sniper, Swaged BB spitzer in HP rifle bullet accuracy
pellet 011.jpg


BT Sniper, Another great pic of a serrated jacket, spitzer swaged BB in HP
pellet 012.jpg


Duke In FL, 308 from 5.7 brass with FP swaged BB
pellet 013.jpg


???, 2 HP's with white BB's in HP
pellet 14.jpg


Duke in FL, preformed plastic tips
plastictips1.jpg



Grumpa, 45acp BB in HP, Grumpa reports "explosive" expansion
pellet 003.jpg

Here are a few other threads that may be of interest

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...hlight=airsoft

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...hlight=airsoft

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...hlight=airsoft

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...tep-die-review

[Reload3006]

I have used airsoft bbs with limited results. Ski hole plugs work best for me