Booollets

[j mckinnie]

is the copper jacket to prevent lead fouling ?lubricant?hold it all together?
What is the optimum jacket thickness.
Will copper ,plate lead in an electrolysis,kinda way.Has this method been tried?
Haven't even had a drink yet?
food for thought
Jim

 

[R.DesJardin]

Jackets

Jim, Jim, Jim,
Jacket thickness is relative to bullet usage, caliber, wt. Hunting bullet jackets have a different jacket thickness/construction than say Speer TNT varmint bullets.
There are bullets made where the jacket/copper is molecularly bonded to the lead core. The bullets in FUSION ammo as well as Speer Gold Dot pistol bullets for example.

 

[308sako]

Rem Power Lokt

Weren't these jewels of the varmint/target set also a plated proceedure?

 

[BJS6]

A whole lot of high velocity 22 rimfire bullets are copper plated direct to the lead.

Berry Manufacturing makes pistol and some rifle bullets that have electroplated copper direct over a swaged lead core. Hardly benchrest bullets though.

Ya sure you hadn't been drinking Jim ?

 

[j mckinnie]

ok

what would be the optimum jacket thickness for a 6mm booollet.I have discovered that corners plate thicker, would a pressure ring on a BT be advantageous?What sort of times / thickness of plating?I am assuming that copper will plate directly & successfully to lead?

 

[R.DesJardin]

Plating

Jim,
You are asking for propietary info now. Plating copper onto lead is not a simple operation. Good luck with your quest.
I thought you were auto mechanic?

 

[j mckinnie]

Thanks

Rory,I am probably thinking to simplistically with the process.Thinking electric current solution job done.I'm thinking the solution would be easier to obtain than jackets?I have no idea if it is a realistic approach,it was just another thing that got in my head.Just the fact that manufacturers use the process gives it some credence
Thanks for your answer much appreciated you would definitely have more idea of hows & whys than myself.
Cheers Jim

 

[R.DesJardin]

jackets

Jim,
I think it would be easier to setup to make your own jackets than to plate core.
So when can I expect my first 5000 jackets?

 

[bl4ckd0g]

Interesting idea, but. . .

I seriously doubt that you will fabricate accurate plated bullets unless you have a considerable amount of experience in plating.

If you plate a perfectly swedged or sized lead core and calculate for the depth of copper plating, you will find that all of your plating surfaces will be even and radiused, as if the final bullet was tumbled for quite a long time. Somone on castboolits.com tried this already with less-than-stellar results.

So then what are you going to do to form an accurate plated bullet? Will you have enough plating to run each bullet through a mill or lathe? That will require a serious amount of plating. Running it through a sizing die will only crack your plate and set you back to square one.

Unless I'm corrected, your choices are either purchasing manufactured bullets, cast bullet benchrest, swedging jackets onto cores, or turning bullets from pure copper or brass bar stock.

I would however like to see this work, so good luck.