Shooting lead bullets

[BrentP]

Newbe question:

I have a mold for pouring lead .45 acp. Shooting lead bullets is going to be a lot cheaper than store bought copper coated bullets. Will shooting lead bullets ruin the barrel on my colt 1911? I herd its safe to shoot them under a certain fps?

Thanks, there will probably be some more newb questions to come.

 

[Dangerous Dave]

I only have experience casting bullets for .38 and (Long) Colt .45. Both worked well, but I was shooting them both in wheelguns -not an auto. I had to slow them down a bit to get decent accuracy -and so that I didn't lead-foul the bore.
The .45ACP may be a little tricky, because I know you need to develop enough pressure to reliably cycle the slide, but not so much as to lead-foul the bore. You may have to add tin to your lead mix to harden the bullet metal so you can accuire enough pressure while minimizing lead-fouling. I also know that autos headspace on the cartridge rim, so case length is very important. Good luck -load up a few and let 'er rip. Just don't load them too hot.

 

[BrentP]

Thanks for the response. That answerd some of my questions. I now have some books on reloading, so I will look into it some more. My theroy is that if I already have every thing I need to make them, it will save me some money verses buying copper coated bullets. But at the same time, I dont want to mess up the gun.

 

[Calif. Hunter]

I shoot almost nothing but lead bullets in my 1911s. Lead is actually easier on the bore than jacketed bullets. You do need to match the hardness of the lead alloy to the velocity you are shooting the bullets. Too hard and you may get gas blowby as the bullet does not obturate (swell up at the bottom) to seal the bore and gas leaks past the base, melting the sides of the bullet and increasing leading. Too soft and the lead rubs off on the bore. Generally, softer bullets are used for lower velocities like .45 ACP and harder bullets are used for higher pressure rounds like the magnums.

I don't cast bullets myself, so I can't help you on what alloy to use. I just buy lead bullets cast to work at .45 ACP velocities and pressures. Lyman probably has all kinds of info available as they are a major manufacturer of molds, etc.

The Accurate Reloading forum might have helpful info -

http://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/frm/f/1811043

 

[snake river rufus]

A brinell hardness of 8 to 10 is enough for a .45 auto. Wheelweights are hard enough, although so dirty that you may have to flux more than once.
Degrease and completely dry your mold before casting. Molten lead is a bad mix with any other liquid.
If you are just starting out you might want to buy some cast bullets first, at least you will know what your bullets should end up looking like.

 

[snake river rufus]

as long as the barrel does not have polygonal rifling (read glock), lead bullets are safe to shoot. Keep the velocity over 650 fps. Pure lead can be pushed to 750 -800 fps without leading. wheelwieghts can be pushed to about 1050 IIRC, and linotype/Lyman #2 will hold up to most handgun velocities.

 

[snake river rufus]

I also know that autos headspace on the cartridge rim, so case length is very important. Good luck -load up a few and let 'er rip. Just don't load them too hot.

that is the official story. The reality is that I've never seen an ACP case (any caliber) that needed to be trimmed. They are generally 0.010" short from the start and even a .38 super loaded to major doesn't seem to grow.

 

[Calif. Hunter]

I also know that autos headspace on the cartridge rim

Some do, some don't. Some headspace on the leading edge of the case mouth. Some semi-rimmed cases headspace on the rim....

 

[Calif. Hunter]

I just ran a couple hundred lead bullets through my ParaOrdnance yesterday and just got done cleaning it. A little Shooter's Choice Lead Remover on a patch , let it sit a while and then run a brush soaked in it through a few times, dry patch it out and I was done. No leading issues at all. My loads run about 850-900 FPS with a 200 gr bullet.