[JJ]

A couple of manuals have some DNR warnings--"Do Not Reduce"--on their minimum loads, seems like mostly for the half-jacketed bullets. And some scary stories from other shooting sites seem to lend credence to their concern, like lead core going downrange, jacket staying in the bore.

Anybody ever heard of this problem occurring with a plated bullet, like the Rainiers?

I sacrificed a bullet with a hacksaw and pocketknife, and could not get plating to separate from core. Heckuva bond. I'm sure there's a lot I don't know about metallurgy, but the physics of it still has my attention.

Need some "female" loads. Go ahead and snicker, but your ladies know what I mean...

Thanks, gents--

 

[Charlie Petty]

electroplating really does deposit one atom at a time so a molecular bond is formed. It couldn't separate if it wanted to.

 

[Daniel Watters]

The "plated" bullets that cause problems are the cheap "copper-washed" type, similar to what is seen on some .22 LR.

 

[JJ]

Thanks for your wisdom, brethren.

I shall proceed with caution.

 

[Sunray]

"..."copper-washed" type..." That's not a plated bullet.
Plated bullets are not jacketed either. They literally have a thin plate of copper(Berry's plating runs 3.5 to 8 thou thick, depending on the bullet) or whatever and use cast bullet data. Their primary purpose is to reduce the amount of lead in the air of indoor ranges.

 

[wddodge]

I've read of the jacket separation on the internet but have never talked to anybody that has seen it in real life. Personally I don't think it can happen. The only way I could separate them is with a propane torch.

On the reduced load side, when I need some light loads for a new shooter or somebody that is recoil sensative, I load lead projectiles using Clays powder. Has to be about the easiest recoiling round there is.

Denny

 

[Charlie Petty]

I haven't seen it personally but it is theoretically possible.

 

[Dillonhelp]

Overcrimping a plated bullet most definitely can cause the jacket to shed and remain in the bore. A local customer of mine is a commercial loader. and used to use brand X plated bullets to load 40 S&W for a local PD. They had an instance where a round was discharged in an S&W 4046; the lead core and the front half of the jacket left the barrel, while the rear half of the jacket fractured at the circumference of the crimp, and remained as a bore obstruction. The next round fired ruined the handgun. This caused the commercial loader to experiment, and they found that indeed they were cracking the jacket when they crimped excessively.

 

[Charlie Petty]

I've pulled some plated bullets and found the "jacket" to be cut by the crimp but it was revolver ammo with a roll crimp. I would have thought it would be hard to do with a taper crimp die... guess not. :?

Thanks Mr. Dillon