A poster on the bullet making board was kind enough to refer me to the Arizona Ammunition website where I found some purple prose extolling a dry film lubricant for bullets. Before I send all my A-Frames out for treatment with this wonder lube I would like to check the data. Has anybody heard of this stuff? I would like to look at an actual manufacturer's material data sheet and some independent test results before I take the plunge. It was just 8 short years ago that moly was touted as the answer. I now have some moly plating equipment that I don't use and can't sell because I can't keep a straight face while hawking it.
Anyway, here is the add copy:

We are the leader in the application and use of coated/lubricated bullets. We have been applying the NECO process for over 4 years with great success. In our research we have found a new lubrication many levels above moly disulfide. It is an incredible aerospace product used for the past 31 years by NASA, Garrett, McDonnell Douglas, General Electric, Rockwell International, Walter Kiddle, Otis, and 750 other aerospace and hi-tech companies to solve high friction problems in critical areas. It is likely that your computer hard drive is running on this fine lubricant as you read this information! IT IS INCREDIBLE AND IT WORKS! 31 YEARS OF SUCCESS! Our tests are real and with all caliber's of rifles and many premium bullets. It can be applied to all types and brands of bullets!< !--color-->


1. Application requires no heat!

2. Application requires no liquid!

3. Application requires no cold!

4. Application requires no tumbling!

5. No EPA restrictions-totally safe!

6. Applications requires no adhesives!

7. No out gassing! (no corrosion)

8. Does not come off on your hands!

9. Consistent coating-0.000020 thick to 1/2 micron (a human hair is 50 microns thick!)

10. Remain flexible on bullet and during firing! Stays on the bullet!

11. Does not increase the diameter of the bullet!

12. Better adhesion after firing! Stays on the bullet!

13. Holds up above 1,000 degrees (in a controlled environment like a rifle barrel)

14. Inert and nontoxic- completely safe!

15. 31 years of use by NASA- Original test sample is still intact today in the same condition as it was 31 years ago when submitted! Certified by NASA!

16. No residue

17. No special barrel cleaning.

18. No air borne particles

19. No corrosion/No sulfur!

20. Does not flake off!

21. No binders

22. Barrels are easier to clean!

23. No build up in any way!

< !--color-->

Unbelievable?-- we thought so too, so we tested it. For four years we have fired it in 50 BMG rifles, 30's, 22's, 6mm, 375's, 416's, and more and found nothing- no problems! It works and it works good! The 3 time World Champion 1000 yard 50 BMG competitor Buddy Clifton used on every round he fired! The 1999 IBSA 1000 yard benchrest champion Karl Hunstiger uses it exclusively! Hunt-ers, competitors, and plinkers are enjoying the low fouling advantage of ACCULUBE 10X on their bullets.

Arizona Ammunition, Inc. now offers the general shooting p.....< !--color-->

WOW, COOL! But all that and no BJ?

Evidently the coefficient of friction is so low that you can't get enough traction on site to successfully complete the BJ procedure.

Well that sucks.

Touche.

Someone has to know what this stuff is. I've got a free box of Nosler Partitions (any caliber, any weight) for whoever can tell me what this stuff is, who makes it, and where I can get a material data sheet on it. I just don't want to get all excited and waste money like I've done so many times before on shooting related gadgets, doodads, and snake oils.

JCN

With so many exclamation points in their pitch, how could you doubt them!?

I searched around a bit for information on hard disk lubricants and found this:

Quote:

---

In commercial drives, such as those found in a common home computer, the disk is a relatively complicated system made up of a substrate material, typically glass or aluminum, a number of adhesion-promotion layers, a magnetic layer, where data is stored, and finally a thin layer of hard, amorphous carbon. This thin carbon layer protects the soft magnetic layer from damage whenever the head impacts the surface of the disk. The surface of the carbon layer is coated with an extremely thin perfluoropolyether lubricant film. The purpose of this film is to minimize wear of the carbon layer when the head and disk come into contact.

---

The "perfluoropolyether" was stated as being applied only one molecule thick, so this may be the magic stuff. I also found there is a family of these lubricants which go under the initials PFPE. A good description of these and their uses, from one of the makers, is also available.

Try some bullets in an old gun and let us know how it went...

Awesome!,
I set up my search matrix with the keywords NASA, Dry Film Lubricant, Thickness, & Microns. Started to whittle down from 250 hits. After two hours MEGO (My Eyes Glaze Over) set in.
I will take a well used 30 caliber rifle with a stable barrel and known propensity to copper foul.
Will isolate to one variable, presence or absence of miracle coating.
Will pull data via borescope/camera, pressure trace system, and chronograph (guess who's getting a few bucks back from taxes this year).
Will use Barnes TSX bullets so I can also run a series with the Lazzeroni version with the NP-3.
Will post results here.
Thank you,
JCN
PS Hanging out on AR is better than spending time in a virtual version of Rifle/Handloader/Precision Shooting/The Accurate Rifle .

More than a decade ago I did some work for my employer on a coating called paralene. It is actually grown in a very thin layer over things and is VERY slick. We started the research on the theory that if friction could be reduced in the throat of an automatic weapon, the life of the barrel could be increased.

Typically we etched projectiles ever so slightly to yield a surface that the coating would adhere to, then did the coating.

There was no diminishment or increase in projectile diameter.

There was a huge drop in pressure through out the bullets flight through the bore as measured by a Clerke pressure gun with piezo sensors in real time.

So ... the above IS possible, but I am skeptical it can be done with a dry dusting of a coating.

mstarling,



If the pressure dropped throughout the length of the barrel with your lubed bullets, what effect was there on muzzle velocity?



Most of these wonder lubes work great AS LONG AS bearing surface pressures are not very high. Bullets have relatively HIGH bearing surface pressures. Something to keep in mind.



There are SEVERAL and I mean SEVERAL coatings which vastly out-perform molydisulfide. I have worked with three or four of them and they all failed miserably when bearing surface pressures got even remotely high.



ASS_CLOWN

Thanks Mike,
It stands to reason that for any coating to bond on a molecular lever you will need a very clean substrate. Also if the coating does indeed slick things up quite a bit, then you better get it applied very consistenly to avoid wide variations in barrel time.
The pressure drop you saw would be a nice thing for situations like using a 416 Rem Mag in hot weather.
JCN