Two of the 7.62 X 41s were shot last week with cast gas checked bullets followed by some jacketed bullets. While cleaning there was hardly any evidence of copper fouling!!

Having only limited experience with cast bullets I never recognized this event before.

Has anyone shared this experience before? roger

Lead is slick and acts like a lube, doesn't it?

That's why we had leaded gasoline, to lube the valve train.

Akin to having your bore lined with moly - albeit lead it not quite as slick.

But I don't have personal experience in the matter, so everything I say is subjective.

Yes I have. Not definitive mind you. First let me say I have recovered cast bullets of my own creation which started out life as being oversize and fitting the throat closely, with no lube grooves. The bullets were heavily lubed externaly with waxy-lube. The bullets were fired down a two-groove 303 Brit which means they got swaged to bore diameter with two narrow 'inverse' rifling lands as opposed to grooves. These left no lead in the bore and showed no sliding, scuffing, polishing nor any sign of having slid down a bore. Then, just for fun, I lubed the jacketed bullets for this gun. At first with a 'ring' of waxy-lube filling the boat tail, then just dipping the bullet nose and shank into molten waxy-lube after loading. No copper! (And good accuracy too!) Oh, this bore has rust damage and has been fire-lapped. Now on to my hornet. It has a badly rust damage bore but on average, over its length, the bore is all there (no sign of bore damage on recoverd bullets). This bore never collects any copper (nore lead). But - I lube the bullets! In fact, I seat them in a waxy-lubed paper cup. I did shoot some light load through it without lube or paper cup and recovered bullets showed no sign of sliding, scuffing etc. In fact, they showed heat stain in the grooves. So, I am suggesting that it is the lube from the cast bullets that have prevented copper fouling in your case. And as suggested, the lead may be part of the residual lube.

quote:

Originally posted by 303Guy:
So, I am suggesting that it is the lube from the cast bullets that have prevented copper fouling in your case. And as suggested, the lead may be part of the residual lube.

Once again the Kiwi hits the gong! Thanks roger

Lead will typically not start to "strip" out of a barrel until it hits about 1500 FPS. Lube does act as a preventer of this. Are the lead bullets miked so they will actually contact the rifling or does the gas check help impart the spin necessary for bullet stabilization.

quote:

Are the lead bullets miked so they will actually contact the rifling ...

Was that question directed specifically at Roger re his particular bullets? Mine engage the rifling from right near the nose.

quote:

Originally posted by 303Guy:

quote:

Are the lead bullets miked so they will actually contact the rifling ...

Was that question directed specifically at Roger re his particular bullets? Mine engage the rifling from right near the nose.

are these phalli representations before and after Viagra?

I doubt that the gas check can impart any torque to the Lead. If anything it might just get spun off and that has happened to me and taken out chunks of a number of my Chronographs. roger

Yup - the bottom one has been 'bumped' a little!

I have had bullets that show slipping of the gas check ie the groove in the gas check is narrower than the groove in the lead bullet body.