Molycoatng lead?

BlkHawk73 · September 1, 1999, 02:00 PM

Can hardcast lead bulets be molycoated? Someone asked me this and I decided to find out for him, as I didn't have an answer. Thanx!

**Mal H** · September 1, 1999, 02:14 PM

Sure, you can moly coat a lead bullet. You can also gold plate it. Both of which would make as much sense. The question is why would he want to? Moly won't do for lead, to any appreciable degree, what it does for copper, even for the harder lead alloys.

swifter... · September 1, 1999, 04:16 PM

Actually, Merrill Martin and Roger Johnston were looking for ways to cut leading in cast bullet rifles when they developed the NECO system of moly coating.

I run cast bullets thru a Lee sizer, rinse in alcohol, dry, tumble in my shot/moly mix for 2&1/2 hours, wax for a minute or so, and then thru my old Lyman lubrisizer with their moly lube. The lube is softer than I like, but a dusting of Midway mica helps.
This has almost completely eliminated leading in my .41 magnum and .45 LC.

------------------
The Bill of Rights, and the Golden Rule are enough for civilized behavior. The rest is window dressing. Shoot carefully, swifter...

GreybeardB · September 1, 1999, 05:54 PM

BlkHawk,
About seven or eight years ago I was pushing hard lead 9mm too fast. Had bad leading problems & tried a lot of different lubes. Ordered some "dip & dry" lube called Bullet Master Lube from Brownells.
I didn't know it was moly base (this was before moly bacame so popular)
Used it, it cured my leading problems but,I didn't realize it was moly until just reciently.
The stuff works, no leading, pretty charcoal-black bullets, & it dries clean to touch.
Enjoy,

------------------
Ralph in In.

[This message has been edited by GreybeardB (edited September 02, 1999).]

**Mal H** · September 1, 1999, 08:14 PM

I didn't mean to sound like a smartarse. I am surprised that moly coating will cut down on leading since both metals are relatively soft. It doesn't seem that the moly would prevent the melting of the lead or help with obturation of hard cast lead. Oh well, LSNED.

Stephen A. Camp · September 2, 1999, 01:11 AM

Greetings all. I, too, have molied cast bullets, but used the "Ms Moly" spray so that I didn't have to tumble non-jacketed bullets.
Leading was not totally eliminated, but greatly reduced and clean up was much easier.
I now routinely moly all cast bullet loads.
Chronograph results do not show any real difference in velocities as in rifles with jacketed bullets. Best.

Walt Welch · September 2, 1999, 04:59 PM

One of the gun mags had an article 6 months or so in which they put a small amount (about 1/2 tsp., as I recall) of MoS2 in a Dillon tumbler with cast .452 bullets. This coated them nicely. The bullets fouled less, but had no accuracy advantage.

I cannot but think that you guys are doing it the hard way. Sentry solutions offers a product called Smooth-Kote. This is MoS2 in isopropanol. You just coat the bore, instead of the bullets. Supposedly works well, I am about to try in my 1911s. Hope this helps. Walt

Quantrill · September 3, 1999, 10:39 AM

There is quite a discussion on Moly on lead bullets in "The Cast Bullet" #140. "The Cast Bullet is the journal of "The Cast Bullet Ass'n". If anyone is really interested, E-mail me and I will scan it and send it to you. The final conclusion of the article is, and I quote," After spending some time working with moly coated bullets, my conclusion is, why bother?" End quote. We are beating a dead horse here I think. Quantrill

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September 1, 1999, 02:00 PM	#1
BlkHawk73 Senior Member Join Date: January 14, 1999 Location: Maine Posts: 756	Can hardcast lead bulets be molycoated? Someone asked me this and I decided to find out for him, as I didn't have an answer. Thanx!

September 1, 1999, 02:14 PM	#2
Mal H Staff Join Date: March 20, 1999 Location: Somewhere in the woods of Northern Virginia Posts: 16,947	Sure, you can moly coat a lead bullet. You can also gold plate it. Both of which would make as much sense. The question is why would he want to? Moly won't do for lead, to any appreciable degree, what it does for copper, even for the harder lead alloys.

September 1, 1999, 04:16 PM	#3
swifter... Senior Member Join Date: March 16, 1999 Location: So. CA Mountains Posts: 540	Actually, Merrill Martin and Roger Johnston were looking for ways to cut leading in cast bullet rifles when they developed the NECO system of moly coating. I run cast bullets thru a Lee sizer, rinse in alcohol, dry, tumble in my shot/moly mix for 2&1/2 hours, wax for a minute or so, and then thru my old Lyman lubrisizer with their moly lube. The lube is softer than I like, but a dusting of Midway mica helps. This has almost completely eliminated leading in my .41 magnum and .45 LC. ------------------ The Bill of Rights, and the Golden Rule are enough for civilized behavior. The rest is window dressing. Shoot carefully, swifter...

September 1, 1999, 05:54 PM	#4
GreybeardB Member Join Date: June 23, 1999 Posts: 58	BlkHawk, About seven or eight years ago I was pushing hard lead 9mm too fast. Had bad leading problems & tried a lot of different lubes. Ordered some "dip & dry" lube called Bullet Master Lube from Brownells. I didn't know it was moly base (this was before moly bacame so popular) Used it, it cured my leading problems but,I didn't realize it was moly until just reciently. The stuff works, no leading, pretty charcoal-black bullets, & it dries clean to touch. Enjoy, ------------------ Ralph in In. [This message has been edited by GreybeardB (edited September 02, 1999).]

September 1, 1999, 08:14 PM	#5
Mal H Staff Join Date: March 20, 1999 Location: Somewhere in the woods of Northern Virginia Posts: 16,947	I didn't mean to sound like a smartarse. I am surprised that moly coating will cut down on leading since both metals are relatively soft. It doesn't seem that the moly would prevent the melting of the lead or help with obturation of hard cast lead. Oh well, LSNED.

September 2, 1999, 01:11 AM	#6
Stephen A. Camp Staff In Memoriam Join Date: April 16, 1999 Posts: 2,570	Greetings all. I, too, have molied cast bullets, but used the "Ms Moly" spray so that I didn't have to tumble non-jacketed bullets. Leading was not totally eliminated, but greatly reduced and clean up was much easier. I now routinely moly all cast bullet loads. Chronograph results do not show any real difference in velocities as in rifles with jacketed bullets. Best.

September 2, 1999, 04:59 PM	#7
Walt Welch Senior Member Join Date: November 3, 1998 Location: Alamo, CA Posts: 424	One of the gun mags had an article 6 months or so in which they put a small amount (about 1/2 tsp., as I recall) of MoS2 in a Dillon tumbler with cast .452 bullets. This coated them nicely. The bullets fouled less, but had no accuracy advantage. I cannot but think that you guys are doing it the hard way. Sentry solutions offers a product called Smooth-Kote. This is MoS2 in isopropanol. You just coat the bore, instead of the bullets. Supposedly works well, I am about to try in my 1911s. Hope this helps. Walt

September 3, 1999, 10:39 AM	#8
Quantrill Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 1999 Location: Arizona, USA Posts: 725	There is quite a discussion on Moly on lead bullets in "The Cast Bullet" #140. "The Cast Bullet is the journal of "The Cast Bullet Ass'n". If anyone is really interested, E-mail me and I will scan it and send it to you. The final conclusion of the article is, and I quote," After spending some time working with moly coated bullets, my conclusion is, why bother?" End quote. We are beating a dead horse here I think. Quantrill