Might try some Bear Creek Moly bullets but...

DarthNul · November 13, 2011, 06:16 PM

I heard about Bear Creek bullets listening to the "Power Factor" podcast. The prices look really good, but I've never used or loaded moly bullets before.

I know that moly bullets give lower velocities compared to jacketed bullets with the same powder charge, and that requires working up loads from scratch, but I have yet to find any load data specifically for moly bullets.

So here are my questions:

1) Is is possible to safely work up moly loads without a chrony? I'm assuming max loads for moly will have bigger charges than the published max load for a jacketed bullet of the same weight (not that my goal is to come up with hot loads, I just want accuracy). Is there a guideline for this?

2) Are moly bullets going to coat my barrel? That would force a change in my cleaning routine, and I assume I wouldn't be able to switch back to jacketed ammo until I got the moly out of the barrel. This won't be a problem for guns dedicated to target/competition use, but would rule out moly for any SD guns.

OkieGentleman · November 13, 2011, 10:17 PM

I am going to paraphrase Wikipedia, so we do not get in trouble for copy rights but for the whole article go here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molybde...#Specific_uses

Read the part about the use on bullets and the lower chamber pressure and lower velocity.

Moly sulphide coatings get slicker with the application of heat and pressure. The moly lube, I was told long ago, will fill the "pores" of the metal (bore) and seem to combine with the metal. A lower chamber pressure and lose of velocity is due to the fact the bullet slides through the barrel easier, not letting the pressure build up. That seems to be some kind of contradiction, but if you think about it, it is not.

I took a Colt Python and generously sprayed it with Moly Lube spray back in the early 80s. Chambers, bore, trigger mechanism and finish. I would spray, wipe excess, shoot for a hundred rounds, spray bore and chambers again wipe excess and shoot some more.
I could shoot cast bullets all day and then put a white cloth on the bench and hit the muzzle against the cloth in a straight down angle and the lead shavings would fall out of the bore onto the cloth. I did this in front of a gun smith and he flipped out, took the Python away from me and examined it carefully and then fired it for a few cylinders full and tried the same trick. The lead fell out of the bore for him the same way it had for me.
By the way the blueing on the Python looked really good after a spray down with Moly and a wipe off of the excess. If you get it on your hands or clothing it is impossible to remove. It has to wear off you skin and is forever on you clothes.
I showed this to a relative in the Special Forces and gave him a spare spray can that I had. Several months later he called me and wanted some more for his unit. During a stateside exercise,he had used it on his weapons and his was the only one operational after a sand storm. I told him to take the can to a local machine tool supply house and they could get it for him if they did not have it in stock. This seems to work well on equipment in a desert environment as it is not sticky like grease and does not attract sand.

If you heat a part and spray it with Moly Lube it will coat like paint and harden. Any areas that are not being rubbed will look like they have been painted are protected from moisture

My experience with spray on Moly Lube has been nothing but good. As to shooting "regular" bullets after shooting Moly coated, no problem, You might find that your "hot" loads no longer show primer symptoms, because the "regular" bullets are sliding through the bore with moly in the pores of the steel, has lowered the chamber pressure.

November 13, 2011, 06:16 PM	#1
DarthNul Senior Member Join Date: December 21, 2010 Location: Minnesota Posts: 288	Might try some Bear Creek Moly bullets but... I heard about Bear Creek bullets listening to the "Power Factor" podcast. The prices look really good, but I've never used or loaded moly bullets before. I know that moly bullets give lower velocities compared to jacketed bullets with the same powder charge, and that requires working up loads from scratch, but I have yet to find any load data specifically for moly bullets. So here are my questions: 1) Is is possible to safely work up moly loads without a chrony? I'm assuming max loads for moly will have bigger charges than the published max load for a jacketed bullet of the same weight (not that my goal is to come up with hot loads, I just want accuracy). Is there a guideline for this? 2) Are moly bullets going to coat my barrel? That would force a change in my cleaning routine, and I assume I wouldn't be able to switch back to jacketed ammo until I got the moly out of the barrel. This won't be a problem for guns dedicated to target/competition use, but would rule out moly for any SD guns.

November 13, 2011, 10:17 PM	#2
OkieGentleman Senior Member Join Date: August 18, 1999 Location: OKC Metro Posts: 521	Moly Lube I am going to paraphrase Wikipedia, so we do not get in trouble for copy rights but for the whole article go here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molybde...#Specific_uses Read the part about the use on bullets and the lower chamber pressure and lower velocity. Moly sulphide coatings get slicker with the application of heat and pressure. The moly lube, I was told long ago, will fill the "pores" of the metal (bore) and seem to combine with the metal. A lower chamber pressure and lose of velocity is due to the fact the bullet slides through the barrel easier, not letting the pressure build up. That seems to be some kind of contradiction, but if you think about it, it is not. I took a Colt Python and generously sprayed it with Moly Lube spray back in the early 80s. Chambers, bore, trigger mechanism and finish. I would spray, wipe excess, shoot for a hundred rounds, spray bore and chambers again wipe excess and shoot some more. I could shoot cast bullets all day and then put a white cloth on the bench and hit the muzzle against the cloth in a straight down angle and the lead shavings would fall out of the bore onto the cloth. I did this in front of a gun smith and he flipped out, took the Python away from me and examined it carefully and then fired it for a few cylinders full and tried the same trick. The lead fell out of the bore for him the same way it had for me. By the way the blueing on the Python looked really good after a spray down with Moly and a wipe off of the excess. If you get it on your hands or clothing it is impossible to remove. It has to wear off you skin and is forever on you clothes. I showed this to a relative in the Special Forces and gave him a spare spray can that I had. Several months later he called me and wanted some more for his unit. During a stateside exercise,he had used it on his weapons and his was the only one operational after a sand storm. I told him to take the can to a local machine tool supply house and they could get it for him if they did not have it in stock. This seems to work well on equipment in a desert environment as it is not sticky like grease and does not attract sand. If you heat a part and spray it with Moly Lube it will coat like paint and harden. Any areas that are not being rubbed will look like they have been painted are protected from moisture My experience with spray on Moly Lube has been nothing but good. As to shooting "regular" bullets after shooting Moly coated, no problem, You might find that your "hot" loads no longer show primer symptoms, because the "regular" bullets are sliding through the bore with moly in the pores of the steel, has lowered the chamber pressure. Last edited by OkieGentleman; November 13, 2011 at 10:32 PM.