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Old 08-18-2018, 05:01 PM
notsofast notsofast is offline
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Default I’m ready for the blast...

I just might get blasted for this but since I don’t know I’m gonna ask. Revolvers prefer lead to metal jacketed bullets? Does the revolvers age make a difference? I ask because I have modern S&W wheelguns and also have a newly acquired S&W he 32 long circa 1915ish. Thanks
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Old 08-18-2018, 05:05 PM
Andy Lowry Andy Lowry is offline
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Would we ever blast anybody for something? Seems like a reasonable question to me. I usually shoot coated lead in mine, but self-defense rounds for carry are usually jacketed. I remember reading something about the PC .45s, like the 625, having rifling that was specifically set up for lead, but somebody else here will know far more about that than I.

Edit to add: What, no picture of the .32? I like .32s.

Last edited by Andy Lowry; 08-18-2018 at 05:06 PM.
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Old 08-18-2018, 05:24 PM
notsofast notsofast is offline
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Sorry haven’t cracked the picture posting code
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Old 08-18-2018, 05:33 PM
kthom kthom is offline
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That old revolver would be better served feeding it standard pressure lead bullet loads. That's what it was built for, and there is no need to over stress that old dandy. Lead doesn't necessarily shoot better or worse in any given revolver than does jacketed ammo. Depends on the gun as well as on the loads being fired. Frames built in later years were engineered to be stronger than those older models like yours. I'm sure it would fire jacketed rounds, but those of today will put more stress on that oldtimer! There was no such thing as jacketed rounds, as far as I know, back when that one was manufactured. The age does make a difference!

And no blast for asking? That's a good question!
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Last edited by kthom; 08-18-2018 at 05:34 PM.
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Old 08-18-2018, 05:58 PM
Bakebfr480 Bakebfr480 is offline
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I shoot cast bullets in everything! Blast away!
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Old 08-18-2018, 06:38 PM
OldChief OldChief is offline
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I shoot mostly plated bullets in all my center fire revolvers. They cost a bit less than jacketed one and are really accurate. Don't get any leading up with them.
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Old 08-18-2018, 07:24 PM
notsofast notsofast is offline
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My main concern is that a metal jacketed bullet is more prone to lodge in the barrel than a lead bullet, and also a FMJ could be more damaging to a very old gun.
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Old 08-18-2018, 07:33 PM
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Lead is a great "Pill" for ALL revolvers built before 1950.........
no matter what the caliber.

Jacket bullets did not start showing up in force until the "BIG"
bang, 357 Magnum was a mainstay, after test proved the 44 frame could hold up and the N frame became the weapon of the day.............
unless you had a 38 Super.

You just have to make sure that they are the correct Dia. for your weapon,
with all the bullet makers out there now, selling bullets of all shapes and sizes.
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Old 08-18-2018, 11:27 PM
Beemer-mark Beemer-mark is offline
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For target or hunting cast bullets perform better than jacketed for most guns. Some would argue that today's jacketed bullets at magnum velocities are better but that's the only time that they maybe better. For target and plinking jacketed will wear a barrel out years before a lead bullet will.

And that doesn't even considered the cost of lead vs jacketed if reloading.
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Old 08-19-2018, 12:55 AM
ACP230 ACP230 is offline
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One S&W 1917 (Brazilian Contract) I shot showed a
definite preference for .45 ACP hardball. Shot lead
bullets OK but was more accurate with FMJs.
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Old 08-19-2018, 02:25 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by notsofast View Post
I just might get blasted for this but since I don’t know I’m gonna ask. Revolvers prefer lead to metal jacketed bullets? Does the revolvers age make a difference? I ask because I have modern S&W wheelguns and also have a newly acquired S&W he 32 long circa 1915ish. Thanks
YOU WOULD NEVER "GET BLASTED" HERE FOR ASKING AN HONEST QUESTION. THE WAY YOU STATED YOUR QUESTION IS AMBIGUOUS.....

ALL REVOLVERS DO NOT PREFER "LEAD TO METAL JACKETED BULLETS".....

IF YOU WISH TO USE ACCURACY AS A MEASURE OF PREFERENCE, MANY REVOLVERS SHOOT FMJ OR PLATED BULLETS MORE ACCURATELY THAN LEAD BULLETS. CERTAINLY, CLEANING THE GUN IS EASIER.....

VINTAGE REVOLVERS WERE MANUFACTURED YEARS BEFORE THE ADVENT OF MODERN JACKETED AMMO. TO AVOID BEATING UP A NICE OLD GUN, FOR NO REASON, I WOULD STICK TO LEAD, LOW VELOCITY TARGET LOADS. THEY WILL NOT DAMAGE YOUR REVOLVER, AND WILL EXTEND ITS LIFE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS........
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Old 08-19-2018, 06:14 AM
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The copper jacket on a bullet is way softer than the steel in a barrel, even on an older gun. But, copper does have a higher friction coefficient than lead. If a load with a jacketed bullet didn't make it out the barrel and a lead bullet would, the difference would be small enough that you would be pushing your luck.

Copper on steel friction coefficient- .053 (.36 lubed)
Lead on iron-.43

I couldn't find lead on steel or lead lubed. But your only talking about approx 20-30% reduction in friction with lead. Significant, but, not huge and certainly not enough to believe one would make it out a barrel and the other would not. Interestingly the coefficient of friction for something static is considerably higher than that of an object in motion. A bullet is certainly in motion once it leaves the case mouth. It is big enough to effect load data.

Last edited by steelslaver; 08-19-2018 at 06:21 AM.
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Old 08-22-2018, 12:07 PM
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I wrote in an earlier post about an article in the 2017 Gun Digest which showed that in firing identical 9mm loads using lead vs. jacketed bullets, the jacketed bullets gave substantially lower MVs than lead bullets. This was because of the greater friction of the jacketed bullets. And jacketed bullets, when used in very light loads, have a greater propensity to stick in revolver barrels.

Pre-WWII S&W barrels used a softer steel than later, and the S&W recommendation was to use lead bullets. During WWII, the steel alloy used for barrels was changed to one with greater wear resistance, as jacketed bullets were used in ammunition purchased by the military.

Until about 40 years ago, jacketed bullets were very uncommon for revolver ammunition, although they had always been used for most pistol calibers such as .25, 32, 380, 9mm, .38 Super, and .45 ACP.

Last edited by DWalt; 08-22-2018 at 12:16 PM.
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Old 08-22-2018, 02:09 PM
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Nope, bullets is bullets. I have some revolvers that have never fired a jacketed bullet since I owned them (got my first 44 Mag. in '88), and have I have some revolvers that shoot jacketed quite well (I have a Dan Wesson that shoots 240 gr jacketed HP extremely accurately). An older gun like your 32 Long might be better shooting with light loads and lead bullets, but that's is for one specific gun (older design, older gun alloys/strength and sorta "collector quality" gun), but not generally.

I just got a SA in 45 Colt that will not shoot any jacketed bullets as it jes don't look right for a jacketed bullet sitting in a "cowboy" gun, 250 gr LRNFPs only...

Blasted? Not here, if the powers to be allow me, you're safe...

Last edited by mikld; 08-25-2018 at 11:39 AM.
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Old 08-22-2018, 02:50 PM
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My experience with centerfire weapons is that properly sized cast lead bullets are the most accurate. (JMO because lead grips the rifling better than copper.) In a single, dual or revolver each round remains in its own chamber until fired. No chambering issues.

But in a semi-auto, bolt action, pump or lever additional issues arise. Bullets can be distorted when feeding, jackets help and the upside of each round clambering and going boom far outwights the small loss on accuracy.
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Last edited by TomkinsSP; 08-22-2018 at 02:53 PM.
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Old 09-24-2018, 07:34 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bakebfr480 View Post
I shoot cast bullets in everything! Blast away!
Same here. I'm second guessing carrying anything jacketed anymore for self defense after knowing what a "Keith" style bullet with a Meplate 65% or more of the original bullets diameter does to flesh. Hard casts for 4 legged animals, soft cast for 2 legged animals! YMMV.
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Old 09-24-2018, 09:01 AM
Pisgah Pisgah is online now
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Folks tend to forget that models like the 1917 were used almost exclusively with jacketed bullets, and semiautos were always fed jacketed bullets from the late 1800's on. Yes, copper has a somewhat higher coefficient of friction than lead, but at the velocities and pressures of rounds like the .32 Long the difference in barrel wear rates is virtually nil. Besides, you're not very likely to find many jacketed rounds available for the .32 long unless you handload. If you do handload, just keep the loads within normal specs for the cartridge and no harm will result.
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Old 09-24-2018, 09:16 AM
Eddietruett Eddietruett is offline
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I shoot some of them all. Mainly depends on what each particular gun likes best. Lately I’m about 90% coated lead. Just as clean as jacketed and plated and can load as hot as I want. I can usually find a weight and powder that will shoot good in each gun. About the only jacketed bullets I shoot these days are loads for deer and coyotes. Because of the different twist in the rifling I’m told, I find that my old Colts really like the swaged HBWC
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Old 09-24-2018, 09:52 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ACP230 View Post
One S&W 1917 (Brazilian Contract) I shot showed a
definite preference for .45 ACP hardball. Shot lead
bullets OK but was more accurate with FMJs.
Agree with this, my 1917, 1937 and 1950 acp revolvers shoot hardball ammo better than lead. I admit I haven't slugged the barrels if I were to do so I might be able to find a lead bullet that worked better.
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Old 09-24-2018, 11:32 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by steelslaver View Post
The copper jacket on a bullet is way softer than the steel in a barrel, even on an older gun. But, copper does have a higher friction coefficient than lead. If a load with a jacketed bullet didn't make it out the barrel and a lead bullet would, the difference would be small enough that you would be pushing your luck.
I will mostly agree with this part of your post -- either way, you are pushing your luck and loads of this nature aren't a great idea, especially for a revolver, and if you are toying with extremely light loads, you need to be extremely cognizant of each and every shot, insuring everything you drop the hammer on also leaves the barrel.

There is a lot of good in this discussion but one item that seems to always be left out, and in my opinion, it needs to be a public service message.

When toying with light loads in revolvers, the game is far different than light loads in any and every other kind of firearm. Semi-auto, single shot, lever gun, bolt gun, you name it. Each and every one of those platforms runs a sealed bore and a revolver does not.

A revolver has a bleed valve for pressure, and in the arena of light loads, that is crucial pressure. With a revolver, the bullet starts to move and it needs that speed to make that jump across the gap and in to the forcing cone, pressure will always and absolutely leak out of the flash gap.

How it relates to this particular thread -- is that jacketed bullets resist all movement more so than lead bullets of a same/similar diameter. And with a revolver specifically, a "too light" lead bullet load may always move, make the jump and make it out of the barrel but a jacketed slug will resist far more when it matters most.

If that bullet doesn't keep moving when it hits the forcing cone, the pressure that has built is going to take the path of least resistance to escape. We want that path to be behind the bullet, but if the bullet doesn't want to slide down the barrel, it's going to leak out of the flash gap.

In every other firearm platform, it doesn't have an escape route. It definitely has one in a revolver. And jacketed and even plated bullets offer more resistance in a barrel than does a lead bullet.
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Old 09-24-2018, 12:50 PM
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I kike to shoot a couple hard ball rounds last to help remove any lead residuals before cleaning.
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Old 09-24-2018, 01:17 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rudi View Post
I kike to shoot a couple hard ball rounds last to help remove any lead residuals before cleaning.
It is (almost!) universally agreed upon that this is a horrendous idea. Consider that a barrel with lead built up in it is incrementally smaller in diameter, so discharging a jacketed round is not just asking, but demanding an "increased pressure event."

Further... it's the experience of many that otherwise simple cleaning of trace lead is fairly easy, but lead that has been forcefully IRONED in to the bore under pressure and heat (firing a jacketed bullet) becomes far more difficult to remove.

But it's still there, incrementally shrinking the size of the bore.

Many older folks will remember that some (most?) of the all time great gunwriters used to follow this practice and recommend it also, but the thinking behind this practice has evolved.

YMMV, but there's some info to ponder.
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Old 09-24-2018, 04:27 PM
gregintenn gregintenn is offline
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I believe that any quality handgun should be able to safely fire any commercially available ammunition marked with the correct chambering.
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