Ever seen a bullet do this?

[WR Moore]

Post #1 mentioned a "can" of Bullseye. I don't recall when Hercules/Alliant quit using metal cans, but we can guesstimate that if the powder was in a metal can, it'd be close to 50 years old. If so, I think the proper thing to do is have a memorial service for it and scatter the remnant of the powder as fertilizer.

Yes, Alliant does have sample of the very first batch of Unique and something similar for Bullseye, but those powders are kept wet in a sealed glass container. In the rare instance they use some, they dry it out. That's very different from possibly being in a metal can for approaching a half century.

I do think there might be something suspect with the bullet. However, Hornady swages those bullets out of lead wire, so voids seem unlikely. Heavy leading was noted, might be loads/powder or bad batch of wire.

 

[gwpercle]

I'm not going to say ancient aliens had anything to do with this but....
it might be time to call in Giorgio A. Tsoukalos to take a look at this !
Gary

 

[michpatriot]

I'm going out on a limb and speculate that some Cerosafe slugging material ended up in the lead pot and it somehow stayed in a glob that ended up in the bullet you are pondering...it melts at less than the boiling point of water.

 

[DancesWithMoonclips]

Just to clarify, it wasn’t a can of bullseye, I misspoke. It was a cardboard sided canister with metal ends. I think it’s going on the lawn. It looked good when I got it. Who knows? Not worth risking a gun over.

 

[ggibson511960]

My Crackpot Theory

Both of my old Hornady manuals show starting loads well above 4.7 gr of Bullseye, 5.8 gr (4th Edition) or 5.9 gr (7th Edition) for a 200 gr swaged SWC in 45 Colt. Both these loads claim 850 fps from a 7-1/2 in bbl Ruger Bisley Blackhawk. Your 4.7 gr load must be well down from 850 fps, but that should be O.K. with fast burning Bullseye. The exception might be a deformed, damaged, or internally defective swaged bullet. I quit using swaged lead decades ago. No matter how slow you drive them, they will eventually lead. If you mess up and push near 1,000 fps they shrink the bore of the handgun with lead right away. Why does Hornady show loads that push them this fast?? That big scallop on the side of the bullet came from either a defect in the lead wire, a cold joint or slag inclusion, or perhaps a gouged out on bullet seating, maybe from a case mouth not flared enough that carved the bullet O.D. on the way in. Evidence is gone for that mishap now that the case is "fired". Bullseye lights off right now unless the confinement of a defective bullet and/or seating makes it act like a Roman candle, which might account for the funny report you heard. Hot gas got into that small channel and made a big one out of it, obturating the O.D. of the bullet to the I.D. of the case and sticking it before the bullet could move. There was not much gas pressure pushing on the base. If powder got into that fissure before firing, then stage was set. Hot gas flame-cut down the side of the bullet and shaped that lovely spire on the bullet nose. When I was a stupid kid I did near the same thing with a soft air rifle pellet in a .22 long rifle case. I hate soft lead bullets. Will not use them. Soft lead is O.K. for patched round balls for muzzle loaders and not much else.

Edit: My bad. I was looking at .45 Colt loads, not .45 ACP. Lesson learned, never believe loading data on the Internet, especially mine. 4.7 gr of BE running a 200 gr. lead punkin ball to 900 fps is on the warm side for me. Swaged lead is better suited for caulking up joints in bell & spigot cast iron pipe. Just my prejudice.

 

[steelslaver]

I am going with the de lamination or void in the bullet and it blowing apart. I have fired some split cases and except for some soot on the outside the case everything else was fine every time.

Part of the bullet blew off and down the barrel leaving torn and deformed portion in chamber. The energy of tearing the rest of the way apart accounts for the melted look

But it is weird.

 

[remnard]

But it didn't move the bullet out of the case at all????

ANY scenario I can think of except a REALLY slow burn would push the bullet out SOME. How big is the base of the bullet before and after firing? What does the bullet look like sitting in the mouth of a case?

I appears that hot gas bypassed the bullet. Not enough crimp???

its easy enough to check the timing.

 

[mtgianni]

If the problem showed up "About ten rounds in", I suspect something other than the powder.

 

[bluetopper]

I don't know what it is about us but I've seen some of the weirdest scenarios show up on this reloading forum and this one's right up there with the most bizarre of them. We need Rod Serling and his team to investigate this one. I can hear the music now.
Old funky deteriorating powder is what I'll put my money on. It just sat there and got hot instead of building up pressure; but we'll never know for sure.

 

[Rule3]

 

[H Richard]

Out of curiosity, have you inspected the barrel of the gun for any obstruction?

 

[rwsmith]

Good point.......

If the problem showed up "About ten rounds in", I suspect something other than the powder.

True! This is about the most mysterious problem we've had in long while not counting some posters who gave a cockamamy story without following up until everybody gave up on them.

 

[OLDSTER]

My theory is this; "Holy Stymee" !!!

 

[buck460XVR]

I am going with the de lamination or void in the bullet and it blowing apart.

^^^Me too. Would like to know Hornady's explanation tho.......

 

[DWalt]

" I think the proper thing to do is have a memorial service for it and scatter the remnant of the powder as fertilizer."

A total myth. It will not fertilize anything. Smokeless powder is insoluble and will not release any nitrogen to soil. Black powder would, and I imagine that is how the myth started.

 

[Doug627]

Everyone here has missed the most obvious answer. It was magic.

 

[stansdds]

Magic? No, there is no such thing as magic. The real reason...