Filling hollow point bullets

[Dmaxboy08]

First off, im NOT wanting to do this. Im just wondering what you guys thought about the subject. I have been reading around on different firearm forums that some people are filling their HPs with different things.
One example a guy placed shot out of a shotgun shell in the HP and covered it up with wax. I really dont have a question on it since I really dont see the need in doing it, but I wanted everyones thoughts on it.

 

[Fat Old Guy]

If memory serves, there was a commercial round that featured a piece of birdshot in the hollow point. The idea was that the piece of shot would help the hollow point expand, similar to the idea of the Hydrashok (patented in 1978). My aging memory says that this idea predated the introduction of the Hydrashok but I may be wrong.

 

[Arik]

The ball may be an old technique to have a hp bullet feed in a gun that was ment to fire fmj only. Like the new Power Ball ammo for older 1911s and Hi Powers which wernt originally designed to feed HP.

Just a guess

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

 

[pete950]

Guy's I did an experiment. Look at the Hornady ammo with the flex tips.
they are on to somthing. I filled the hollow point of there 9mm 147 grain and 38 158 grain XTP ammo. fired each into city telephone books and wow they expanded perfect. Of cours make sure the calk has dried over night. Now when you shoot these rounds with out the calk into the books they do not expand.

 

[StatesRightist]

The Germans filled HP bullets with Mercury in WWI, it's my understanding it was quite effective. It's also a felony in the US, as well as Internationally condemner, so don't try it.

 

[Dmaxboy08]

i also read where someone lightly pressed a primer in the HP thinking it would cause a bigger boom when it hit the target

 

[KEN L]

Back in the day someone, I believe Winchester, marketed a .25 ACP round that was essentially a hollow point with a steel BB embedded in the hollow point. I'll dig around and see if I still have some and post a pic.

 

[125JHP]

Pete
What type of caulk did you use ? A rubbery flexible one like window seal or a stiffer one like PL200 construction adhesive? I have been thinking of trying the latter in some XTP also I am glad to hear of your test.

 

[pete950]

Pete
What type of caulk did you use ? A rubbery flexible one like window seal or a stiffer one like PL200 construction adhesive? I have been thinking of trying the latter in some XTP also I am glad to hear of your test.

Just regular bath tub calk! I also did this with some Russian mak ammo.
It worked.

Pete

 

[mudman bob]

Things that make you go, hmmmmmmmmmmm.

 

[Sebago Son]

i also read where someone lightly pressed a primer in the HP thinking it would cause a bigger boom when it hit the target

Squires-Bingham marketed the "Exploder" round in the early 80's using this idea. I tried some in a .44 Special Charter Arms Bulldog which was all the rage for CCW at the time. Wasn't too effective on anything soft, but if you shot a cinder block it would pop. Not really all that impressive, but it would ignite.

 

[Ironhand]

Back in the day someone, I believe Winchester, marketed a .25 ACP round that was essentially a hollow point with a steel BB embedded in the hollow point. I'll dig around and see if I still have some and post a pic.

I had some of that ammo for my Intratec Pro-Tec 20 years ago or so. I don't know if it makes a difference in wound ballistics but all the rounds cycled through the gun, NOT something that all the ammo I tried for the little gun could do.

 

[vipermd]

filling hollowpoints

The Germans filled HP bullets with Mercury in WWI, it's my understanding it was quite effective. It's also a felony in the US, as well as Internationally condemner, so don't try it.

Is filling it with mercury illegal or filling it? Where they trying to get expansion,bullet upset or mercury poisoning? Thank You.

 

[BBQLS1]

i also read where someone lightly pressed a primer in the HP thinking it would cause a bigger boom when it hit the target

I'm just not sure what to think about this.... other than not good.

 

[Jim Watson]

The current crop of Hornady rubbernose bullets is just the latest in a long history of gimmick bullets. If you can think of it, it has probably already been done. Yes, birdshot or steel BBs in hollowpoints, clear back to the Hoxie of 1907!
There was a bullet with a nose cavity filled with grease and swaged over so it looked like a softpoint, I think in the 1930s, but don't have the old ad any more.

Mercury? I doubt the Germans would have fooled with it much. Discussion of the faults of mercury in an old post at:
The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Gel or grease in a hollowpoint makes it expand reliably at all times...

Charles Newton designed a bullet with a wrap of paper between the jacket and core to insulate the core from barrel friction in his very high velocity rifles. He also put a steel pin down through the softnose to keep the lead from slumping at launch and to control expansion upon impact.

Explosive bullets? Sure, dozens of designs from the Jacobs forward.

 

[Steve C]

Hornady's use of a soft polymer insert in the hollow of the FTX ammo is a great solution to the well documented condition and complaint that JHP's can become clogged with the material they must pass though like heaby clothing and gyp board which can prevent the bullet from expanding as desired. Other companies have developed bullets that will generally perform well through thick clothses, wall board, etc but tests do show that their expansion is reduced somewhat.

I would think that any good pliable and flexible compound would work similarly to Hornady's insert, at least as long as it retained similar characteristics. The problem with calking and other such material you can buy at Home Depot in my experience is that they eventually harden with age and exposure to heat. Horandy's insert likely has a longer usefull shelf life.

As someone once quiped, "the XTP's won>t clog up because they've already been pre-clogged."

 

[Sid V.]

The mercury story is not true ,having worked with mercury manometers. The mercury will quickly desolve brass and lead.
Sid V. #1388

 

[jakenov3]

I remember in Jaws 2 the police chief put it in the hollow points for his revolver to kill that mean old shark. they can do anything in the movies.

 

[riverrat38]

If you add any weight to a commercial round, it will raise the pressure some. I don't think seriously, but heavier loads use less powder, for this reason. Something dense like Mercury or Lead would make the greatest difference, of course!

rat

 

[125JHP]

I frequently weigh bullets to see their manufacturing consistency. Most (even high quality brands) vary up to +/- 1.5~2 grains from their nominal weight.

Yesterday I took some 90gr XTP and filled the cavities with DAP window and door caulk. The one bullet I weighed afterward was exactly 90.0 grains. Now to see how they expand in water compared to regular XTP at 930 fps from a .380.

DAP advertises that it stays flexible and a typical life of 15-20 yrs, so I don't expect it to 'harden' in storage, at least till I shoot them. This concept provides multiple testing opportunities to shoot more - different fillers and different brand bullets... all in the name of science of course.