Leading at muzzle with hitek coating?

[Collo Rosso]

Looks like lead! Out of curiosity dla, rub the bullet with acetone (if you have any), then smash it with a hammer. I'm thinking the coating isn't staying put looking at those fired bullets. The coating is gone from the bands.
Are these .001" over the barrel? I see only one bullet with a land groove.

 

[dla]

Looks like lead! Out of curiosity dla, rub the bullet with acetone (if you have any), then smash it with a hammer. I'm thinking the coating isn't staying put looking at those fired bullets. The coating is gone from the bands.
Are these .001" over the barrel? I see only one bullet with a land groove.

There is a basic problem with these bullets - they measure .401" with the coating. So likely .400" without.

The coating gets blown off in the first 2", but this part of the barrel stays clean because the coating turns to smoke. Once the coating is gone, the blowby increases and erodes the lead, depositing it in the grooves. After the grooves fill, the barrel is a smoothbore and no more engraving happens.

So either the coating isnt sticking like it should, or MBC is coating undersized bullets. I'm thinking the latter. I would coat a .401" bullet, not try to make a .400" bullet larger by coating it.

 

[dla]

Looks like lead! Out of curiosity dla, rub the bullet with acetone (if you have any), then smash it with a hammer. I'm thinking the coating isn't staying put looking at those fired bullets. The coating is gone from the bands.
Are these .001" over the barrel? I see only one bullet with a land groove.

Rubbed with acetone and love tapped with a 3lb hammer.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

To me the spray on coating process is no better than the person doing it & can lead to inconsistencies.

I contacted the company, excellent CS by the way, and they said was improperly applied coating on the bullets. They replaced them, and all is well.

...but I figured if things could go so badly wrong with the process, I'd try something else.

MBC told me, after I complained, that they replaced the guy doing the coating.

Subsequent batches I got had similar trouble.

I quit buying coated bullets altogether.

Clearly they still have a problem with the process.

.

 

[roundgun]

You sure it is "lead" and not just discoloration from the coating, carbon and dirt from the primers?. It would be interesting to find a bullet after it was shoot.
After torture testing several bullets with Hy Tec from MBC I doubt it is lead.

"It would be interesting to find a bullet after it was shot." I stack 4 or 5 plastic gallon jugs filled with water back to back. Shoot at a safe distance. Retrieve bullet from last penetrated jug and inspect. We call this a "water catch" in my neck of the woods. This has been the method I use to inspect my DIY bullet coating performance.

 

[Collo Rosso]

Rubbed with acetone and love tapped with a 3lb hammer.

As I understand it, bullets are coated, then sized. The coating isn't a thousandth of an inch thick.
When you rubbed it with acetone, did the rag turn gold? Looks like it lost some of the coating in the picture. I'm thinking this is your problem.
Brazos sells sample packs and he usually ships pretty fast. I'm getting into 10mm and got a sample pack delivered in a week a couple weeks ago. Notice I'm spending your money!
Curious if any difference when you test the Brazos bullet.

 

[dla]

As I understand it, bullets are coated, then sized. The coating isn't a thousandth of an inch thick.
When you rubbed it with acetone, did the rag turn gold? Looks like it lost some of the coating in the picture. I'm thinking this is your problem.
Brazos sells sample packs and he usually ships pretty fast. I'm getting into 10mm and got a sample pack delivered in a week a couple weeks ago. Notice I'm spending your money!
Curious if any difference when you test the Brazos bullet.

I'll take a look at their product. In the mean time, I have some LLA coated bullets drying in the garage. If LLA cures the leading, (and I think it will), then the MBC hi tek coating sucks. If the LLA-coated fodder continues to lead, then I know the bullets are undersized for my bore - and I'll buy from someone who can supply .402.

I hate LLA, (don't like 45-45-10 either), but the stuff works.

 

[dla]

I loaded some of the hi tek coated 155gr lswc to 1050fps pushed by Silhouette - still leads at the muzzle.

I also ordered some Brazos .402" hi tek coated - 180gr.

 

[muddocktor]

dla, you do know that MBC will sell oversized bullets too, if you send them an email about it first. I did that with some 44 mag bullets I ordered from them a while ago, sized .431 and it checked out with my dial caliper too.

 

[dla]

dla, you do know that MBC will sell oversized bullets too, if you send them an email about it first. I did that with some 44 mag bullets I ordered from them a while ago, sized .431 and it checked out with my dial caliper too.

Good to know - thanks!

 

[Collo Rosso]

I'm running Missouri Bullet Company 155gr coated lswc through my M&P40 2.0 Compact - 4" barrel. I ran them up to 1250fps and started getting leading in the last inch of barrel - completely clean before that. It looks like a classic lube failure. Anyone else have experience with hitek (hytek, hi tek, etc.) Coating?

I just reread the original post... 40s&w in a 4" barrel semi-auto ran up to 1250fps? Wow! I went through a couple load data sights and your above every max load in FPS I could find, and the ones that did list a barrel length, it was was 5".

 

[dla]

I just reread the original post... 40s&w in a 4" barrel semi-auto ran up to 1250fps? Wow! I went through a couple load data sights and your above every max load in FPS I could find, and the ones that did list a barrel length, it was was 5".

Hodgdon load data shows Longshot to nearly 1300fps at a shorter COL - 4" barrel. A 155gr @1200+fps is pretty common with the slower powders (power pistol, hs6, longshot, bluedot, 800x).
Whether or not you need a 155gr @1300fps is another question.

 

[STORMINORMAN]

You can say THAT again!

Hodgdon load data shows Longshot to nearly 1300fps at a shorter COL - 4" barrel. A 155gr @1200+fps is pretty common with the slower powders (power pistol, hs6, longshot, bluedot, 800x).
Whether or not you need a 155gr @1300fps is another question.

That's Buffalo Bore Country, IMHO...!

 

[scattershot]

For those interested, Iordered a sample pack of .45 ACP 200 swc from Brazos on the 30th, and they arrived today (Monday). Pretty quick, especially over a weekend. Anyway, I pulled five at random, and they were all spot on .452. Two of them were 205 grains, and three were 204. Look great, can't wait to try them.

 

[Milton]

I know you should not have to and it is some trouble but if you get stuck with a batch of these bullets you cannot use try a coat of ALOX and then shoot them.This has worked for me in some situations like you are reporting.

 

[dla]

I know you should not have to and it is some trouble but if you get stuck with a batch of these bullets you cannot use try a coat of ALOX and then shoot them.This has worked for me in some situations like you are reporting.

You're right. I loaded up a bunch of alox coated. Just have some chores to do before I can find out the results.

 

[Rule3]

By chance have you contacted Brad at MBC??

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

When using a conventional cast lead bullet/lube, when leading appears at the muzzle end of the barrel, it is most likely the lube "ran out" before bullet exits or didn't do it's job. Perhaps the coating "runs out", but I would consider it is only a 4" barrel. I believe if the bullet's coating was shaved, there would be leading down the entire length of the barrel, but it is definitely something to check. I never got into Hi-Tek coating but I have PCed many handgun and rifle bullets with good success (even in 30 cal rifles running 2,000+ fps and Magnum handguns running 1,300+ fps.). I have gotten fouling, but not leading in a few of my PCed bullets (9mm). I'd be interested is hearing the solution...

A properly lubed(not painted) cast bullet should leave a lube "star" on the the muzzle when everything is correct.

 

[dla]

S&W 44mag lube star:

 

[dla]

The conclusion

Leading dissappeared with a coating of Alox. I ran these alox coated 155gr lswc to 1350fps. I don't intend to run that fast long-term - I've throttled them back. But it was interesting to see what Longshot can do. I was able to load these out to 1.16" - can't do that with all bullet profiles.

Here's what I've learned:

1. MBC's Hi Tek coating sucks - It completely burns away before the end of the barrel.
2. The MBC bullets are slightly undersized. I think a basic problem is that they are coated first, then sized, resulting in a complete dependence on the coating to seal the bore.
3. I am giving Brazo's 180gr product a shot next - I have ordered .402". We'll see how well the coating works as a lube when it isn't subjected to blowby. And applied by someone else. I didn't like their 155gr bullet profile because I can't load them as long.
4. Alox, as much as I dislike the stuff, does the job. If I sour on this Hi Tek coating, I'll mix up some more 45-45-10.
   

Thanks to everyone for you helpful input!

I've got MBC's 125gr 9-cone Hi Tek coated to try next.