Posted: 4/12/2011 6:49:22 AM EDT
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Okay, this has been bugging me for a while...
Why is it that lead bullets are used almost exclusively in revolvers and only rarely in automatics? Is it a cleaning issue? Or something to do with pressure or velocity? 
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Quoted:
Okay, this has been bugging me for a while... Why is it that lead bullets are used almost exclusively in revolvers and only rarely in automatics? Is it a cleaning issue? Or something to do with pressure or velocity? It is harder to make lead perform at higher pressure and velocity. It can be done, but requires more attention to matching lead alloy hardness to pressure, velocity, and actual barrel diameters. Auto pistols really came into their own after the development of jacketed bullets. |
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Quoted:
Okay, this has been bugging me for a while... Why is it that lead bullets are used almost exclusively in revolvers and only rarely in automatics? Is it a cleaning issue? Or something to do with pressure or velocity? Velocities are much higher at lower pressures, I won't contaminate the bore of a good revolver with jacketed bullits. 
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jacketed bullets became popular as a solution to the problem of fedding in autoloaders- in the early days of autoloaders it was found essential to use jacketed bullets to get autos to feed reliably. back in those days most bullets were of very soft lead compared to todays hardcast.
Today many shooters who reload use plain lead cast bullets even in autoloaders due to the significantly lower price. most any autoloader (yes even glocks and other polygonal rifled guns) will function just fine with properly assembled loads with cast plain lead bullets. most bullseye shooters use lead cast bulets even in autos because most serious competitive shoters shoot so much most couldn't afford to shoot high volumes (of highly accurate ammo) without reloading and lead bullets. |
| I shoot both in my sr9c. But with the price of lead bullets for just general shooting, I have been using alot more of them lately. I am reloading a box of 50 9mm for a little over $5. I haven't had any problem with leading in the barrel, but I keep my loads at or close to minimum specs. |
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I shoot plain hard cast lead in everything except my G31 and my wife's ported .40 We shoot a lot & hard cast lead cost about $35/500 vs jacketed or plated for $56+/500 (avg) So unless they are free (hornady) or I need a jacket.... it's plain lead for practice. (that's several 1911's, a couple of 9mm, a .380, and 1 revolver... all get lead) |
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I used to shoot in a lot of pistol matches and my Dillon press almost never did a run of less than 500 rounds and ran at least once a week.
Hard cast bullets were the norm, from an economy standpoint, but they performed well in both 1911 and GP 35. However now plated bullets are available at only a slightly higher cost and they eliminate the bullet lube. That makes little difference on an outdoor range, but on an indoor range, the smoke from some lubes can become very noticeable, even with good ventilation. |
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Heck, I shoot mostly lead out of my autoloaders. My .45 ACP sees nothing but 230gr LRN and 200gr SWC bullets. I keep jacketed bullets around for the 9mm so I can reload for my Glock OEM barrels. But when I stop being lazy and order some Lone Wolf barrels for my G17 and G19, I'll shoot nothing but lead in them too. |
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I cast all my own bullets and reload for 9mm, .40, .45acp, 10mm, .38spl, .357mag, .44spl, .44mag, .45 Colt, .30 carbine and .30-30.
As long as it's not at magnum velocities, I use straight wheelweight alloy. If sized properly, you eliminate gas cutting, which is the main cause of leading. It's not the friction, unless you are speaking of magnum velocities. Up until recently when I traded into a Lone Wolf barrel, I shot my 147gr cast bullet reloads out of my Glock 17's with no problems at all. All of my loads for my autos are just slightly below max so they will function in all of my autoloaders. I size my 9mm's a little oversize to .358". My .45acp's are sized to .452". The .45acp's are even used in a Reising SMG. They leave no leading at all in the barrel, but to keep the heat down, I don't shoot more than a few mags of them without letting it cool a little. I used to think that hard cast bullets were required. I tried some commercial hard cast 9mm in my G17 one time. I had visible leading after only a few mags, using the same load as my own cast bullets. I've shot hundreds of rounds of my own wheelweight alloy bullets without cleaning with no leading. It's all about sizing when it comes to standard velocity bullets. With a little care, cast bullets are just as good with autos as they are with revolvers. |
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The problem is probably point of view.
I approached lead bullets in auto loading pistols only after shooting cast bullets in rifles and in large revolvers (.44 mag and .45 Win mag) and single shot pistols (.45 Win Mag, 7mm TCU, 7x30 Waters) in hand gun metallic sillouette shooting. When you consider the problems with pushing lead at 1100-1500 fps without a gas check and 1500-2200 fps with a gas check, loading the average (i.e. comparatively wimpy and slow) auto loading handgun round is no great challenge. But if someone lacks that perspective, I can see where they might view it as an issue worth worrying about when it isn't. |
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Quoted:
jacketed bullets became popular as a solution to the problem of fedding in autoloaders- in the early days of autoloaders it was found essential to use jacketed bullets to get autos to feed reliably. back in those days most bullets were of very soft lead compared to todays hardcast. Today many shooters who reload use plain lead cast bullets even in autoloaders due to the significantly lower price. most any autoloader (yes even glocks and other polygonal rifled guns) will function just fine with properly assembled loads with cast plain lead bullets. most bullseye shooters use lead cast bulets even in autos because most serious competitive shoters shoot so much most couldn't afford to shoot high volumes (of highly accurate ammo) without reloading and lead bullets. Didn't most people also cast for revolvers so the bullets could be sized for the cylinder? |
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Quoted: Quoted: jacketed bullets became popular as a solution to the problem of fedding in autoloaders- in the early days of autoloaders it was found essential to use jacketed bullets to get autos to feed reliably. back in those days most bullets were of very soft lead compared to todays hardcast. Today many shooters who reload use plain lead cast bullets even in autoloaders due to the significantly lower price. most any autoloader (yes even glocks and other polygonal rifled guns) will function just fine with properly assembled loads with cast plain lead bullets. most bullseye shooters use lead cast bulets even in autos because most serious competitive shoters shoot so much most couldn't afford to shoot high volumes (of highly accurate ammo) without reloading and lead bullets. Didn't most people also cast for revolvers so the bullets could be sized for the cylinder? Yes, best accuracy with cast bullets in revolvers is almost always found by sizing bullets to fit the chamber throats. If the bullet is undersize, it doesn't get aligned just so with the barrel.   and I have more. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
jacketed bullets became popular as a solution to the problem of fedding in autoloaders- in the early days of autoloaders it was found essential to use jacketed bullets to get autos to feed reliably. back in those days most bullets were of very soft lead compared to todays hardcast. Today many shooters who reload use plain lead cast bullets even in autoloaders due to the significantly lower price. most any autoloader (yes even glocks and other polygonal rifled guns) will function just fine with properly assembled loads with cast plain lead bullets. most bullseye shooters use lead cast bulets even in autos because most serious competitive shoters shoot so much most couldn't afford to shoot high volumes (of highly accurate ammo) without reloading and lead bullets. Didn't most people also cast for revolvers so the bullets could be sized for the cylinder? Not really. If the chamber dimensions are smaller than the bore dimension, accuracy still won't be what it should be. The only way to correct that issue is to enlarge the chamber dimension to match the bore dimension, or make them slightly oversize. Sizing the bullet to the chamber if they are undersize compared to the barrel will do absolutely nothing to enhance accuracy. |