The Art of Casting Hollowpoints.

[USSR]

Almost all the casting I do now days involves .38 and .45 caliber hollowpoints. I think I pretty much have it down, but the proof is if they expand and expand without fracturing. To insure this, I use a high tin, low antimony alloy. Check these out at from left to right: 224gr MP 454-423 fired from a Colt Gold Cup at 800fps (SWAG), retained weight of 219gr; 165gr pentapoint MP 359-640 fired from a 2.5" S&W 19-3 at 840fps, retained weight of 163gr; and 161gr hollowpoint MP 359-640 fired from a 2.5" S&W 19-3 at 945fps, retained weight of 159gr. I think we have a winner with this lead/tin/antimony alloy of 96.5/3.0/0.5 for sub-1,000fps handgun loads.

Don

 

[oteroman]

What did use to shoot these bullets into?

[USSR]

31 minutes ago, oteroman said:

What did use to shoot these bullets into?

 

Water soaked newsprint.  

 

Don

[dsa]

USSR, cool pics.  I have always tried to keep the tin/antimony at a 1:1 ratio for best expansion.

[USSR]

11 hours ago, dsa said:

USSR, cool pics.  I have always tried to keep the tin/antimony at a 1:1 ratio for best expansion.

dsa,

 

Yeah, that's the official line.   However, 2 things come into play here.   If you use a low tin/low antimony alloy at a 1:1 ratio, you tend not to get good mold fill out due to the low amount of tin.   And if you use a high tin/high antimony alloy at a 1:1 ratio, then you don't have an alloy that will expand well at low velocities.

 

Don

[dsa]

USSR, I'm going to give that recipe a try.  Thanks for sharing.