Anyone ever do business with Westcasting Premium Bullets?

[dirty whiteboy]

The phone # was disconnected, the cell # said the person preferred texting. I prefer to speak to a human!

Anyone ever done business with this company? Good/bad?

http://www.rpgfirearms.com.au/WESTCASTINGS.htm

[Hi-Power Jack]

The phone # was disconnected,

Looks like they're in Australia???

[Pat Miles]

The phone # was disconnected,

Looks like they're in Australia???

Needless to say shipping would be very pricey!

Pat

[dirty whiteboy]

I called these two numbers,in Cali

USA

Westcastings USA

Phone +1(909) 788-9155*

Fax +1(909) 788-1775

Cell +1(909) 288-3078*

westcastingsusa@aol.com.

[gm iprod]

I sell Westcastings bullets and they are very slow to supply. I give them plenty of warning for what I need and stay well ahead of his production schedule. Unfortunately he also runs an engineering business that pays better than making bullets.

Shipping is expensive but to you very expensive will be an understatement.

The bullets are actually quite good. Clean lube that leaves very little residue until the loads get really fast.

[dirty whiteboy]

10-4, thanks for the info.

[Mbauer67]

I called these two numbers,in Cali

USA

Westcastings USA

Phone +1(909) 788-9155*

Fax +1(909) 788-1775

Cell +1(909) 288-3078*

westcastingsusa@aol.com.

Do you have the address, I live in the 909

[kcinnick]

I just imported enough coating to coat 12 million bullets with a partner. We ordered the Metallic Green, what they are calling 'Gold Match' and are starting with bullets for 9mm,38super,.40 and .45 to start. If all goes well we will add the gold coating for magnum loads and rifle loads, no need for all the other colors though, they are all the same lubricant and carrier, just different color additives. I have the MSDS and technical data on all the coatings, and the only one different is the Gold metallic color. All the coatings are good for pistol loads, even magnum loads, but the gold I guess is technically better, but cost about 25% more to use. Much cheaper to import the coating then coated projectiles...

First bullets with be from standard magma molds, but I am working with Ballisti cast to make some custom molds without lube grooves since I don't need them, looking to get some heavier bullets and some designs at weights not possible with conventional lube.

[kcinnick]

I just got some more info about Westcastings. They use to use the coating I am importing from Australia on their bullets sold in the US, but when the US dollar strengthened against the AUD they had the coating color matched using a two part auto paint. The new coating they use is not the coating I am importing. I have heard reports that the coating they use now will crack, I haven't seen that first hand, but I was sent pictures of a fired bullet, and the rifling cuts into the coating where as the original coating stays bonded to the bullet when fired.

[gunther]

Has anyone tried these bullets? Do they shoot really clean or really dirty?

[Westcastings]

I just got some more info about Westcastings. They use to use the coating I am importing from Australia on their bullets sold in the US, but when the US dollar strengthened against the AUD they had the coating color matched using a two part auto paint. The new coating they use is not the coating I am importing. I have heard reports that the coating they use now will crack, I haven't seen that first hand, but I was sent pictures of a fired bullet, and the rifling cuts into the coating where as the original coating stays bonded to the bullet when fired.

You have been misinformed. As the owner of Westcasting Projectiles Australia I would like to set the record straight. Firstly all our coatings are a proprietary product made by us for our exclusive use, we do not sell our coating to any other companies/users. We have never used auto paints or any other type of paint as a bullet coating. We have been in business for 30yrs and have been producing coated projectiles for over 20yrs. While many Australian companies appear to produce a similar product we can state that our coating is unique to us and is made in house.

While we wish you success in your business venture we have found some of the coating being offered here in Australia have been found by us to be of questionable quality and suitability for the purpose of bullet coating. Many of these coatings do appear to be nothing more than industrial paints produced by people with no experiences in the firearms and reloading industry.

We have a 10mm Glock pistol used for testing that has over 40,000rnd through the barrel with no cleaning other than oiled patches to remove the carbon. This barrel shows no signs of leading or fouling. A claim no other manufacturer offers to our knowledge.

If anyone is claiming to offer you the same coating used by Westcasting we would like to hear about it as it is simply not true. As stated all our coatings are made in house for our exclusive use and is not for sale under any circumstances other than on our projectiles as a finished product.

Edited August 3, 2012 by Westcastings

[Westcastings]

In June 2000 we imported our coated bullets into the USA with a business partner in Utah. At the time the market was very slow to pick up this new product with wax lubed projectiles still being popular even today 12yrs later. We currently do not import into the USA, but that is not to say now the shooters are showing interest in coated bullets we wouldn't in the future. We found shipping cost to the USA from Australia to be very reasonable and we would be able of offer a well priced product for the US market.

When looking at other companies coated projectiles the first thing you should ask is will they shoot accurately with a clean bore after hundreds or even thousands of rounds in pistols such as Glock's and H&K's with poly rifled bores. Our product is also well suited to major power factor loaded IPSC comp'ed race guns with minimal fouling and maximum accuracy. Our packaging states a 1700fps guarantee with pistol projectiles, no other manufacture offers such a guarantee.

Note: The US state department requires a import licence for us to send any amount of projectiles to the USA. We can not send small quantities or even samples into the USA without licences and permits.

[Westcastings]

The phone # was disconnected, the cell # said the person preferred texting. I prefer to speak to a human!

Anyone ever done business with this company? Good/bad?

rpgfirearms.com.au/WESTCASTINGS.htm

The link in this post is a retailers web site we sold to about 10 years ago. The prices and information shown are very out of date. We will have a new web site up and running in the next couple of weeks.

[HITEK]

I just got some more info about Westcastings. They use to use the coating I am importing from Australia on their bullets sold in the US, but when the US dollar strengthened against the AUD they had the coating color matched using a two part auto paint. The new coating they use is not the coating I am importing. I have heard reports that the coating they use now will crack, I haven't seen that first hand, but I was sent pictures of a fired bullet, and the rifling cuts into the coating where as the original coating stays bonded to the bullet when fired.

You have been misinformed. As the owner of Westcasting Projectiles Australia I would like to set the record straight. Firstly all our coatings are a proprietary product made by us for our exclusive use, we do not sell our coating to any other companies/users. We have never used auto paints or any other type of paint as a bullet coating. We have been in business for 30yrs and have been producing coated projectiles for over 20yrs. While many Australian companies appear to produce a similar product we can state that our coating is unique to us and is made in house.

While we wish you success in your business venture we have found some of the coating being offered here in Australia have been found by us to be of questionable quality and suitability for the purpose of bullet coating. Many of these coatings do appear to be nothing more than industrial paints produced by people with no experiences in the firearms and reloading industry. [/font]We have a 10mm Glock pistol used for testing that has over 40,000rnd through the barrel with no cleaning other than oiled patches to remove the carbon. This barrel shows no signs of leading or fouling. A claim no other manufacturer offers to our knowledge.

If anyone is claiming to offer you the same coating used by Westcasting we would like to hear about it as it is simply not true. As stated all our coatings are made in house for our exclusive use and is not for sale under any circumstances other than on our projectiles as a finished product.

I read your above statements with interestquote from above,

"While many Australian companies appear to produce a similar product we can state that our coating is unique to us and is made in house.

While we wish you success in your business venture we have found some of the coating being offered here in Australia have been found by us to be of questionable quality and suitability for the purpose of bullet coating. Many of these coatings do appear to be nothing more than industrial paints produced by people with no experiences in the firearms

and reloading industry."

You have appeared to deliberately slander our company, product, reputation and technology in the public domain.

Now, I have had enough, and have decided to refer matters to our Intellectual property lawyers.

I require an immediate withdrawal of your above stated allegations within 5 working days and an apology in the same forum.

[kcinnick]

In June 2000 we imported our coated bullets into the USA with a business partner in Utah. At the time the market was very slow to pick up this new product with wax lubed projectiles still being popular even today 12yrs later. We currently do not import into the USA, but that is not to say now the shooters are showing interest in coated bullets we wouldn't in the future. We found shipping cost to the USA from Australia to be very reasonable and we would be able of offer a well priced product for the US market.

When looking at other companies coated projectiles the first thing you should ask is will they shoot accurately with a clean bore after hundreds or even thousands of rounds in pistols such as Glock's and H&K's with poly rifled bores. Our product is also well suited to major power factor loaded IPSC comp'ed race guns with minimal fouling and maximum accuracy. Our packaging states a 1700fps guarantee with pistol projectiles, no other manufacture offers such a guarantee.

Note: The US state department requires a import licence for us to send any amount of projectiles to the USA. We can not send small quantities or even samples into the USA without licences and permits.

Maybe it was your partner in the US that used an inferior coating after they stopped getting coating, it is confusing with all the names being the same.

It is unfortunate you could not sell your product in the US, coated bullets don't last a day on the shelf here in the US. They shoot great out of Glocks, HKs and even Open guns.

[HITEK]

The phone # was disconnected,

Looks like they're in Australia???

Needless to say shipping would be very pricey!

Pat

Westcastings is Australia. They advertise on the web, that they have Wescasting agents in US and NZ. Both those alleged agents cannot be found, and telephones are disconnected.

From what is circualting around Australia, is the concern about long backlog with supplies.Local telephones are not answered during the day. It was advised, that before 2pm no calls are taken to prevent interruption to production.

It is difficult to understand if someone is not taking calls, how sales can be taken if the telephone is not answered.

Most strange.

[HITEK]

I sell Westcastings bullets and they are very slow to supply. I give them plenty of warning for what I need and stay well ahead of his production schedule. Unfortunately he also runs an engineering business that pays better than making bullets.

Shipping is expensive but to you very expensive will be an understatement.

The bullets are actually quite good. Clean lube that leaves very little residue until the loads get really fast.

May be you should be buying US locally produced product from Bayou Bullet or Ferrara leather companies.

They have a good product which is reliable, and quick delivery of orders.

[hrt4me]

I think I'll stick with Bayou Bullet

[HITEK]

I think I'll stick with Bayou Bullet

Good choice.

Their stuff is great. I have only seen nothing but good reports from users.

Although, Ferrara Leather also produces good product. From what I understand, they are in a joint arrangement with both manufacture and supply of coated projectiles, and they also sell the coatings to other users/manufacturers.

[gm iprod]

I have used a bunch of bullets coated with the HiTek coating and the Westcasting Coating. Both work particularly well. Westcasting are dead slow to supply, but put together a big order and he tends to stand up and listen. The suppliers listed on RPG website are well out of dateBut that is the fault of the website not any of the bullet makers. Top Score, Red Back and Hawkesbury River are well made bullets, and I am prepared to be corrected here, use the HiTek lube. A bullet maker (who I believe is no longer doing it commercially) used the lube in New Zealand and they shot well until he messed with his lead formula.

I have a friend who makes bullets for me when I want something oddball done (600gr 50cal for my supressed 500S&W) he would like to get hold of that lube, I would love to test it on big bore bullets.

Edited January 14, 2013 by gm iprod

[HITEK]

Interesting reading.

Hawkesbury Top Score and many others, use the Hi-Tek-Lube coatings. Wescasting used to use Hi-Tek coatings for years, and then decided to copy the coating instead.

What is being supplied since then, is a direct attempt to copy the Hi-Tek Coating performance and colours.

It is questionable if the current coatings actually work similarly to the Hi-Tek coatings.

I have been supplied coated Projectiles, and side by side, the projectiles were hit with a hammer by Wesxtcast customer.

The Westcast coating shredded, and Hi-Tek coating stayed on alloy with maximum deformation.

What is also not known by users of projectiles, is that the HI-Tek coating Gold, is certified by independent Environmental Engineering consulting company, and independent tests prove that the HI-TEK coating reduces atomised Lead to well below Australian and US health regulations.

The Hi-Tek coating in fact matched Copper plated alloy with Lead emission levels. The Atomised test results, are published on HI-TEK coating manufacturers Material safety sheet.

Many indoor ranges would not be able to operate without such atpmised Lead reductions.

I have never seen advertised, if any other coating has such certifications, and despite many fanciful claims, no independent evidence can be supplied to demonstrate that any other coating can match the Hi-Tek coatings.

In terms of using coatings on Large diameter projectiles, there should be no problems with such use with the Hi-Tek coatings. The aim is to ensure that the coating stays on the alloy and lubricates the alloy until it leaves the barrel.

The Hi-Tek coating also reflects heat from powder burning and alloy is protected from vaporising base of alloy with high energy powders. Many projectiles have been examined after firing and inspection showed that coating did not suffer any noticeable damage from heat produced by gun powder burning. Alloy was totally intact at base.

The Hi-Tek coatings have been around for 20 years, and, I doubt if any one else claim that they invented thse coatings.

With NZ supply, there are manufacturers who import the HI-TEK-Lube coating directly and they coat their manufactured projectiles.

Due to High Australian Dollar exporting from Australia to NZ is not economical. It was better to get the coating and do it in NZ.

[Feralshooter]

I had to sign up just to jump on this (probably long forgotten) thread.

I have been using cast projectiles coated with hi tek for 20 years now, as has everyone I know. I have never had any leading or any other problem with them. I have fired literally tens of thousands through various handguns including factory glock barrels.

I recently purchased some re- manufactured ammo from ultratech who use westcastings projectiles. After shooting around 100 of these pills the leading is so bad I can no longer see rifling in the barrel. It has taken around 2 hours after each shoot to clean my barrel. I couldn't get rid of them fast enough.

Suffice to say I am not at all impressed with the westcastings coating and will never use their product again. If it isn't hi tek I won't touch it.

I am not affiliated with hi tek, and in fact only learned this week about the history of the product.

I would like to see evidence of the "questionable quality" of the hi tek product. Seems more to me like cost saving by making an inferior product in house and selling it on the reputation of the existing hi tek coating. It sure doesn't work as well (if at all) but does resemble the "real thing".

The posts above by westcastings really got under my skin so I had to sign up to better balance the above argument and add an independent perspective.

Cheers,

Nick