hard cast and gas checked bullets

[Adam Helmer]

model 70,

The Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook is a good introduction to bullet casting and discusses this and other matters. Lyman has a standard of a #2 alloy for cast bullets that uses wheelweights and tin and gives a Brinell Hardness suitable for handguns. For magnum handgun loads and rifle bullets a harder alloy is needed and linotype fills the bill there. Some bullet moulds cast a bullet with an indentation at the base of the bullet for the crimping on of a brass or copper disk (gascheck) that shields the bullet base (especially for rifles) from the hot powder gases on firing.

I use gaschecks on my rifle bullets, but not for my handgun bullets. I quench my cast bullets by dropping them from the mould into a bucket of cold water. Lyman discusses quenching bullets to double the hardness. They have a process of "cooking" cast bullets in an oven and then dropping them into a bucket of water. I have found that dropping them from the mould to the water gives me the same hardness. My magnum handgun bullets do not lead after my quenching process. I use Aalox lube and have fine accuracy. Hope this helps.

Adam