Moly coating bullets

[Brad Y]

Ive read that a few people moly coat their bullets here. I also remember Mark Hamersley did it for his bullets in last years WA queens.

Ive never done it, but understand its supposed to reduce copper fouling.

I would like to give it a go but have a few questions.

1. If you have been shooting naked bullets, does moly take a few shots to get the barrel seasoned before it starts to shoot better?
2. What is the cleaning procedure for a barrel that has had moly coated bullets used in it?
3. Ive read two different methods on doing it- one dry with SS ball bearings, the other wet with just enough water to cover the bullets inside a vitamin bottle that goes into a tumbler. Any experience with either?
4. Is there any truth or evidence to support the rumour it helps with barrel life?

[OuttaAmmo]

Fill vitamin bottle full of bullets(100 is a good number) but still have enough room for them to rattle/move.
Add teaspoon of moly.
Put in tumbler for a couple of hours.
That's all I do.
Clean excess loose powder by slididing/juggling bullets back and forth inside a tea towel.
Put tea towel back in kitchen.
Ok.... I don't really put it back in the kitchen!
FYI for those that don't know, moly powder is really messy stuff and I would keep it away from everything you don't want black spots on. Like white clothes, carpet and Maltese terriers....

[Lynn Otto]

...keep it away from everything you don't want black spots on. Like white clothes, carpet and Maltese terriers....

So that Maltese is now looking a bit like a short legged Dalmation?

[Brad Y]

Yes i hear its messy and dusty stuff. Hence the wet method looking appealing as it stops the dust.

Another thing- is going to moly something that you do after you determine your not happy with either the barrel copper fouling or the way it shoots? Or do you try it straight up?

[AlanF]

Brad,

I have molyed virtually everything for years.

1. If you have been shooting naked bullets, does moly take a few shots to get the barrel seasoned before it starts to shoot better?

Yes, probably a 10 shot shoot is enough.

2. What is the cleaning procedure for a barrel that has had moly coated bullets used in it?

The same but less often, but if you use abrasives, then the moly will come out and need to build up again.

3. Ive read two different methods on doing it- one dry with SS ball bearings, the other wet with just enough water to cover the bullets inside a vitamin bottle that goes into a tumbler. Any experience with either?

I've never heard of the wet method. I do similar to Outta's decription, but use ball bearings with it.

4. Is there any truth or evidence to support the rumour it helps with barrel life?

I've read that when wax is coated on after the moly, it prolongs barrel life - but never tried it.

One thing you should be aware of is that moly reduces pressure, so velocity drops. You may need to add half a grain or more to your loads to bring them back up.

Alan

[Gadget]

Hi Brad
Molly is a Holden V Ford question, It will come down to personal preference.
The method I use is a vitamin bottle with a 1/4 bolt through the top lid put pills and a small amount of molly perhaps a 1/4 teaspoon, screw the lid on tight and put in the chuck of a battery drill, clamp drill in a vice gently and turn on slowly you need to hear the pills rolling in the bottle, when the battery is flat you should be done.
The pills should have a nice Grey color and perhaps beads of dark powder on them.
Its an odd thing, but I have found when the pills have had sufficient coating the molly seems to ball or clump on the pills, (just my observations)
Now when you empty them out of the jar WARNING this stuff floats all over place so slowly slowly tip onto a piece of scrap cloth.
I'm not much on OH&S but even I put a rag over my mouth and nose when doing this,( it made my smoke taste like crap so it can't be good for you)
The simple way to remove the excess is to slide the pills back and forward in the rag, if you have ever seen a lawn bowler cleaning there bowls thats the method.
Give it a go and lets see if you are a Ford or a Holden man.

Graham P

[Brad Y]

Hi Alan thanks for that.


Here is a link to the wet application method.
http://forum.accurateshooter.com/index. ... =3798399.0

[aaronraad]

BradY skip the MoS2 and go straight to the HBN.

Look up the reports and see what you think. I'll be kitting up to offer it as an optional finish for my projectiles.

[ecomeat]

Whats the story with Moly and rain ? Is it true that you would basically have to stop shooting if it starts raining and you are using Moly, and that you can have a real problem with moisture (light rain/drizzle ?) getting inside your barrel or even just onto your projectiles ?? Or is that more of the Holden myth.......or is it the Ford myth ?
Folks up here in Qld shooting 6BRs with Moly reckon they can go 200 or more rounds without cleaning. Alan, how does it work out with your 7mm's ??
Tony

[Quick]

Im keen to see how this goes aswell but Im thinking I may do HBN instead as its supposed to be a cleaner process. Should go well with the Berger 155.5gr Fullbores that are now legal for FS

[johnk]

I've just given up on Boron on my 210SMKs in my match rifle & gone back to moly. The velocity spreads & accuracy sucked. I've concluded that the 3 processes I've tried don't give good even adhesion of the boron on the projectiles. That included slow tumbling (the process that works best for me with moly), vibrating in bottles (with ball bearings & with steel BB shot) & vibrating with the Lyman small tumbler bowl & their ceramic medium.

I coat moly in a 1 litre square Decor brand flask with axles bolted each end driven by a Commodore windscreen wiper motor. I can coat 200 odd 210s simultaneously & only use a tad more than ¼ teaspoon of moly for that quantity. Once they've run for enough time (around 40 minutes), I drop in a sheet of paper towel torn into 4 strips (ensuring that it is pushed down the full length of the flask) & run for another minute or so to absorb the tiny amount of residual loose powder. Projectiles are touch clean & rarely colour my fingers when loading.

I've seen projectiles overcoated with a dull rough texture as a result of using too much moly. Everything I've read in recent times suggests that the wax secondary coating was a mistake as it causes excessive build up of moly & carbon in barrels & erratic outcomes.

I don't believe that the hygroscopic nature of moly is an issue other than if barrels & cases aren't cleaned regularly. Certainly, It's never worried me in damp conditions. In that regard, the risk of acid etching is overstated, IMHO.

[aaronraad]

I've just given up on Boron on my 210SMKs in my match rifle & gone back to moly. The velocity spreads & accuracy sucked. I've concluded that the 3 processes I've tried don't give good even adhesion of the boron on the projectiles. That included slow tumbling (the process that works best for me with moly), vibrating in bottles (with ball bearings & with steel BB shot) & vibrating with the Lyman small tumbler bowl & their ceramic medium.

I was looking at the Rydol Lubricants kit http://www.rydol.com/products/polysonic/index.htm. Not fussed on the PTFE component but beggars can't be choosers. I think the trick with any coating on projectiles is to keep it to a minimum <0.001". Less is more approach similar to adhesives.

Ordered an Electroless Nickel Boron Nitride plating kit this week for the Barnard Model P Magnum on order also. Boy I hope the action is a bit rough as an excuse, or I'm going to need a really big set of man tonsils now to strip and plate a a perfectly good action.

[Gadget]

I'm with JohnK, my guns didn't like Boron so I went back molly
As for cleaning I just had a BR go off song 400 odd rounds, last cleaned Xmas 2011, my 6mm about 90 rounds max, but not with the 7mm 30 to 40 rounds max then clean it.

Graham P

[Razer]

New projectiles come with a residual coating of lubricant from the manufacturing process.
I wash all my projectiles by putting them in a plastic peanut butter jar containing white spirits and give them a good swirl. The amount of residue left in the white spirits is proof enough of the benefits of doing this.
It is also essential to get an even coating.
You need to dry them as being hollow point there is white spirits in there.
I bought half a kilo of approx 177cal size ball bearings from an engineering shop for $50(to buy them per each ball was astronomical).
I split the ball bearings between two jars adding 50X 155's plus a 1/4 teaspoon of WS2 to each.
The jars have to be the right size to allow them to rotate in the media in the tumbler. Place them opposite sides(tape lids if you think they might unscrew), turn on tumbler and leave for 3 hours. Yes, longer is better.
When finished, I tip the contents in another peanut butter jar which has the lid drilled full of holes slightly bigger than the ball bearings. Invert and shake around to separate. You are left with the projectiles in the jar which you then polish by putting them in a strip of old bed sheet so it looks like a hammock (pantyhose is good if you know where to get some cast offs).
Roll them from one end to the other and you will end up with perfectly coated projectiles, almost mirror finished.
My finished product doesn't even mark your fingers when handled.
This way you do not need to handle any moly, neither is there any blowing around.
I use the word 'moly' here, but WS2 is not actually 'moly'.
WS2 is Tungsten Disulfide, 99.9% pure and only 0.6 micron.
Obtained from M K Impex Canada. http:/www.lowerfriction.com
Cost me $90 for two 1lb plastic bags plus $40 shipping but that was 10 years ago (the $Au was only 75c on the $US then so it should be about the same price still).
It sounds like a lot of trouble but once you get set up it is quite simple.
I do not use coated projectiles much as I cannot get my head around 'not' cleaning my barrels after each day which kinda defeats the purpose.
I am always concerned that when the barrel does foul it will be in the middle of a very important stage.
When you do clean, you need to oil the barrel as moly takes in moisture. The right oil (even after patching out) is important to get your first shots up to speed as quick as possible.

[aaronraad]

New projectiles come with a residual coating of lubricant from the manufacturing process.
I wash all my projectiles by putting them in a plastic peanut butter jar containing white spirits and give them a good swirl. The amount of residue left in the white spirits is proof enough of the benefits of doing this.
It is also essential to get an even coating.

Sorry guys/gals, I forgot to mention I've been selling mine polished with no lubricant. Didn't want to add another component I had to control and just means I don't touch them without gloves when counting them out. I assume it hasn't been a drama or their been used quickly enough before oxidising.

When you do clean, you need to oil the barrel as moly takes in moisture. The right oil (even after patching out) is important to get your first shots up to speed as quick as possible.

Is that why they use Kroil instead of the normal cleaning solvents and oils?