HBN increasing neck tension?

[ar15topgun]

Length of time in STM is 4hrs. I started with new copper plated bb's that were HBN coated prior to being used to coat the bullets. Length of time used to coat bullets is 4hrs. After the coating process I run the bullets in a small thumbler's tumbler with corn cob media for about 15min. as a way of removing the excess HBN and also as a way of polishing the bullets. Still using the same bb's and corn cob media that I started with 3yrs. ago. Works with my .223, 6brx, 6xc and .308 palma loads.

 

[Conrad]

4 hours definitely gets the brass very clean, as in probably no carbon at all. Lately I was thinking maybe do STM for less time to leave a little carbon in the neck.

I used to coat with BB's too. Think I will go back to that now. I was thinking about maybe they needed a good polish as I tested a few today that I polished in a towel individually and that seemed to help a little.

I think the devil is in the details on this stuff, so thank you for sharing the finer details of some of your methods.

-Conrad

 

[racesnake]

In regard to carbon in the neck: As the annealing process is proceeding, and there is in fact some carbon in the neck, and you see a orange flash just before the necks reach the proper annealing temp. I am pretty sure that this flare is actually carbon burning off. I'm going to load some rounds using fired cases that have not been annealed and see if this problem goes away.

 

[LIUNA]

I have a 6 BRX , Lapua Brass, 105 VLD and Hybrid Bergers, and I use the vibrator to clean and then Anneal, deprime, resize, load. No problems, I use brass 5/16 balls with the HBN with preheated bullets in a bottle, tumble in media for 45 minutes, done. I have no seating problems. However with my 243 win, I did have a restrictive seating problem with Nosler 80 gr BT, and when I started annealing after each firing, problem went away.

 

[racesnake]

Well I finally got around to loading some rounds that weren't annealed. It was processed the same as the the rounds that exhibited the hard seating problem with the exception of not being annealed. Viola! They seated easily!
As i said earlier, I think the carbon layer is flashed off during annealing process. In this particular case, at least, I think that the HBn coating is not compatible with the oxides that are formed on the inside of the neck during annealing. It may be happening with certain formulations of brass (in this case Winchester). I do not have this problem with Lapua brass.
What do you guys think?

 

[JRS]

Maybe a stupid question, but, are you guys cleaning your bullets before plating them with the Boron? I used to sell hBN that was formulated for me by a retired chemist who worked for ROBAR. I continue to use it to this day on every brand of bullet imaginable, and have never experienced the problems stated by some. Those bullets need to be clean before you plate them.

 

[Hopkins]

JRS, please share your bullet cleaning regimen. I am still tweaking my hBN plating technique.

 

[ar15topgun]

I believe that your brass needs to be completely clean before annealing to avoid problems.

 

[hoverp]

Well I finally got around to loading some rounds that weren't annealed. It was processed the same as the the rounds that exhibited the hard seating problem with the exception of not being annealed. Viola! They seated easily!
As i said earlier, I think the carbon layer is flashed off during annealing process. In this particular case, at least, I think that the HBn coating is not compatible with the oxides that are formed on the inside of the neck during annealing. It may be happening with certain formulations of brass (in this case Winchester). I do not have this problem with Lapua brass.
What do you guys think?

For my process, I went to annealing first , then about 1hour in my ss media tumbler. This cleans well, and the oxides from annealing. ( which you can easily feel even with your fingers if you inspect the case before and after annealing ) are not there any more, to include the inside of the neck. The cases are clean and the bullets seat consistently and smooth. Norma brass, DTAC coated 115.

 

[JRS]

JRS, please share your bullet cleaning regimen. I am still tweaking my hBN plating technique.

Before you start the plating process, make sure you remove all residue on the jackets left from the manufacturing/packaging process. I use soapy water made up from dishwashing liquid and warm water. Let them dry and have at it. Use the tumbling media of your choice, but do not use lead shot. It leaves lead residue in both the bowl and on the copper jackets, and will not coat the bullets properly. I used to use stainless shot, but have been using a ceramic media for the past few years.

 

[Hopkins]

JRS, thanks for sharing your process

 

[JRS]

JRS, thanks for sharing your process

My pleasure

 

[racesnake]

I clean my bullets with an acetone rinse. Let them air dry, and coat. I haven't seen the need to heat the bullets before coating. bullets are placed in a plastic bottle containing tumbling media + HBn and placed in a large Dillon vibratory cleaner filled with ground cob media. Bullets are vibed for 1 hr. then separated and scrubbed in a terry cloth towel.

 

[jlow]

May be a silly question, but have you ever measured their diameter and compare it to the naked bullets?

 

[racesnake]

I just checked the diameter of several coated/non-coated bullets. Using a mike that reads to 1/10000th", some of the coated bullets maybe measured one half of a ten thousandth over. It was hard to tell really. Anyway, it was not enough dia. difference to cause the hard seating I've experienced.

 

[JRS]

I just checked the diameter of several coated/non-coated bullets. Using a mike that reads to 1/10000th", some of the coated bullets maybe measured one half of a ten thousandth over. It was hard to tell really. Anyway, it was not enough dia. difference to cause the hard seating I've experienced.

You will find your results to be more to your liking if you use a tumbler instead. Similar to the difference between a shaken vs stirred martini. One hour of tumbling is less than half the time you need to plate your bullets.

 

[GSPV]

I clean my bullets with an acetone rinse. Let them air dry, and coat. I haven't seen the need to heat the bullets before coating. bullets are placed in a plastic bottle containing tumbling media + HBn and placed in a large Dillon vibratory cleaner filled with ground cob media. Bullets are vibed for 1 hr. then separated and scrubbed in a terry cloth towel.

Get the bullets warm. It helps. I use ceramic media and heat *everything* in the oven before putting on the agitator.

With that said, I used to clean the crap out of my bullets in an ultrasonic. Bullets seated rough. Learned that some carbon in the neck is a good thing.

 

[T-shooter]

Just started HbN-coating my bullets and notice significantly increased seating force is needed with HbN bullets, so much so that a distinct ring is left on the bullet by the seating die cone. When I use bare bullets, this problem goes away. Anyone experience this?

Read this post: http://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/hbn-not-for-me.3931997/

I did quite a bit of testing along with pictures. No way I'd ever use it again. At least the brand I tried. That's the most abrasive thing I've ever tried and will scratch glass like diamond dust. Try pulling a bullet and look for deep scratches.

 

[dmoran]

@GSPV and @T-shooter -
Your replying to 6-year old posts/thread.
Just saying....
Donovan

 

[GSPV]

It was the highest thread in my view of the reloading forum. So, don’t wag a finger at me.