Bullet weld

[RetiredArmy]

Have read a few posts talking about bullet weld with ammo sitting around after being loaded.
How far in advance do y'all load your ammo before shooting it. I know it will depend on what I plan on doing with it IE: hunting ammo, plinking ammo ect. I don't compete but do like to shoot small groups. 300 to 600 yds. I have started dipping bullets in imperial dry lube before seating, for me it seem less of a mess then lubing the neck.
Thanks Bill

 

[Medic505]

As a competitive shooter, I like to load as close to the match as possible. That said, I've had my butt thoroughly spanked by guys that were shooting last years ammo that they drug out of the confines of some dusty trunk somewhere. I think you're on the right track with the Imperial Dry Lube.

 

[RetiredArmy]

Thanks Dean, I work the afternoon shift Tues thru Fri (4 10's) so I have time through the week to prep and load for the weekend, but then the weather goes to heck and a couple of weekends later. Just wondering how much of an effect it has.
Thanks Bill

 

[rr2030]

Bullet Weld ? I learn something new all the time, please explain .......

 

[riflewoman]

The theory that bullets “weld” themselves to clear case neck after sitting loaded. I suppose metallurgically it MIGHT happen, but I’m not sure of the mechanism. The metal would have to be scrupulously clean of any oxide layer and good luck with that.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I have them welded way more often in a neck with carbon. After a few months you have to seat them deeper to break them loose just to be able to pull them. Some people load them long then reseat the night before a match. Id say a month it wouldnt matter at all.

 

[Homerange]

Thanks Dean, I work the afternoon shift Tues thru Fri (4 10's) so I have time through the week to prep and load for the weekend, but then the weather goes to heck and a couple of weekends later. Just wondering how much of an effect it has.
Thanks Bill

In reality for your usage, little.

To clearly observe it seat an old load a little deeper to break the weld then draw the bullet.
Dissimilar metals reaction should be visible on the bullet and neck.

This is the reason I leave the carbon in necks.....can't be buggered with lubing them.

 

[spife7980]

Bullet Weld ? I learn something new all the time, please explain .......

Dissimilar metals can react and switch electrons and eventually "weld" to one another. Galvanic corrosion, electrolyic corrosion, electrolysis are other terms for it. Leaving the carbon from firing in the case necks is a buffer to prevent it as is a dip in graphite lube or HbN etc. Anything to keep direct contact between the two metals will help prevent it.

 

[rr2030]

Got it. Never heard it referred to as "Bullet Weld" before.

 

[AckleymanII]

I lived out West for 30 years, then moved South to high humidity. I have seen this twice since.

N133 in both cases, 223 And AI, ammo stored in 50 round case guards.

N133 and Nosler 50g Ballistic tips, IMI brass.

The powder was also affected, and globs were present on the base of the bullet where the powder had had a severe reaction to the bullet.

 

[RetiredArmy]

Bill,
Bullet weld/cold weld happens to me sometimes in as little as a few days. However, I believe that it may be due to me using stainless pins to clean the brass. If you use corn cob tumblers there may be enough residue in the neck to prevent that from happening, or at least slow it down, as spife7880 has indicated.

I have noticed it because I use an hydro press to seat my bullets. I prepare my ammo a week ahead of time, seating them about 0.050 long and then seat them to right depth the night before a match. I noticed that if they had been sitting for more than 4-5 days I could see the seating force climb 10-20psi, above the normal seating force, on the hydra press gauge till it snapped.

When I have leftover ammo from a match that I plan on using the following month, I always use a bullet collet puller to move the bullets out while the ammo is in storage. YMMV.

Joe

Joe, I also use ss wet media so inside of necks are very clean. I started dipping my bullets in imperial dry lube before seating. Could seat them a few thousands long then seat them where they need to be the night before. Can't hurt.
Thanks Bill

 

[K22]

I've heard of this also a few years ago and wondered about it because I like to reload in the winter for the up coming ground hog season when I also spend more time on the range thus need more ammo. I have never experienced any changes in group size or performance issues with "preloaded" rounds, sometimes sitting for several months, sometime over a year.

Out of curiosity I decided to run an experiment. I selected 20 cases that had been fired 3 times. Loaded 10 and allowed them to sit for over a year. After a year I loaded the other ten cases and shot all of them in five round strings. There was no unusual change in group size between them, in fact the one of the five shot "preloaded" strings was slightly tighter than all the others. Granted, the sample size was small and this is not definitive to say that "bullet weld" doesn't exit - I just have never experienced it. Invite others to try this test and see what they find.

What do manufacturer's of factory ammo do? Do they coat the necks or bullet to prevent "bullet weld"?

 

[AckleymanII]

Some manufacturers coat the inside of the neck with Black lucas to stop cold weld.

 

[HillBilly98]

Informative, I have not heard of this either.

 

[Jackal2016]

If you've shot factory ammo you know that ammo manufacturers aren't really concerned with high precision. The only exception that I know of is the 308 168 grain FGMM and I really have no idea what they do.

if I recall correctly, ...I did pull apart a factory GMM 308 168 gr maybe a year ago or so. I did not notice anything whereas the 223 GMM 69 gr variant did have an ashphalt like sealant.

 

[Homerange]

Old old WW2 loads will often split necks IMO primarily due to the dissimilar metal reaction weakening of the neck that has gone on unchecked for decades.

 

[dcali]

In my opinion, whatever it is that makes the bullets stick a little bit (some sort of galvanic corrosion or oxidation - "weld" is not a good word to use) is so minor that it really doesn't matter. I load all my competition rounds the night before the match, but simply because I'm a procrastinator.

 

[MagnumManiac]

Cold welding, or galvanic corrosion is real.
Many moons ago, I would clean necks with a brush wound with 0000 steel wool. In as little as a fortnight, my pressures would spike throwing my node out and ruining my scores. This was solely caused by the above.
An old timer at my club in F-Class told me I should be using mica or graphite inside my necks.
I now run a nylon brush lightly dusted with graphite powder through ALL of my necks, even my hunting rounds........haven’t had a cold welded neck since.

Thanks Sven, he is dearly missed by all. RIP.

Cheers.

 

[Sniper338]

I load the night before, and know ALOT of others that do too...

Ive notices recently loaded rounds are more accurate than those that sit loaded for a while. I dont load to have on hand ready to go because of this phenomenon. (Except handgun ammo).

Loading long and seating before shooting Seems to work fine though too.

 

[Jennb]

I load as far in advance as possible. It is hard to keep up sometimes. Just leave the bullet 3 or 4 thousandths long and do a final seat a day or so out. That will break any weld that might happen.