Erik Cortina

[eschafer]

When seating bullets into a bare clean brass neck, you can actually be compressing air within the case and sealing it within... Then, later, travelling to different locations/altitudes, can produce changes in temperature and or changes in density altitude... This will cause pressure changes within the case. (pushing or pulling on the base of the bullet)....

Seat bullets long, then, seat to desired OAL just before shooting, is a great idea...

Alternatively, with a sharp angled pic, scratch a lateral relief inside the neck to allow air pressure to equalize so bullets don't move outward over time/ travel /temp or altitude...

This does NOT address bullets seated months or years prior.. only recent reloads...

Caveat... Just a concept that came to me while in my armchair, with a fine Canadian 12 Year Whisky in hand... Not proven.. Only concept...

 

[LVLAaron]

Keeps them from sticking in the neck... also, it protects from them settling when they get banged around during travel/shipment... and if your load gets wonky and you want to load a little longer than you normally would, it's an easy adjustment.

 

[K22]

Can someone please explain to me how factory ammo avoids this so-called cold weld problem?

 

[Murray Brook]

Can someone please explain to me how factory ammo avoids this so-called cold weld problem?

Factory has very little neck tension. They accomplish the tension (grip) they need by using a crimp. If you break the crimp on a factory round you will see very little tension. I believe this is how they get around the bullet weld problem. JMO

 

[dgeesaman]

Factory has very little neck tension. They accomplish the tension (grip) they need by using a crimp. If you break the crimp on a factory round you will see very little tension. I believe this is how they get around the bullet weld problem. JMO

I suspect that the mechanism of pressurizing the case has very good mechanical leverage to wedge into the bonded region and cleanly separate the bullet and neck. All of our options with pulling or seating drive through the press fit without relieving any of it.

 

[searcher]

Can someone please explain to me how factory ammo avoids this so-called cold weld problem?

They don't, though there are some manufacturers that use interesting methods of holding bullets in place (and sealing the necks at the same time) by using a liquid. Wolff is (was?) one. The longer copper jackets sit against brass cases - the more they create a mechanical bond. The more humid the condition - the faster. Say the extraction force of hand-loaded target ammo is 6 pounds. Cold welding might increase that to, say, 10 pounds after a given period of time. Factory ammo, for the most part, is crimped. Say the extraction force is 20 pounds - and that cold weld increase of the same 4 additional pounds becomes a total of 24. When extracting that bullet - it doesn't seem much different - but it is. It is a lot harder to discern the difference when pulling 24 pounds. These numbers are just arbitrary to illustrate the point. A lot of old military surplus ammo is blamed for blowing guns up as being "faulty" and no longer any good. In reality - the cold bonding is so bad, the pressure spikes incredibly before the bond is broken and the bullet lets loose. Had the bullets been pushed into the case a few 000" (if possible!), pressures would be reduced and ammo safer to fire - barring other maladies. I recently pulled some bullets out of my Winchester factory-loaded .375 H&H ammo that had been on the shelf for 15 years. They were cold welded very severely - requiring great effort to extract them. I live in a dry climate.

 

[justinp61]

Yesterday I shot two rifles that the ammo had been loaded well over a year ago. Both rifles shot a different POI than they did when sighted in last year, one was a pretty drastic difference. I only had a few rounds left for both rifles, so I shot it all up with the intention of loading up another batch. After seeing the results, I wondered if it wasn't from a galvanic reaction. Today I ordered the Redding dry neck lube, it'll be next year before I can see if it makes any difference.

 

[J. Gunz]

I’m pretty sure it was for several reason. One so that he has the right oal for the day of the match ( he noticed a depth change during travel) depending on neck tension. two as the day heats up so does the pressure by seating them long he knows what depth to adjust the bullet to account for pressure changes as the day heats up

 

[Benchrest Braxton]

Yesterday I shot two rifles that the ammo had been loaded well over a year ago. Both rifles shot a different POI than they did when sighted in last year, one was a pretty drastic difference. I only had a few rounds left for both rifles, so I shot it all up with the intention of loading up another batch. After seeing the results, I wondered if it wasn't from a galvanic reaction. Today I ordered the Redding dry neck lube, it'll be next year before I can see if it makes any difference.

get some neolube #2 while you are at it

 

[Dusty Stevens]

21st century has a moly neck lube kit that works better than any other neck lube ive used.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Can someone please explain to me how factory ammo avoids this so-called cold weld problem?

Wheres that carbon layer?

 

[rebs]

Seat them in a couple more thousands then pull them.

I'll give that a try. I would like to at least save the bullets, powder and primers.
Thank youfor

 

[rebs]

ok I seated them a little deeper and they came right out with the hammer type puller. Thanks for the help

 

[DiffEQ]

I'm surprised at the variation of cold bonding from galvanic action, and believe it is strongly affected by the powder used.
Pulled about ten boxes of 284 Win that had been loaded in the 80s. Some were badly welded, and it was on a box by box basis - the key difference evident was the powder.

 

[CharlieNC]

I'm surprised at the variation of cold bonding from galvanic action, and believe it is strongly affected by the powder used.
Pulled about ten boxes of 284 Win that had been loaded in the 80s. Some were badly welded, and it was on a box by box basis - the key difference evident was the powder.

Instead of powder type I found it associated with brand of bullet. Many factors.....

 

[SS GO DEVIL]

I have been using this for the past 4 years and have had excellent results in matches. My feeling is that it prevents any friction between copper/brass. More consistent seating force and prevents any galling of copper jacket on bullet during seating.

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[justinp61]

I'm surprised at the variation of cold bonding from galvanic action, and believe it is strongly affected by the powder used.
Pulled about ten boxes of 284 Win that had been loaded in the 80s. Some were badly welded, and it was on a box by box basis - the key difference evident was the powder.

I wonder what effect the oil/acids on our hands have on this? Dirty hands as opposed to clean, freshly washed hands? Would wearing latex gloves when seating bullets help?

As already mentioned, lots of variables.

 

[LCazador]

Whats funny is ive found the carbon in the necks makes it worse. Ive pulled those after a year and the bullets are black in the neck and looked at with a loupe they are corroded and pitted. I always have loaded rounds left over after matches and since i dont reuse the cases ive seen them get real bad after a couple years. The carbon seems to accelerate the galvanic corrosion

My experience mirrors Dusty's. Carbon contributes to cold welding and corrosion that leads to cold bonding.

 

[AckleymanII]

Can someone please explain to me how factory ammo avoids this so-called cold weld problem?

Some Companies use a product called Black Lucas in the neck to stop cold welding

 

[alf]

I shoot moly plated bullets, and never worry about loading in advance or cold weld.....

I shot some ammo the other day in my coyote gun that was loaded in 2013, shot an 1 1/2" at 200 yards.

I used to only load my 1K BR stuff a few days before the match. One year I had some left over from the previous year, and promptly shot a screamer target the 1st match of the year.

Since then, I load at my convenience.......