Casting Hot Glue Bullets ala Stimpy

[AtlLaw]

The wx here in Jawja has been AWFULL!!  The winter monsoons started yesterday and the only thing that would make it just perfect is if the temp dropped a few more degrees and all this cold rain turned to ice...    I don't know when I'll ever get to the range again!   

So, sitting in the man cave last night ( was down there so Kathie wouldn't catch me smoking...    and drinkin...  - as if she didn't know what I was doin...    )  I decided I'd try those hot glue bullets we talked about.  I'd picked up a glue gun last weekend, watched a few flicks on the subject on U-tube and got a bunch of 44 Mag cases from Bill.

Nothin to it!  After some trial and error the method that worked for me was: coat the appropriate areas of the mould with a release agent, I used RemOil on a Q-Tip, rubber band the mould handles together, leave the plate open and fill the cavities with the glue, close the plate and top off the cavity, drink a beer while it cools, remove glue bullets.  Repeat process.

Not as fast a procedure as regular casting, but doing a few a night will eventually get me a good supply and certainly a good buzz on...

But let me told you sumpin!  Them little boolets was so pretty I couldn't wait to try them!  Sooooooo, after rubbing their little bodies with some of my Beeswax/Crisco mix, I found they slipped right into the sized and belled brass that Will'um sent me.  Six pieces of said brass were quickly primed and, with a bullet in place, loaded into my Ruger SBH!   

The good news is that I was pretty amazed at the accuracy!     I wonder if the fact that these bullets "as cast" are large enough in diameter to engage the rifling makes them more accurate then the plastic "bore rider" type you can buy from Speer?     At least they seem more accurate to me outa the Ruger... 

The commercial plastic bullets will make it down the bore of my 24" M92, I assume in part because of the minimal friction in the bore.  It will be interesting to see how the glue bullets work through a rifle. 

Lastly, after two firings, I could see no damage to the glue bullets.  Well, at least the nose.     My eyesight was beginning to fail by that time for some reason    and I didn't think to check for rifling marks.  But no damage or markings jumped right out at me... 

The bad news is the revolver locked up with the first shot.  Well DUH!     Of course it would!  I'll drill out the flash hole on the brass before I continue with my experiment!   

BTW, just for grins, I checked to see if the Glue bullets would work in the commercial (Speer) plastic bullet cases.  And, with bullets from my 44 mould they will!  But said mould is the RCBS 44-240-SWC, a GC mould.  Only the GC rebate area slips into the plastic case.  I doubt if a bullet from a FB mould would work.  No worries, in my opinion the brass cases are better anyway.

Now, if I finish up my basement range this weekend I can shoot 38, 44 and 45 caliber pistols and rifles whenever I want!  Let it rain, let it rain...

[Dee]

I take a few old cases, drill the primer flash hole out a little bigger, prime it, and shove the whole thing thru a block of canning paraffin. Instant practice bullet, no molds needed, and no fouling (if any) a couple rounds won't take out. In the old days of SWAT training the FBI gave us ballistic goggles, and would allow us to wear fatigue pants, boots, a cap, and a t-shirt under our fatigue shirt, along with gloves.
It produced real incentive not to get shot doing building clearings. Close range it will bruise, on unprotected skin, prepare to bleed.
The method is cheap, fast, and if you want keep them fresh put them in the frig.

P.S. it will penetrate the first layer of sheet rock in a house.

[stimpylu32]

AtlLaw

Glad their working out for you , the ones for my 45 colt took between 6 and 7 shootings before they showed signs of needing replaced . but for the price of a couple glue sticks , its worth it . 

stimpy

[AtlLaw]

the whole thing thru a block of canning paraffin.

I did that also Dan and they always worked fine for me.  I just gotta try something new.  'sides, these glulets look purdy!   

my 45 colt took between 6 and 7 shootings before they showed signs of needing replaced

I checked a couple last night and the rifling was clearly visable on the glulets.  I feel another meaningless and statistically insignificant experiment coming on!   

[Dee]

Richard I have been thinkin the same thing. I'll have to steal my wife's hot glue gun, but hey. Did you heat the mold or warm it first?

[AtlLaw]

Naw Dan, just put the glue gun on high temp and squeezed away.   

Started leaving the spru plate open though.  Found the easiest way to clean up the base was to run a box cutter blade over the top of the mould after the glue set up. 

[GH1]

That's crazy!    Now when you shoot those there's no powder right, just the primer?  I can't help but wonder if they'd be effective on rats, squirrels, etc.  What kind of range are they good for?  How much do they weigh?  What kind of velocity are we talking about here?
GH1

[AtlLaw]

Nope, no powder.  I use LP Mag. primers.  I'm shooting them at up to 30 feet in my basement.  Haven't taken the time to weigh 'em or put 'em over a 'graph yet, kinda doubt I will.  I was shooting some last night outa my 45 Colt SAA clone and it was shooting to approximately the same POI as it was at 25 yards at the range.  That's good enough for me!      And, like Dan said, they goin fast enough to smart some if one hit ya!

I found out the glulet won't make it out of my M73's 24 inch barrel though.  So, I've decided I'll use Glulets in my handguns and the commercial plastic/rubber ones in my 44 Mag and 45 Colt rifles.   

[dakotashooter2]

I've tried the wax route and they were not nearly as accurate as the glueletts. I also loaded some in some "special" length cases and picked up some velocity with no accuracy loss. I eventually quit trying to fill through the sprue plate also I was getting air gaps. Since rubber bullets are not available for the 41 mag these work great for me. Now if primers were only a penny apiece again.

[moorepower]

Melt the paraffin in a cake pan about 3/4" thick, push in the brass and prime. Fun shooting. I never tried drilling out eh primer holes but it sound like a good idea.

[Graybeard]

Try LR Mag primers for the rifle Richard. It might offer enough more to make it work.

[AtlLaw]

Try LR Mag primers

Thanks for the idea Bill, I'll give 'em a ... shot!   

I don't know why I didn't think of it myself...    Another example of diminished grey matter... 

[Graybeard]

Just to make sure everyone understands that recommendation is for Richard's special application ONLY not for general use in bullet loads for the round.

[454Puma]

Graybeard
 I don't see why a couple of gr of Bullseye or W231 wouldn't work for the rifles! Dam these might be fun to try! Now I just need to steal the womans glue gun!!

[AtlLaw]

*

Your idea got me thinking, really thinking, but I'm not real comfortable with it...    No real reason, just a feeling.   

So, for targets at 30 feet in my basement and until I can absorb some empirical data on your idea, I'll just stick with the plastic 44 and rubber 45 projectiles in my rifles.  Hi-ebber, and day always be a hi-ebber, the gluletts are still favored in my handguns!   

[Graybeard]

Graybeard
 I don't see why a couple of gr of Bullseye or W231 wouldn't work for the rifles! Dam these might be fun to try! Now I just need to steal the womans glue gun!!

Wal one good reason is there are all sorts of warnings against loading any ball powder at levels lower than book recommendations as it can cause excessive pressure spikes. I'm not sure how smart it would be with Bullseye but if ya can't find a pressure tesed load for it I'd advise against it.

[mcwoodduck]

Nope, no powder.  I use LP Mag. primers.  I'm shooting them at up to 30 feet in my basement.  Haven't taken the time to weigh 'em or put 'em over a 'graph yet, kinda doubt I will.  I was shooting some last night outa my 45 Colt SAA clone and it was shooting to approximately the same POI as it was at 25 yards at the range.  That's good enough for me!      And, like Dan said, they goin fast enough to smart some if one hit ya!

I found out the glulet won't make it out of my M73's 24 inch barrel though.  So, I've decided I'll use Glulets in my handguns and the commercial plastic/rubber ones in my 44 Mag and 45 Colt rifles.   

What if you drilled out the back end and used a 209 shotgun primer for the rifle loads?

[AtlLaw]

Hummmm    Never thought about it Woody.  Are the 209's that much hotter then LRM's?  Now that you mention it I don't think I've ever seen a comarison.   

[mcwoodduck]

Not sure ut if you look at a 209 it is about 2.5X the volume or more of a Large Rifle primer.
Gotta figure they made them bigger for a reason.
My only concern would be would a rifle firing pin rupture the shot gun primer in any way?  and figured a standard shot gun loader could pop then in and out of the case.

[Graybeard]

I doubt it and it sounds like a real unsafe practice to me. I'd not bet that a revolver would accept such a round. Shotgun primers have a rim kinda like a .30-30 round does and shotshells are recessed for that. Centerfire rifle and handgun cases are not.

I some times wonder how much real thought is put into such ideas as this. 

[mcwoodduck]

I doubt it and it sounds like a real unsafe practice to me. I'd not bet that a revolver would accept such a round. Shotgun primers have a rim kinda like a .30-30 round does and shotshells are recessed for that. Centerfire rifle and handgun cases are not.

I some times wonder how much real thought is put into such ideas as this. 

I thought about that and thought of how to resess the case for the flange.
I know drilling a .25 or .27 hole in the case will not work with out making room for the flange/ rim/ skirt what ever you want to call it.  But trying out the idea in a 410 shotgun case was what I was thinking for my contender barrel.

[041gun]

You can use shot gun primers in pistols cases just look at the quick draw cowboy shootin they use them chambered in the 45 colt and also a 38/357 case and if you dont want to go with that you can use trail boss 2-4 grains

[lee1954]

  I have done a lot of the cookiecutter type wax bullets  --- tried your glue bullets today and I like them  -- Thanks for the idea       Dan

[cwlongshot]

I doubt it and it sounds like a real unsafe practice to me. I'd not bet that a revolver would accept such a round. Shotgun primers have a rim kinda like a .30-30 round does and shotshells are recessed for that. Centerfire rifle and handgun cases are not.

I some times wonder how much real thought is put into such ideas as this. 

FYI Bill, Shotgun primers in modified larger pistol cases are common place in cowboy fast draw wax bullet loads...

CW

[Graybeard]

Are they just regular brass cases someone modified or do they make a special case to take the shotshell primers? I've never seen any such and wonder if they are made especially for this or just a normal case somehow reworked.

[mcwoodduck]

I some times wonder how much real thought is put into such ideas as this. 

Looks like a lot of time has gone into the same idea.

[243dave]

I have been thinking about glue bullets in my 45 trapper.  But I've been thinking of using epoxy, filling up the case to where my bullet starts, then drilling a hole thru the center to the flash-hole.  I would probably enlarge the flash hole so a nail can be used to pop out the spent primer.  I think filling in the case with the epoxy would give me enough power(with magnum primers) to make it down the 16" barrel with little problem, at least thats my theory.  Has anyone done something similiar??   This seems like it could be fun/shoot'n in the garage .    Dave