HF black, sprayed?

[borg]

A couple of weeks ago, took some DTBB red HF coated bullets to check on if I got leading.
Well, I shot about 100 rds without any leading and just a touch of powder fouling.
Yesterday, I took another 100 espc in HF black, good coating.
I got about half way through and my accuracy went down the tubes, so checked the BBL
Can you say tube of lead?.
When I got home I pulled the rest, the bullets were still coated, just smoothed, no lead showing.
The coating was the same thickness as the DDBB coated, so figured they would be good.
Think I'll go back to dry tumble red.
I will be scrubbing this barrel for a while, might have to try some ammonia and peroxide to get this barrel clean.

[mongoose33]

Are you sure you cured them the same way, the same length of time, the same temp?

How do you know the coating was the same thickness?

[Maximumbob54]

I've read a few times the latest batches of HF black have now changed. If you sprayed them and baked them then they should be fine. But the change in product is worth noting. Did the temp or bake time change?

[Case Stuffer]

might have to try some ammonia and peroxide to get this barrel clean.

Never heard of that brew , myself and most use White Vinegar and Peroxide each 5 soluttion and mixed 50/50.

[bangerjim]

I coat & shoot ESPC HF matte all the time and never had a spec of leading. Ever. My bottles are over 1.5 years old, so mabe something DID change in the new stuff????????????

Stick with what works best for you. That is what I do. My successes are based upon my personal experimentation and expertise, not what someone else recommends works or does not.

banger

[borg]

Case, you're right, I had a SM and typed the brew for the old BR copper removal trick.

The boolets were baked at the same temp and for the same leangth ot time.
Smash test said they were good.

[firefly1957]

Did you smash a cured black bullet to see if it peeled?

I found the Harbor Freight yellow needs to bake longer then red or white it made an unbelievable mess of my .303 Brit barrel in a few shots smashing a bullet showed the paint was not stuck on well . Rebaking the rest of the batch of H.F. yellow made them good .

[Dragonheart]

Harbor Freight powder is just not worth it when you look at the little savings over using a quality powder like Prismatic. Not only do you have a barrel to clean the time lost in the casting and coating process.

The old formula for removing lead is a 50/50 mix of hydrogen peroxide and white vinegar, but be warned this super oxidizer that turns the lead into lead oxide can rust and pit a steel barrel in short order. The mix is quite safe in stainless barrels and does not harm them at all. I would instead consider soaking a plain steel barrel in Kroil Oil overnight or longer. This super penetrating oil will get under the lead and fowling, so it can be safely brushed out. Using Kroil is an old trick I learned from bench-rest shooters years ago. If its a rifle barrel just get a rubber plug from the hardware store and plug the chamber then fill the barrel to the crown.

[bangerjim]

Harbor Freight powder is just not worth it when you look at the little savings over using a quality powder like Prismatic. Not only do you have a barrel to clean the time lost in the casting and coating process.

The old formula for removing lead is a 50/50 mix of hydrogen peroxide and white vinegar, but be warned this super oxidizer that turns the lead into lead oxide can rust and pit a steel barrel in short order. The mix is quite safe in stainless barrels and does not harm them at all. I would instead consider soaking a plain steel barrel in Kroil Oil overnight or longer. This super penetrating oil will get under the lead and fowling, so it can be safely brushed out. Using Kroil is an old trick I learned from bench-rest shooters years ago. If its a rifle barrel just get a rubber plug from the hardware store and plug the chamber then fill the barrel to the crown.

I loose not any time at all cleaning my barrels or coating boolits using HF powder. How do you figure that? One coat does it every single time. Barrels are clean and lead/gunk free. 1-2 patches and all barrels are bright and shiny!!!!!

I also have some of Smoke's powders. They are a different formula and are of a finer grind and do tend to stick better with BBDT. An excellent praoduct I highly recommend.

HF red is the go-to standard for most getting into BBDT. Inexpensive, readily available in all HF local stores and works great. At least for me. And a bunch of other coaters I know of.

banger

[Beagle333]

I haven't used the black yet. I got a can, but I'm still working through the HF red that I bought, which works great.
Smoke's powders are much better, but there is nothing wrong with and nothing to clean up after HF red. It takes a little more of it because it isn't as fine and easy to coat as Smoke's powder, but the end product is a shiny red boolit that is very slippery and clean to load and shoot. I can't say that about all of the HF powder..... I have only used the red...... and a LOT of the red.

I'll have to try out my can of HF black so I can offer another experience to the trials.

[willie_pete]

The peroxide/vinegar mix turns lead to lead acetate, a very nasty compound that is easily absorbed. Be very careful if you use this.

wp

[gpidaho]

Guess I've been lucky I've never had a problem with ANY powder when I use the electrostatic gun. With tumble lube some work great, some so-so and one HF matte black pretty poor when tumbled. I will say that the HF matte black coats very nicely when I use the gun. Not that I've used a bunch of different powders mostly as I posted before , because a local shop sells me Cardinal powder dirt cheap and it works great. The white powder coats so well (cardinal) that when dry tumbling I mix it with other colors that go on thinner to get a thicker coat. Give it a try. Works for me. GP

[bangerjim]

Guess I've been lucky I've never had a problem with ANY powder when I use the electrostatic gun. With tumble lube some work great, some so-so and one HF matte black pretty poor when tumbled. I will say that the HF matte black coats very nicely when I use the gun. Not that I've used a bunch of different powders mostly as I posted before , because a local shop sells me Cardinal powder dirt cheap and it works great. The white powder coats so well (cardinal) that when dry tumbling I mix it with other colors that go on thinner to get a thicker coat. Give it a try. Works for me. GP

Your are lucky your local coaters will sell you powder! I have called a ton of them in the large PHX metro area and when I ask they just laugh and say, "That is our bread and butter. We do not sell ANY powder".

[DaveSpud]

Your are lucky your local coaters will sell you powder! I have called a ton of them in the large PHX metro area and when I ask they just laugh and say, "That is our bread and butter. We do not sell ANY powder".

Good thing you can order PC from several members, here, and from Harbor Freight online, and have it shipped to you.

[bangerjim]

Good thing you can order PC from several members, here, and from Harbor Freight online, and have it shipped to you.

I have three HF stores within 5 miles of my house.......one is only a mile away. They always have powder on the shelves. No shipping costs....and 20% coupon. I have TONS of those coupons...get 4-5 every week in the mail & paper & mags. Too easy to drive a mile and buy cheap stuff! (hobby use only)

I rarely order anything off the net. I do have 2# of Smoke blue that works great.

bangerjim

[Dragonheart]

Good thing you can order PC from several members, here, and from Harbor Freight online, and have it shipped to you.

Just go online and look for Prismatic Powder. You can order one pound, three or a hundred. Over 6K colors, fast shipping, good customer support and US made high quality powder. Most Prismatic powders run $12 to $15 a pound, which is about as cheap as good powder gets. i have a Harbor Freight 10 minutes from my door, but I don't use their powder.