Casting Silver Bullets

[Dark Mod]

I'm casting some silver grips for my Dads 1911 as a Christmas present, I figure since the grips will take up a whole tree I might as well throw some projectiles on there too and load up some silver bullets.

This is being done with the lost wax casting method typically used for jewelry.

The problem is shrinkage, when cast this way, you typically have 10% shrinkage and the ending diameter on a boolit needs to be fairly precise. Not sure what to do, I was thinking trial and error and just cast a bunch of bullets in a bunch of sizes and hope to get some within the proper range. The problem with this is ill have to run through a whole lot of silver

Another option would be cast them 12-15% over size, then polish the living crap out of them until it gets to the correct diameter. but then they will probably be out of round.....

Or I can cast them slightly oversize, and hope they will go through a sizing die...

Any thoughts? Also, anyone ever try to fire a silver bullet? Im sure silver is a lot lighter than lead so ill likely have to use a heavy for caliber bullet, maybe like a 158 grn, to make the mold, then hope it ends up being around 115 grns so I can use 115 grn load data.

Anyway, this will be an experiment and ill be taking a bunch of pictures and making updates every now and again. Any input you guys have would be greatly appreciated!

[stilly]

I'm casting some silver grips for my Dads 1911 as a Christmas present, I figure since the grips will take up a whole tree I might as well throw some projectiles on there too and load up some silver bullets.

This is being done with the lost wax casting method typically used for jewelry.

The problem is shrinkage, when cast this way, you typically have 10% shrinkage and the ending diameter on a boolit needs to be fairly precise. Not sure what to do, I was thinking trial and error and just cast a bunch of bullets in a bunch of sizes and hope to get some within the proper range. The problem with this is ill have to run through a whole lot of silver

Another option would be cast them 12-15% over size, then polish the living crap out of them until it gets to the correct diameter. but then they will probably be out of round.....

Or I can cast them slightly oversize, and hope they will go through a sizing die...
Any thoughts? Also, anyone ever try to fire a silver bullet? Im sure silver is a lot lighter than lead so ill likely have to use a heavy for caliber bullet, maybe like a 158 grn, to make the mold, then hope it ends up being around 115 grns so I can use 115 grn load data.

Anyway, this will be an experiment and ill be taking a bunch of pictures and making updates every now and again. Any input you guys have would be greatly appreciated!

Why you want silver bullets again? You live over near Feinswine or somethin?

I heard wooden stakes through her heart might not be good enough, another method might be to decapitate or blunt force/piercing trama to her brain. that MIGHT stop her. I have only see that method used with great success over and over on a tv show though. But the guys that did it got stuck in a train and I do not know if they ever made it out alive yet.


Oh sorry, as for casting, THAT is what I would do. Cast it oversize and then push through a Lee sizer. AND if it is NOT thick enough, then PC it! that will add several thousandths to the thickness. Better yet, PC it twice, ONCE with a Glow in the Dark coat and half cure it, then once more with a clear GLOSSY coat and full cure it. THAT would be sweet... Just remember that you need to put a small slice or two in the coat so that her blood can contact the silver and give exposure to her. Else it might not work. -OH but if you made HP pills you could do that and not worry about coating the tips...





OH, and you are welcome. Merry Christmas.

[thenodnarb]

The idea is cool. There is a company however that makes complete cartridges out of silver. That is, it doesn't fire but it is turned on a lathe. The premium on them is much higher than regular silver, but it might be easier and cheaper overall than trying to DIY with an actual live round.
If it were me, I might make a small set for display, but the thought of shooting it makes me cringe. Talk about a waste.

[stilly]

The idea is cool. There is a company however that makes complete cartridges out of silver. That is, it doesn't fire but it is turned on a lathe. The premium on them is much higher than regular silver, but it might be easier and cheaper overall than trying to DIY with an actual live round.
If it were me, I might make a small set for display, but the thought of shooting it makes me cringe. Talk about a waste.

What kind of pressures can they take? I was not aware that Silver was strong enough to withstand the blast from being fired. That is cool.

Then you can really use silver polish to polish them up.

Oh but I think Dark Mod was talking about Pills though, not cases. But that is cool.

[nstoolman1]

If it was good enough for the Lone Ranger....?

[Dark Mod]

What kind of pressures can they take? I was not aware that Silver was strong enough to withstand the blast from being fired. That is cool.

Then you can really use silver polish to polish them up.

Oh but I think Dark Mod was talking about Pills though, not cases. But that is cool.

Yeah, it will be just the projectiles. I guess ill find out what kind of pressure these things can take, so ill be sure to let everyone know my results after I fire a couple.

Already started the project, I have a designer working up the model of the grips to start off with. They will be the same as regular grips except have raised lettering in the middle for his initials



Once the design is complete, it gets sent to our 3d printer and after a couple hours of growing, ill have a good plastic model to take a mold from:



Ill keep the mold too just in case anyone else wants a set of silver/gold grips or some silver projectiles. Once the rubber mold is made, it gets cut in half down the middle, and these machines will shoot hot pink wax into it to fill the cavity:



From there ill make a wax tree with the grips and projectiles sticking out. We will then pour investment around it and once it hardens, it can be put in the kiln to burn out the wax, leaving a perfect cavity from which the molten silver will flow into. This is what a tree for rings looks like:



Hopefully this works! ill load the bullets at the lowest pressure possible so hopefully theres no mishaps.

[NRAhighpowershooter]

Oregon Trail Laser Cast Bullets uses 10% silver in their mix

[DolphinFan]

Here is a MythBusters Silver v. Lead bullets:

http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/mythbusters/videos/silver-vs-lead-bullets/

[Ferrum]

Oh sorry, as for casting, THAT is what I would do. Cast it oversize and then push through a Lee sizer. AND if it is NOT thick enough, then PC it! that will add several thousandths to the thickness.

I'm with Stilly on this....

Just thinking out loud, what about silver coating a .40 projectile? Dipping/coating should add the additional size to bring it to .45 size (like plating)? Maybe I'm nuts, just a though...

[BigBronco]

How about lost wax casting a silver jacket. Then fill with molten lead. Saves on silver keeps the weight of the boolet up. Probably could be run through a sizer once filled. Yes I have give this lots of thought.

[brandon91]

So I'm not the only one having problems with werewolves?

[thenodnarb]

What kind of pressures can they take? I was not aware that Silver was strong enough to withstand the blast from being fired. That is cool.

Then you can really use silver polish to polish them up.

Oh but I think Dark Mod was talking about Pills though, not cases. But that is cool.

I think its just a slug of silver. Solid. Like a chocolate cartridge, but...silver.
Of course its worthless if you want to actually shoot a silver bullet. Which I say is nuts unless you are shooting into a 5 gallon bucket of water and recover the silver. Or a werewolf.

[Dark Mod]

I think its just a slug of silver. Solid. Like a chocolate cartridge, but...silver.
Of course its worthless if you want to actually shoot a silver bullet. Which I say is nuts unless you are shooting into a 5 gallon bucket of water and recover the silver. Or a werewolf.

I will shoot a couple, but im only gonna make maybe 10 of them... mostly for novelty and because Im already casting some silver so it wont be much more work to get some boolits. Shooting a couple rounds would waste like $5 worth of silver max.

The design is firming up nicely, hopefully she is done with it by tomorrow so we can print it and start taking a mold




Ill keep everyone posted on the progess,

[Dark Mod]

Here is a MythBusters Silver v. Lead bullets:

http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/my...-lead-bullets/

Lol, great resource!!!

How funny that these "scientists" didnt account for shrinkage when casting their silver bullet, but me, a complete amature, stressed about the problem non stop before even beggining the project.

No wonder the silver bullet did so poorly, it probably barely touched the rifling.

Now i kinda want to test mine on ballistics gel, since i will have a real silver bullet in the actual diameter its supposed to be.

[sl0re10]

If it doesn't pan out; I've nickle plated onto copper jacketed bullets and they came out looking pretty good. Was easy.

be cognizant your adding a little to the diameter. I could hear a little difference when they went down the barrel. I also hit a bulls eye with one of the five I shot.