Casting Silver Bullets

[Carcassonne]

Oh damn. I just got a graphite mold for ingots. The thought on the back of my mind was how efficient diamonds are at conducting heat. But NAW, This aint aluminum or metal, so it won't conduct heat any...

SOAB...

So I can not cast 200G ingots in the graphite and pick it up with my bare hands to move it?

SOAB...

I use to work with graphite electrodes that saw 100+ amp currents for several hours. Graphite gets real hot, and keeps the heat in. It is hard to cool even if you dump it in water. Graphite takes a while to heat up and to cool down.




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[Carcassonne]

Thought because silver is a national resource you cannot waste it ie. shoot it.

Since when is shooting a waste? Silver is used in scientific experiments. Shooting is a scientific experiment.


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[JMP]

For just looks, start w/ copper bullet since copper has more conductivity.
Then, get some silver nitrate, a 9v battery, distilled water, electric leads, and a little bar of silver. You don't need the little bar of silver as your anode if you have enough AgNO3, but it'll take longer. Did this to make silver pennies when I was a kid.

[Dark Mod]

The grips are coming along nicely and are nearly complete. Unfortunately my designer for the project has the day off tomorrow, so we will likely print on Monday.



I have until then to decide if im going to cast the bullets. If I don't there is someone who can machine some for me, and there are companies that sell them.

The good news is that by casting them myself, 10 bullets should cost around $46. For that cheap I almost want to do it anyway just to see if I can. Ill keep everyone posted.

[glockman19]

Nice project. I'd love a set of pure silver grips for a couple of my handguns. As for the bullets, I'd cast a 1/2" round bar and turn it on a lathe to the proper diameter, then cut the bullet to correct length and weight.
Please post pictures of them when you have finished.
Thanks

[ar15barrels]

Silver is softer than copper, and they make 100% copper projectiles.

But they are bore riders with driving bands.

[stilly]

I use to work with graphite electrodes that saw 100+ amp currents for several hours. Graphite gets real hot, and keeps the heat in. It is hard to cool even if you dump it in water. Graphite takes a while to heat up and to cool down.




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SOAFB! Goddammit! What a waste of ****ing money on that thing! I KNEW it RIGHT after I bought it, Hey don;t they conduct heat better... but because they were not metal my quick response was to say NO...

DAMMIT!

What a ****ing waste...





DAMMIT!

Okay I am over it now. I will see what happens when I drop some lead in it.

It would be nice to have some graphite bullet molds though from the sounds of it here.

[TKM]

Go back and read the link in post 27.

The work has already been done, don't try to re-invent the flat tire.

[Dark Mod]

Go back and read the link in post 27.

The work has already been done, don't try to re-invent the flat tire.

Theres a ton of great info there, but much of it isn't applicable since hes using molds and ill be using the lost wax technique. It did confirm my earlier suspicions that I should cast oversize then run them through a sizing die, otherwise you have to get the right nose cone and swage the bullet fatter.

Also, I wont have the same issue with porosity, pitting, and cavities he had, so they should be fairly spectacular looking when im done with them.

It seems by far the best method is to machine them out of a solid block of silver, but since Im married to the lost wax method, ill have to make do with what I can.

[BigBronco]

Sure you can come over to size then. Trouble is I don't have a 9mm die. I hope to get one soon as a 9 mm mold is on my Christmas wish list.

[Dark Mod]

The design is done and has been printed. I had them mock up 2 different designs:

The first one has the mounting holes and the entire design was enlarged by 3% to account for expected shrinkage.

The second one was made without holes, in case our shrinkage calculation was incorrect and the holes don't line up perfectly. This way we can just drill holes in the correct spot once its completed.



There is also a problem with the raised lettering; our polishers may not be able to polish in between the letters properly, so a 3rd design is being mocked up where the letters and grips are cast and polished separately, then soldered together.



Next step is taking a mold and then casting! Ill let everyone know how this progresses. If it works out I may make a few extra pairs without the initials and sell them off.

[3RDGEARGRNDRR]

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







OH, and you are welcome. Merry Christmas.

Stilly, did you roll these in your old college bedsheets?

[BigBronco]

The design is done and has been printed. I had them mock up 2 different designs:

The first one has the mounting holes and the entire design was enlarged by 3% to account for expected shrinkage.

The second one was made without holes, in case our shrinkage calculation was incorrect and the holes don't line up perfectly. This way we can just drill holes in the correct spot once its completed.



There is also a problem with the raised lettering; our polishers may not be able to polish in between the letters properly, so a 3rd design is being mocked up where the letters and grips are cast and polished separately, then soldered together.



Next step is taking a mold and then casting! Ill let everyone know how this progresses. If it works out I may make a few extra pairs without the initials and sell them off.

Smooth sided grips. No checkering or texture?

If doing the monogram as solder on then make them gold inlay. Just my 2 cents.

[Dark Mod]

Smooth sided grips. No checkering or texture?

If doing the monogram as solder on then make them gold inlay. Just my 2 cents.

I may add checkering later with a mill or have one of my artisans try his hand at it, honestly for silver or ivory grips Ive always like the flat high polish grips from old westerns.

The gold monogram is a capital idea and wouldn't be too expensive.

[Whiterabbit]

For your perusal:



Lefty is a 500 grain cast lead boolit. Righty is a 500 grain barnes copper hollowpoint. Cartridge is a 460S&W.

Barnes does not make a .451" lead-free bullet heavier than 290 grains. This is a .458 bullet made for 458 Lott. it went on the lathe, quick skim pass, then took .007 off the diameter. mic's @ .451.

I shot three of these at about 900 fps or so from my pistol. I was not able to recover any out of the berm (surprise surprise).

If you get 10% shrinkage, then aim for the proper diameter +0.01 -0.0. You can always buzz it down in a lathe.