Alox and Mica - The Firearms Forum

steve4102 · 09-14-2012, 05:59 PM

I am lubing my cast bullets with Alox/Mineral spirits, sizing them and lubing again. They stay a little sticky and tacky after several days.

I have read that coating them with a very light dusting of Motor mica will take care of the sticky problems.

My question, How will this combo of Alox and Mica affect my neck tension. Will these bullets coated in mica be more prone to set-back, or no?

woolleyworm · 10-09-2012, 06:18 PM

Are you roll crimping or taper crimping? If a roll crimp, I don't see any problem. If taper crimping, I would test and check after each round for 20 or so rounds just to make sure. I don't forsee a problem though.

steve4102 · 10-09-2012, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woolleyworm

Are you roll crimping or taper crimping? If a roll crimp, I don't see any problem. If taper crimping, I would test and check after each round for 20 or so rounds just to make sure. I don't forsee a problem though.

10MM Auto and 45 ACP, taper crimp.

JLA · 10-09-2012, 08:52 PM

Cast lead sets back easy anyway. just lube and taper crimp as much as you can without causing a headspace issue.

noylj · 10-11-2012, 03:07 AM

It will have no effect. Several companies, see Hornady for one, treat all their swaged lead bullets with find powdered mica.
Then again, unless you roll your ammo in the dirt, the tackiness will have no effect either. I never had any problems when I started to use LLA, and never even considered that tackiness was a problem. Bullets shot great and barrels were free of lead. Never had any build-up on the seating stem. I just knew that, at the indoor range, I would occasionally breath in some fume and didn't like it, so I started to cut back on the LLA.
Now, I don't size any of my cast bullets (did a whole bunch of testing in the mid to late '70s and found sizing NEVER improved accuracy, so I stopped) and you might want to try some as-cast and lightly tumbled in LLA/Xlox.
All you need is a coat on the bullets such that, when tumble lubed, they appear no more than shiny and wet. They do NOT need to be amber/brown. It takes VERY little LLA/Xlox to do the job.
You can go to the cast Boolit forum and look up Recluse's formula for 45% LLA, 45% Johnson Paste Wax, and 10% Mineral spirits for a formulation that will eliminate the tackiness that bothers you.

JLA · 10-11-2012, 08:26 PM

Just cutting the LLA with mineral spirits will do that also and it dries faster.

09-14-2012, 05:59 PM	#1
steve4102 Former Guest Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Minnesota Contributor Posts: 2,760	Alox and Mica I am lubing my cast bullets with Alox/Mineral spirits, sizing them and lubing again. They stay a little sticky and tacky after several days. I have read that coating them with a very light dusting of Motor mica will take care of the sticky problems. My question, How will this combo of Alox and Mica affect my neck tension. Will these bullets coated in mica be more prone to set-back, or no? -->

10-09-2012, 06:18 PM	#2
woolleyworm TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: SW Fort Worth Contributor Posts: 4,884	Re: Alox and Mica Are you roll crimping or taper crimping? If a roll crimp, I don't see any problem. If taper crimping, I would test and check after each round for 20 or so rounds just to make sure. I don't forsee a problem though. __________________ . What are you gonna do, talk the alien to death? -- (on Sigourney Weaver's worry about Guns in Aliens) "Safety is something that happens between your ears, not something you hold in your hands." "I carry a small gun to compensate for my huge Blue press." .

10-09-2012, 08:52 PM	#4
JLA TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Heart Of Texas Contributor Posts: 17,328	Re: Alox and Mica Cast lead sets back easy anyway. just lube and taper crimp as much as you can without causing a headspace issue. __________________ It takes 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 3 for proper trigger squeeze. The latest caliber or gear is no substitute for experience and skill. Rifles and cartridges don't make hits -- shooters do. Fact of life: After Monday and Tuesday, even the calendar says WTF!

10-11-2012, 03:07 AM	#5
noylj V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 113	Re: Alox and Mica It will have no effect. Several companies, see Hornady for one, treat all their swaged lead bullets with find powdered mica. Then again, unless you roll your ammo in the dirt, the tackiness will have no effect either. I never had any problems when I started to use LLA, and never even considered that tackiness was a problem. Bullets shot great and barrels were free of lead. Never had any build-up on the seating stem. I just knew that, at the indoor range, I would occasionally breath in some fume and didn't like it, so I started to cut back on the LLA. Now, I don't size any of my cast bullets (did a whole bunch of testing in the mid to late '70s and found sizing NEVER improved accuracy, so I stopped) and you might want to try some as-cast and lightly tumbled in LLA/Xlox. All you need is a coat on the bullets such that, when tumble lubed, they appear no more than shiny and wet. They do NOT need to be amber/brown. It takes VERY little LLA/Xlox to do the job. You can go to the cast Boolit forum and look up Recluse's formula for 45% LLA, 45% Johnson Paste Wax, and 10% Mineral spirits for a formulation that will eliminate the tackiness that bothers you.

10-11-2012, 08:26 PM	#6
JLA TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Heart Of Texas Contributor Posts: 17,328	Re: Alox and Mica Just cutting the LLA with mineral spirits will do that also and it dries faster. __________________ It takes 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 3 for proper trigger squeeze. The latest caliber or gear is no substitute for experience and skill. Rifles and cartridges don't make hits -- shooters do. Fact of life: After Monday and Tuesday, even the calendar says WTF!