Difference between jacketed & plated bullets - The Firearms Forum

stev32k · 12-07-2012, 06:44 PM

Can someone explain the difference between copper jacketed bullets and copper plated bullets? There is a difference in price and loading info., but why is this? Is it thickness of the copper, manufacturing cost, both, or something else?

soundguy · 12-07-2012, 07:10 PM

most plated bullets you load to cast specs... it's real thin plating.

woolleyworm · 12-07-2012, 09:39 PM

yes, it's both. for a jacketed bullet, you have to manufacture the jacket and then form the bullet. plated bullets are formed and then coated with a very thin copper layer. Plated bullets are loaded to cast specs by manufacturer recommendations.

RockinRiley · 12-08-2012, 06:42 AM

There are a couple differences the thickness being one. They are also referred as total metal jacket as they are completely covered in copper. The full metal jackets are made first and are quite thicker then filled with lead, making them stronger but also making lead exposed at the end. The process is somewhat more complicated so it also makes it more expensive, making the other difference that I like to refer to. I reload berry's and like them very much. You cannot shoot them as hard as you can fmj but that sometimes (depending on your equipment or gun) makes them shoot better due to the lower speeds. You also need to be very careful in your loading processes so as to not to rip the fmj coating. I have not ripped any yet and am on my 2nd 1000 of Berry's now. Hope I have helped, if not there is a lot of info out there to research as I had many questions before I started reloading!

LDBennett · 12-08-2012, 08:12 AM

If you follow the same reloading rules and recipes as cast bullets (shoot at well under 1000FPS) the plated bullet reward you with no leading in the barrel.

Some here claim you can achieve that with properly sized cast bullet but I have not found that to be the case with commercially available cast bullets. I use Rainier plated bullet with good success. But most recently I have gone back to bulk Winchester and Remington jacketed bullet for my semi-autos because I was tending to see failure to feed properly with the Rainier plated bullets. But that may not be typical of the experience of others.

LDBennett

armoredman · 12-08-2012, 12:12 PM

I cast my own lead bullets, and I see very little leading.

On the other hand, I've loaded several thousand Berry's plated bullets, and they are darn good. Berry's states their bullets can be used to the midpoint of jacketed data, and the Thick Plate versions can go higher than that - my latest box of 9mm 115gr Hollow Base Round Nose Thick Plate states a max velocity of 1500FPS.
Also, the core of a jacketed bullet, being supported by the jacket, tends to be dead soft lead, while plated bullets are harder cast lead, as the copper plating doesn't lend much support to the bullet. I currently load Berry's plated in both 9mm and 7.62x39mm. Good stuff, Maynard.

12-07-2012, 06:44 PM	#1
stev32k V.I.P. Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Mobile, AL Posts: 370	Difference between jacketed & plated bullets Can someone explain the difference between copper jacketed bullets and copper plated bullets? There is a difference in price and loading info., but why is this? Is it thickness of the copper, manufacturing cost, both, or something else? -->

12-07-2012, 07:10 PM	#2
soundguy Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: florida Contributor Posts: 4,441	Re: Difference between jacketed & plated bullets most plated bullets you load to cast specs... it's real thin plating.

12-07-2012, 09:39 PM	#3
woolleyworm TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: SW Fort Worth Contributor Posts: 4,883	Re: Difference between jacketed & plated bullets yes, it's both. for a jacketed bullet, you have to manufacture the jacket and then form the bullet. plated bullets are formed and then coated with a very thin copper layer. Plated bullets are loaded to cast specs by manufacturer recommendations. __________________ . 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." .

12-08-2012, 06:42 AM	#4
RockinRiley V.I.P. Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 139	Re: Difference between jacketed & plated bullets There are a couple differences the thickness being one. They are also referred as total metal jacket as they are completely covered in copper. The full metal jackets are made first and are quite thicker then filled with lead, making them stronger but also making lead exposed at the end. The process is somewhat more complicated so it also makes it more expensive, making the other difference that I like to refer to. I reload berry's and like them very much. You cannot shoot them as hard as you can fmj but that sometimes (depending on your equipment or gun) makes them shoot better due to the lower speeds. You also need to be very careful in your loading processes so as to not to rip the fmj coating. I have not ripped any yet and am on my 2nd 1000 of Berry's now. Hope I have helped, if not there is a lot of info out there to research as I had many questions before I started reloading!

12-08-2012, 08:12 AM	#5
LDBennett Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Hesperia, CA Posts: 5,714	Re: Difference between jacketed & plated bullets If you follow the same reloading rules and recipes as cast bullets (shoot at well under 1000FPS) the plated bullet reward you with no leading in the barrel. Some here claim you can achieve that with properly sized cast bullet but I have not found that to be the case with commercially available cast bullets. I use Rainier plated bullet with good success. But most recently I have gone back to bulk Winchester and Remington jacketed bullet for my semi-autos because I was tending to see failure to feed properly with the Rainier plated bullets. But that may not be typical of the experience of others. LDBennett

12-08-2012, 12:12 PM	#6
armoredman Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Proud to be in Arizona Posts: 1,367	Re: Difference between jacketed & plated bullets I cast my own lead bullets, and I see very little leading. On the other hand, I've loaded several thousand Berry's plated bullets, and they are darn good. Berry's states their bullets can be used to the midpoint of jacketed data, and the Thick Plate versions can go higher than that - my latest box of 9mm 115gr Hollow Base Round Nose Thick Plate states a max velocity of 1500FPS. Also, the core of a jacketed bullet, being supported by the jacket, tends to be dead soft lead, while plated bullets are harder cast lead, as the copper plating doesn't lend much support to the bullet. I currently load Berry's plated in both 9mm and 7.62x39mm. Good stuff, Maynard. Last edited by armoredman; 12-08-2012 at 12:13 PM..