Cast Hollowpoint Handgun Bullet Water Expansion Tests

  • 3.6K Views
  • Last Post 10 December 2008
Ed Harris posted this 02 December 2008

NEI #161A  modified to 82 degree countersunk cup-point, 0.6 of meplat diameter and .22 deep, cast 10 BHN, test rounds shot vertically into water tank  from top of step ladder.  Modified cup-point bullet weighs 180 grs. vs. 188 for solid version in this alloy.

Left to Right:

Ruger Security Six 2-3/4 inch barrel snubby est. 850 fps approximating .38 Spl. +P

Marlin 1894 Cowboy at est. 1000 f.p.s.

Marlin 1894 Cowboy at est. 1080 f.p.s.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

Attached Files

Order By: Standard | Newest | Votes
Ed Harris posted this 02 December 2008

This is the same #161A bullet  using a larger hollowpoint cavity 0.7 of meplat diameter, with 7 degree draft and .35 deep. 

Left bullet loaded in .38 Special brass with 3.5 grs. of Bullseye, fired from 2-3/4 inch Ruger Security Six, est. 750 f.p.s.  Expansion to .54 cal. with no fragmentation.

Right bullet loaded in .357 brass 4.0 grain charge of Bullseye in .357 cases fired from Ruger Security Six with 2-3/4” barrel, approximately 850 fps.  Expansion to .54x.60 cal. with large fragment shed from nose. 

Modified HP bullet weighs 175 grs., vs. 188 grs. in original solid form from this alloy.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

Attached Files

Ed Harris posted this 02 December 2008

Here are results of similar tests done in the .32 ACP using the Saeco #325 cast 10 BHN, with large hollowpoint cavity .156 diameter with 7 degree draft, .3 deep, reducing bullet weight from 98 grs. in solid SWC form to 82 grs.  firing into water.

Left to right

2.4 inch Beretta Model 3032 Tomcat, 1.7 Bullseye est. 700 fps. tumbled upon impact, did not expand

2.4 inch Beretta Model 3032 Tomcat 2.0 grs. Bullseye est. 750 f.p.s. partial expansion before “flipping"

3.5 inch Beretta Model 70S 2.0 grs. Bullseye, est. 800 f.p.s.  more consistent, some flipped, but one round mushroomed really nice. Barel twist a factor. Beretta pistols are 16", need to try this again in a Mauser, FN or CZ with ten inch twist.

 

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

Attached Files

Ed Harris posted this 02 December 2008

Repeat test of Saeco #325 with 82 degree sharp pointed conical cavity .156 diameter x .2 deep, bullet weight 93 grs. vs. 98 grs. in original SWC solid.

Left to right:

Beretta Tomat 2.4-inch .32 ACP, 1.7 grs. Bullseye, est. 700 f.p.s.

S&W Model 31 3-inch .32 S&W Long 2.5 grs. Bullseye, est. 800 f.p.s.

S&W Model 31 4-inch. .32 S&W Long 2.5 grs. Bullseye est. 850 f.ps.

Marlin 24-inch. 1894CB .32 S&W Long 2.5 grs. Bullseye, est. 1000 f.p.s.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

Attached Files

Ed Harris posted this 02 December 2008

NEI #161A bullet as tested in the Ruger Snubby with large, deep cavity, fragments violent when fired into water from the 1894 Cowboy with 3.5 grs. of Bullseye in .38 Sepcial cases, at about 900 f.p.s.  Expanded nose blows off in large 10-15 grain fragments, whereas cylindrical “stub” still weighs about 115 grains, about 65 percent of original bullet weight.  

Left to right:

Unfired #161A deep hollowpoint

161A 175-gr. hollowpoint fired from 2-3/4 inch Ruger at about 750 f.p.s. using .38 Special cases and 3.5 grs. of Bulleye

161A 175-gr. hollowpoint fired from 24-inch. Marlin 1894CB at about 900 f.p.s. using .38 Special cases and 3.5 grs. of Bullseye 

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

Attached Files

454PB posted this 04 December 2008

Very interesting and informative.

My question is how big and deep is the water tank, and how do you recover the slugs?

Attached Files

Ed Harris posted this 04 December 2008

96 gallon Toter brand wheeled trash cart from Home Depot. Use a piece of 1/4 wire mesh screen in the bottom, bent to roughly conform to the bottom of the cart, tie parachute cord to corners to pull it up and attach lead ingots to corners with cable ties to weight it down.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

Attached Files

Rawhider posted this 04 December 2008

What great results ! I have a 161 A mold  and love it , who modified it or did you order a custom mold that they now have the cherry for ?

Thanks Rawhider

Attached Files

Ed Harris posted this 04 December 2008

Rawhider wrote: What great results ! I have a 161 A mold  and love it , who modified it or did you order a custom mold that they now have the cherry for ? Go to http://www.hollowpointmold.com>http://www.hollowpointmold.com

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

Attached Files

Antietamgw posted this 05 December 2008

Ed, thanks for doing the wet work! I've been wanting to modify an 82 degree center drill for use with my Forster hollowpointer. Using the Forster hollowpointer will make it easy to vary depth and size. I use similiar .38 and .357 loads with a 180 gr. RNFP in a 3” S&W M/60 and a Puma carbine. From your results it looks like the smaller, shallower hollowpoint will provide the results I'm looking for. That gives me a good place to start and I won't get quite as wet.  Wish I'd done it a month ago when it was still warm... 

Keep your plowshare and your sword. Know how and when to use them.

Attached Files

runfiverun posted this 05 December 2008

with the slower ones that want to tip did you try to cut notches in the tip.

usually 8 even ones just enough to make a line about 1/64th of an inch deep will help initiate expansion on the slower moving ones.

i had good sucess doing that with some slow moving 38's

Attached Files

Ed Harris posted this 10 December 2008

runfiverun wrote: with the slower ones that want to tip did you try to cut notches in the tip.

usually 8 even ones just enough to make a line about 1/64th of an inch deep will help initiate expansion on the slower moving ones.

i had good sucess doing that with some slow moving 38's Might try that, but it appears that the 82 degree countersink point does what I want in most applications.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

Attached Files

Categories
Search
Popular Tags
This Weeks High Earners
Hot Topics
Close