Ported barrels and leading

[AZAndy]

I have a .45ACP revolver with a ported barrel that's doing something I haven't encountered before. Since it's my first ported firearm, I guess it's not a surprise that the behavior is new to me. After running a hundred or so coated bullets through it, I sat down to clean it and saw that the barrel from the forcing cone up to the first port was pretty good, a little smearing from the coating, easy to swab away. Right where the first port is, there's some lead streaking, and then starting between the two ports it looks like somebody injected about a teaspoon of silvery cake icing in there. I've already decided to switch to plated bullets for this beast, so I'm not looking for a solution, but I'm curious as to whether this is a known effect of porting. Is it just me? What's going on?

It may be that "Reloading" isn't the right place for this; if so, my apologies.

 

[Load Master]

This seems like the perfect place for your post, in my humble opinion.

I have a ported 9mm full size S&W. I have ran 1000's of powder coated bullets without any leading. I expect that I might have an issue if I exceeded the coated bullet velocity limits. Is there a chance you are pushing these rounds too fast? I keep my 45acp 230gr coated bullet velocity at below 800fps and have not experienced any leading issues. In fact the coating stays intact on the bullets, as shown below.

These are Eggleston 230gr Hard Cast Poly Coat.

 

[kingmt]

I have a 38 stub noise that does this also with lead. It will creep out of the holes like I'm trying to extrude it. I just flip it off the top of the barrel & poke it out of the holes.

I haven't tried powder coated in it yet since I haven't loaded for it since I started powder coating.

 

[243winxb]

45ACP revolver with a ported barrel

What size and kind of ports? Photo? How soft is the alloy used?
I can see where small round holes drilled into a barrel would leave more lead from gas cutting. The pressure behind the bullet need to be released fast.

My 44 mag thats Mag-Na-Ported will leave a bit of lube and lead on the outside of the barrel, using home cast lswc, no coatings. Not a problem.

 

[Wreck-n-Crew]

Is it a newer gun? Sometimes ported barrels can do that. They also can get some copper scraping too. Another reason that plated bullet makers sometimes suggest no ported barrels.

The edges of the porting inside of the barrel are sometimes sharp and protrude a little past the rifling. Depends on who made it and how it was cleaned up in the manufacturing process as to whether they cause a problem or not. Since the porting process has to be done from the outside of the barrel inward when the ports are cut this can happen. Anyone who's ever used a mill or press to bore or mill a hole or slot, etc through metal often see it on the exit side of the process. Since barrels are small inside it's hard to get in and work the exit end of the process.

 

[243winxb]

The edges of the porting inside of the barrel are sometimes sharp and protrude a little past the rifling.

Putting chamber casting alloy into the barrel before drilling seems to get rid of the burr.

Had 7 holes drilled into a Ruger MK 1 22 LR barrel, right in front of the chamber, using above method. When hole plugs were installed, accuracy was the same as before.

 

[AZAndy]

What size and kind of ports? Photo? How soft is the alloy used?
I can see where small round holes drilled into a barrel would leave more lead from gas cutting. The pressure behind the bullet need to be released fast.

My 44 mag thats Mag-Na-Ported will leave a bit of lube and lead on the outside of the barrel, using home cast lswc, no coatings. Not a problem.

It has slotted ports, I don't know what kind they are or who did them:

 

[AZAndy]

Is it a newer gun? Sometimes ported barrels can do that. They also can get some copper scraping too. Another reason that plated bullet makers sometimes suggest no ported barrels.

Well, dang, I was going to switch to plated. Guess I'll have to shell out the big bucks for jacketed, then.

 

[243winxb]

Looks almost like a Mag Na Port, but mine only has one per side. If your gun cleans up easly and the accuracy is still good, i would keep shooting it.

 

[AZAndy]

This seems like the perfect place for your post, in my humble opinion.

I have a ported 9mm full size S&W. I have ran 1000's of powder coated bullets without any leading. I expect that I might have an issue if I exceeded the coated bullet velocity limits. Is there a chance you are pushing these rounds too fast? I keep my 45acp 230gr coated bullet velocity at below 800fps and have not experienced any leading issues. In fact the coating stays intact on the bullets, as shown below.

I'm running Missouri Bullets 230 grain Hi-Tek, which are listed at 18 Brinell, over 4.6 grains of TiteGroup. In a 1911, they get 800, maybe 810 fps, but I haven't chronographed them out of the revolver yet. I guess I could try lightening them a tad. I suspect that Wreck-n-Crew's suggestion regarding protrusions may be what's going on.

 

[AZAndy]

Looks almost like a Mag Na Port, but mine only has one per side. If your gun cleans up easly and the accuracy is still good, i would keep shooting it.

Yes, that looks like pretty much the same thing. I'll keep shooting it, all right, the beast is like a laser! It's the only revolver I have that's easy to shoot well (for me).

 

[Wreck-n-Crew]

Putting chamber casting alloy into the barrel before drilling seems to get rid of the burr.

Had 7 holes drilled into a Ruger MK 1 22 LR barrel, right in front of the chamber, using above method. When hole plugs were installed, accuracy was the same as before.

Good point and true! Not everyone does that though and i recon that's the reason some end up that way.

Well, dang, I was going to switch to plated. Guess I'll have to shell out the big bucks for jacketed, then.

Might be worth it to lap your barrel before running off and buying high priced bullets.

 

[AZAndy]

Good point and true! Not everyone does that though and i recon that's the reason some end up that way.
Might be worth it to lap your barrel before running off and buying high priced bullets.

That sounds like a gunsmith job... I wouldn't know where to begin. One of the range counter guys is in 'smith school at a local college, I'll ask him about it. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[Wreck-n-Crew]

That sounds like a gunsmith job... I wouldn't know where to begin. One of the range counter guys is in 'smith school at a local college, I'll ask him about it. Thanks for the suggestion!

There is also fire lapping...good luck either way!

 

[kingmt]

I lapped my new rifle barrel with about 50 jacketed bullets last week.

It's fun lapping a barrel in.

 

[Havok7416]

Regardless of how fast you are running those bullets you are nowhere near the "speed limit" for the coating. As mentioned, check the barrel/ports first. You may well be able to continue using coated bullets with no issue.

I had an issue chambering ammo in one of my revolvers awhile back. I thought I had tried everything I could and took it to the gunsmith. I felt pretty stupid when he told me the bullets I was trying to put in it were out of spec (and they were). Point being, it isn't always what it appears to be. Hope it works for you, I'd hate to shoot it if I HAD to shoot expensive bullets.

 

[wally]

I'd hate to shoot it if I HAD to shoot expensive bullets.

For me any gun like that would be quickly sold off or become a safe queen. Any favorite of mine doesn't take very long before the cost of ammo run through it exceeds the original cost of the gun as it is.

 

[cfullgraf]

FYI, my S&W 460XVR came with two barrel inserts with different ports cut in them. One was for jacketed bullets, the other for cast bullets.

If I remember the manual correctly, they said the ports for jacketed bullets would lead up if shooting cast bullets.

 

[AZAndy]

FYI, my S&W 460XVR came with two barrel inserts with different ports cut in them. One was for jacketed bullets, the other for cast bullets.

If I remember the manual correctly, they said the ports for jacketed bullets would lead up if shooting cast bullets.

That's interesting. I think the original owner of this one sent it out for porting, rather than it coming that way from the factory. I base that on trying to find another one like it and failing; I could be wrong. I do have the original box and everything that was in it, as far as I can tell.

 

[cfullgraf]

That's interesting. I think the original owner of this one sent it out for porting, rather than it coming that way from the factory.

I did not intend to suggest that your porting was factory or not, just that the design of the porting can have different results with different style bullets.

Of course, the 460 S&W Magnum is a different animal in the handgun world when compared to traditional revolver rounds.