Difference between copper jacket, plating and washing

[pucker]

Didn't want to hijack the other 22lr ammo topic so starting a new one.

What's the difference between copper jacketed ammo, copper plating and copper washing ammo?

[Guliver]

IMO Would have been good to keep complementary topics in the one thread.

[Jack V]

In one word 'Thickness " if referring only to the bullets outside covering material .

In more words , a copper jacket ( as in jacketed bullets ) which is not pure copper but gilding metal at about 95% copper and 5% zinc is a thick tube that encapsulates the core of a jacketed projectile . It can vary greatly in design and thickness and generally tapers in thickness getting thicker towards the base in hunting projectiles but may be parallel in thickness in some target bullets . Thickness can vary but is certainly much thicker and stronger than a plating process .

Plating would be an electrolytic process which can deposit metals as a layer over an object . Thickness will vary as to how thick you need and the time in the process . Typically thickness may only be a few thousandths of an inch to get the surface you want .

Copper wash is a chemical process possibly also having electrolysis in it of some kind but it's main difference is it's only a very thin deposit as the term "wash" kinda says .

I don't know of any plated projectiles in the true sense of the word off hand.

[pucker]

IMO Would have been good to keep complementary topics in the one thread.

Just trying not to hijack.

Mods?

[pucker]

Copper wash is a chemical process possibly also having electrolysis in it of some kind but it's main difference is it's only a very thin deposit as the term "wash" kinda says .

So what's the point of the wash do you know?

Doesn't sound like it will keep a projectile together like a jacket...

Sounds kind of pointless.

[yoshie]

The copper acts as a barrier to the inner lead core and the barrel. When you fire a lead bullet above a certain speed, the lead melts and vaporizes and leaves deposits in the barrel causing lead build up. The copper (or guilding) has I higher melting temp and can be fired at higher velocities. All these types of adding copper to the outside of a lead bullet have varying effectiveness. Copper wash would be the easiest to apply and is used because it's cheap, a solid jacket is the most expensive but works the best.

[pucker]

Great explanation.

Thanks Yoshie

[GLS_1956]

In one word 'Thickness " if referring only to the bullets outside covering material .

In more words , a copper jacket ( as in jacketed bullets ) which is not pure copper but gilding metal at about 95% copper and 5% zinc is a thick tube that encapsulates the core of a jacketed projectile . It can vary greatly in design and thickness and generally tapers in thickness getting thicker towards the base in hunting projectiles but may be parallel in thickness in some target bullets . Thickness can vary but is certainly much thicker and stronger than a plating process .

Plating would be an electrolytic process which can deposit metals as a layer over an object . Thickness will vary as to how thick you need and the time in the process . Typically thickness may only be a few thousandths of an inch to get the surface you want .

Copper wash is a chemical process possibly also having electrolysis in it of some kind but it's main difference is it's only a very thin deposit as the term "wash" kinda says .

I don't know of any plated projectiles in the true sense of the word off hand.

You can get copper plated bird shot here in the USA.

[Mich]

You can get copper plated bird shot here in the USA.

Yep. Reduces pellet distortion on firing.

[Skadoo]

Yep. Reduces pellet distortion on firing.

You used it Mich?

Does it really pattern that differently to normal shot?

[Mich]

I haven't used it, no.

Conventional shot has always worked perfectly fine, if it ain't broke?