Alox coating cast bullets

[gunsrus001]

I've been powder coating all my cast bullets, it is a time consuming endeavor but worth it. With my recent work load increasing I would like to decrease the time I spend loading but keep the amount of target shooting the same.


Recently I have been looking into Lee liquid Alox as an alternative. I would like to know your tips tricks and experiences with it.

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[kmk1012]

We call it Mule Snot, it's messy but works really well. Put a bunch of bullets in a container, drizzle some snot on them, then shake or stir for a while. Spread them out overnight to dry and you're ready to load. I used it for several years.

 

[Outpost75]

I have used it for years. Most people use too much and find the smoke on indoor ranges objectionable. Only a light coating to turn bullets a uniform brassy color is needed. No need to fill the lube grooves.

 

[dangerranger60]

Before I learned to PC I used a lot of Allox. After I learned to PC I have found that I like the PC bullets much better. The PC does not collect dirt, grit, or pocket lint. and at loading the PC bullets keep my dies and hands SO Much cleaner!
I still use a little of it on experimental bullets. But when I make a production run I will PC them.
When I was producing a lot of bullets for sale I had a process to spray on the allox. its a little less messy than tumbling them. you stack the bullets on wax paper, spray on the thinned Allox, and dry them on racks like bakery racks that they dry Donuts on. I could do 10, 000 or so in an evening and they were dry the next day.
After I learned to PC I doubt I have cleaned my dies in the last 5 to 7 years. DR

 

[DLS]

I'm with @dangerranger60 on this one. I used the Lee product for many years, until I started powder coating. Once I started that I've never gone back.

Liquid Alox is easy to use however. I used an old margarine container. Drizzle a small amount, shake - shake - shake for about four minutes, and pour out on waxed paper to dry.

As already stated, handling and cleanup is messier, and firing produces more smoke and smell, but it is a simple way to lube your lead bullets. And ... it works as well as any other wax/grease type of lube.

 

[2ndtimer]

I tried it for the first time on some DoubleTap 200 gr 10mm WFN bullets with gas checks. I have heard that Doubletap uses a clear lubricant on their bullets, but I sure couldn't see or feel it if they did. It felt better rolling them around in the Lee liquid alox and letting them dry overnight than just relying on the brass gas check in the hope of reducing leading on higher performance 10mm loads.

 

[gunsrus001]

It seems like it's going to be a mess, but it's only temporary until I'm done with this upcoming project.

 

[dangerranger60]

you can thin it by adding a couple drops of laquor thinner to your tumbling tub. before the allox is added. coat the bullets with thinner first and then the allox goes on smoother and more evenly. the thinner also speeds the drying time. [ but it adds a smell to the process]
Good luck with it. if you don't mind the mess it is a very cheap and effective way to lube bullets. I used to buy it as an industrial lube used on food producing equipment where they don't want to risk getting grease on the products. it comes in one- or 5-gallon buckets. DR

 

[dangerranger60]

It seems like it's going to be a mess, but it's only temporary until I'm done with this upcoming project.

Its not a huge mess when doing a few hundred at a time. I stack the coated bullets on a wax paper covered board. I stack them on their heels. Most of the mess is on my hands from turning the bullets. But even after they are dry, the wax will coat your hands as you size the bullets and again as you load them. it will also buildup in your dies to a point that your seating die clogs with wax. if you are only loading a few hundred at a time this is not much of a problem. But if you are doing thousands You may need to clean the seating die several times during a production run. PC has put an end to that for me. But I still do small batches of allox bullets mostly because its quick and easy. DR

 

[DLS]

I have never stacked the bullets. After tumbling I just dumped them on the wax paper and called it good. They dried just fine.

As @dangerranger60 stated, the lube can build up during the loading process. When needed, a shot of brake or carb cleaner nicely cleans out your dies.

 

[dangerranger60]

I have never stacked the bullets. After tumbling I just dumped them on the wax paper and called it good. They dried just fine.

As @dangerstated, the lube can build up during the loading process. When needed, a shot of brake or carb cleaner nicely cleans out your dies.

Piling them up to dry works just fine. But if you want to sell them, they also have to look good. that's why I thinned the Allox and sprayed it on. it leaves them with a slight golden tint. and a very uniform look. DR

 

[DLS]

That makes sense.

I never sold my cast bullets. They just went down the pipes of my own guns. So, I didn't really care how they looked, only how they performed. The slight splotchyness created by merely dumping after tumbling doesn't affect performance at all.

 

[Ifishsum]

For pistol bullets I thin the LLA down with mineral spirits and use just enough to get an even, thin coating. Like barely enough to give the bullets a little bronze color, then dry overnight or longer. It doesn't need to be a heavy coating to work, and if it's too thick it doesn't dry well and your bullets will feel sticky. Yeah it stinks a bit when tumbling (and when shooting) but it's quick and easy to apply, and it seems to be very effective. I don't think I've ever had to clean a leaded barrel since I started using it.

 

[SAR1846]

Expanding on the above.... look at the recipe for BLL -- Ben's Liquid Lube... a close approximation is alox, mineral spirits, and some liquid floor wax. It should be the consistency of cola... add a few drops to your cast boolits. Shake and let it dry on wax or parchment paper. It should just be a light tint. The carnuba in the liquid floor wax will help harden it up and make drying easy.

 

[Ifishsum]

Yes, the addition of liquid wax after thinning pretty much eliminates any stickiness once it all dries. Still have a few ounces left of Johnson's floor wax, too bad it has been discontinued. Guess I'll try to find something else when I run out in 10 or 15 years LOL. I think I still have two 4oz bottles of BLL already mixed and it stretches a long ways for pistol bullets.