Tungsten core solid

[Shawn.54]

Was a good use.

 

[Shawn.54]

Does anyone have the construction method of the tungsten core solids, many years ago I came across some old .30 caliber AP rounds and I had to cut a bullet open just to see what made it tick. I wish I still had the core and jacket but they have long ago been lost.
The jacket was copper the core was a 1/4 dowel pin with front end sharpened there was a thin layer of lead between jacket and core I think the lead was there to make it easier on the rifleing but just guessing. Are the tungstens made like that or just copper jacket on tungsten?
Shawn

 

[CTDolan]

Metallurgy discussion, and I'm like...

View attachment 215246

Truth? Marilyn Monroe was an incredibly intelligent, well read person.

 

[IvW]

Shortening the bullet reduces sd a no no for dg.
Small meplats do not work anither no no for dg.

Large meplat and monometal is the way to go or hollow point such as the hydro simple but effective and gets the job done....

 

[ChrisG]

Shortening the bullet reduces sd a no no for dg.
Small meplats do not work anither no no for dg.

Large meplat and monometal is the way to go or hollow point such as the hydro simple but effective and gets the job done....

In this case, the density of the bullet is increased so there no loss of sectional density even though it is shorter. SD is just a ratio of weight to diameter. Length isnt part of the equation. I could make an earplug with a SD of .330, but it still wouldnt penetrate very well. Since Tungsten is significantly denser than lead so you can shorten the bullet, maintain the same SD, it will be more stable and rigidize the bullet to the point that it is almost not malleable at all. Tungsten has one of the highest tensile strengths of any metal. Its really the best of both worlds except for the cost and manufacturing difficulty. And the stupid BATFE...

 

[IvW]

so a short bullet vs a longer bullet of the same weight fired at the same velocity will penetrate the same distance in the same mefium??

 

[ChrisG]

In

so a short bullet vs a longer bullet of the same weight fired at the same velocity will penetrate the same distance in the same mefium??

In Theory, yes. In reality, I would think the tungsten core would perform better because it is so much tougher and a shorter bullet is more stable and will stay nose-forward better... though I don't know if it would be significant. What it should do is let you drive the same weight bullet to the same speed at a lower pressure (with relieving bands). Again, theoretically. The tungsten is so hard and incompressible that it may actually make the bullet harder to push down the barrel, although I'm sure the engineering dept. could solve that.

 

[TTundra]

In

The tungsten is so hard and incompressible that it may actually make the bullet harder to push down the barrel, although I'm sure the engineering dept. could solve that.

Speer's did. The tungsten solids they made had the solid tungsten core with enough jacket over it to allow for barrel travel without over compression.

Also correct in cost and the ATF. When speer ceased production, the rights were bought and sold a few times and each time, to save cost, production was altered. Solid tungsten turned to Tungsten powder forming and just lost the strength of a solid core.

I have some .458 500 grainers that I'd love to see what they can do to some steel plates at 2400fps out of my 460...just for the fun of it

 

[TSIBINDI]

FWIW...I used the 500gr AGS in my .458WM on elephant PAC. Bullets that were recovered from body shots appeared as new...no riveting. Side brain shot bullets penetrated completely.

My opinion of the AGS is positive even though the bullets were a bit costly.

I wasn't aware the BATF was involved with the discontinuation of the AGS, I thought it was because of cost. Fortunately, I purchased an ample supply of them back in the day.