[James Gates]

During the past month I have been working up some long range loads for the 12 ga. 3"Mag. I had seen some tests using Motor Mica for dusting the wads and shot. It does work! I am curious to see if anyone has used it on cast bullets? It seems to adhere to metal of all kinds, including firearm actions for cold weather use. It's white and much cleaner than graphite. They say to add add 2 oz of Mica to a pound of lube. best Regards, James

 

[RugerNo3]

Well I've used it for lubing case necks during resizing operation. Never gave it a thought for any other application. Sometimes it's hard to see the forest thru the trees. Your application really sounds interesting. More appropriate the the moly disulfide some advocate for cast bullet lube enhancing. Motor Mica is definitely cleaner to work with.

 

[James Gates]

Thank You for your come back. I also find the stuff interesting. Some of the people working on special turkey loads with copper plated lead shot and those loading stell for waterfowl are dusting the wads and shot. For the 1 5/8 and 1 7/8 oz 12 ga 3" mag loads, with buffered shot, it does reduce the loads psi and gives tighter patterns. it may also work somewhat as a heat barrier?? With this in mind, there may be some applications in cast bullet shooting??? Maybe a after coating and not in the lube?? It seems to want the stick to lead??
If you come up with anything further in the future, please advise.
Best Regards, James

 

[ziggy]

I too have used it for steel shot loads, although I could never prove,(nor did I try to) that it did any good. I also tried it as a neck lube for rifles cases with poor results, went back to the nylon brush and sizeing lube.

I wonder if simply rolling a freshly sized and lubed bullet in the mica would work? Worth a try I guess! I'd have to say that would put the mica right where you want it.

 

[James Gates]

Grizz...You know that might just help. I think the next time I load some plain base bullets that are just on the edge of leading, I'll give it a try.
The more I play with it in high density copperplate lead loads, the more I think it works. I am now putting about a pint of shot in a quart jar with a teaspoon of mica, rolling it around, and putting it in the PW375 shot hopper. It sure slicks up the shot drop also. This, and dusting the wads really do seem to help.
Best Regards, James

 

[ziggy]

James, have you ever seen the hornady shot counter? That's what I use for counting steel shot loads. I'm not sure if they still make it. Works great besides.

It consists of a hopper with a disc in the bottom with holes in it that can be plugged or left open. Determine how many pellets you need and divide by 2, 3, or 4 and rotate it that many times over the shell that's ready to load with shot. Works good up to # 4 steel, the smaller stuff can run through a shot bar. 3 hole sizes of discs let you count down to t shot.

As slippery as that mica is it should help with cast lead bullets. I will give it a try the next time I load some.

 

[James Gates]

Grizz...That sounds like a good item for consistant number of pellets. Somewhere in 40 plus years of accum junk, I have a paddle looking thing with grooves in it for counting shot.
Since moving back to my home state of Florida, I have gotten away from waterfowl due to the season being out before everything moved south. Next year they are going to set the season up later so we can shoot some. The north Florida coastal marshes, near where I live, are full of ducks now. So, next year I will have to get into loading steel. Maybe Marshall should set up a Load Swap for specialized shotshells?
Best Regards, James

 

[Contender]

James,

I have used the Mica for bullets lubed with the old standby 50/50 Alox/Beeswax.

Putting some in an old margarine bowl along with some lubed bulets and carefully turning them around for an even coating. This greatly stops the stickiness of the soft lubes and tends to absorb any "oil sweat" from them.

If I'm not mistaken, Mica is a component of the lube on Hornady factory swaged lead component bullets. (The ones with the knurled looking bearing surfaces.)


If you are so inclined, head over to the linked page below and type in Moto Mica to search the cast bullet forum. There is a ton of info on this over there also.


<a href="http://talk.shooters.com/search.cfm

" target="_blank">http://talk.shooters.com/search.cfm

</a>
Regards

 

[James Gates]

Ray...I followed the link over and found many interesting comments on the use of Motor Mica. It seems that there are some positive uses for it. I am surprised that there has not been more talk on this forum about it.
Best Regards, James

 

[REDTAIL]

james gates where do you buy your motor mica from & do you buy it by the lb, i know midway usa carries it in lb cans i am looking for a place that sells it in bulk of 3-5 lb lots any contact that you can help me would be appreciated thanks

 

[unclenick]

Contender is correct on the Hornady swaged bullets. They roll the motor mica in along with a light knurl pattern to help hold it. They apparently dip or spray on a thin layer of wax of some kind first for better adhesion and lube qualities, because I've seen it appear on the dies after awhile. It looked like beeswax. It's probably not been since the early 80's that I have used their swaged bullets because I started casting somewhere in that time frame, but I recall seeing that wax and assume they haven't changed it.

I have had good luck using a large (1 cup) aluminum cook's salt shaker to dust cast bullets with motor mica. When I use Lee Liquid Alox, right before it is fully dry and while it is still just a bit tacky, I give them that dusting and roll them around in a plastic paint mixing bucket. It makes them easier to handle and store and generally less messy. Another benefit seems to be improved feed reliability.

I have also used double coats of the Lee Liquid Alox by thinning it a little in mineral spirits. The first thin coat has been to help put them through a Lee sizer. The second coat is to replace what the Lee sizer wiped away from the bearing surface. This thread has got me thinking, though, that it might be worth trying to dust motor mica onto the first thin coat to see whether the Lee sizer wipes it all away or if the slicker surface allows the sizer to press it into the bullet surface? It may depend how hard the bullet is, but I think I will give it a try?

I have not mixed mica directly into a conventional lubricator/sizer lube. I don't see any reason not to try it, but I'm not clear it would have all the advantages of the surface application?

Any lube that reduces friction will reduce the contribution of friction to heat. I can't think of anything else about mica that would affect heat in a gun? It's not a better insulator than gases are.

 

[James Gates]

We buy our Motor Mica from Ballistic Products Inc in 1/2 pound containers, it's now called Mica Wad Slick.
A 1/2 pound goes a long way indeed. We have been using it on the [lastic wads in Tri-Ball for some four years. I really do not know where you could but it in bulk?
Regards, James

 

[fguffey]

James Gates, I have a can I purchased from MidwayUAS, I found it usless, it also comes with The RCBS case prep center, in my opinion, it is just another way to create dust.

F. Guffey

 

[unclenick]

Midway has one pound quantities and used to sell 10 lb tubs, but no longer stocks those. In another thread I linked to a jewelry supplier that sells a pound for $15, as compared to $25 at Midway. It's worth researching pricing, it seems.

 

[Rocky Raab]

I picked up a quart can of it somewhere years ago, and have experimented with it. I use it in a film canister with #9 shot as a neck lube, and as a final coating on cast bullets over LLA. It works great in both uses. I've thought about adding a bit to some melted Johnson's Paste Wax as a bullet lube, but haven't gotten around to that yet.

 

[jb12string]

I've used it for a while on case necks while neck sizing and have had pretty good results

 

[ribbonstone]

Has two really good uses.

One of them is the inside of case necks. If you are resizing and hear that "screech" when the expander ball pulls through the neck on the down stroke, reach for the Mica.

The other is for cast bullets and bullet base greasiness. Esp. with tumble lubes that never seem to really dry when it's damp. Spread a little Motor mica on a sheet of waxed paper, let the tumble lubed bullets dry for the normal time, then set the bullets down base first on the motor mica coated waxed paper...acts like baby powder, coating the bases and keeping powder from getting embedded in the sticky lube on the bullet base.

 

[REDTAIL]

mica for makeup?

Uncle nick that jewelry supplier stuff is it the same kind of motor mica that is sold by midway etc i see stuff on different web sites for makeup base powder just wondering if that stuff is the same type of mica that is used to dust bullets with

 

[REDTAIL]

Rocky you dont have any idea of where you bought that mica from do you i would appreciate a contact if you have one thanks

 

[James Gates]

Well....We seem to have mixed feelings about Mica....from people that have had excellent results to those that say it is useless dust?
We also use a little on the shotgun hull's mouth and it makes for much better rolled crimps indeed.
We have used it for a dry winter lube on the insides of our handguns also. Works as good as Moly and not as messy. Mixed with denatured Alcohol, shaken up well in a spray bottle, works great for winter lube on the inside of shotguns and rifles. We but buy from Ballistic Products Inc.
So, what can I say?
Regards, James