Plated or jacketed?

pirate2501

Should I use Copper plated or jacketed bullets for 9mm reloads or are they the same thing?

Rocky Raab

Not the same thing. If you get Handloader magazine, I have an article on plated bullets in the current issue. Probably still on many newsstands.

Plated bullets offer a viable "third choice" that lies between cast and jacketed bullets in the areas of cost, performance and effectiveness. For general shooting, they are a very good choice.

pirate2501

Thank you [:)]

gknaka2

+1 to what Rocky says, as usual. I shoot ONLY plated bullets as they are cheaper and perform just as good. Be very careful though, you can cut or shear the plating off if you crimp too tightly resulting in separation. The copper is much thinner on a plated bullet than a jacketed bullet.

They are definitely not the same thing and should not be reloaded using the same data.

Mobuck

I've loaded a lot of the plated bullets because they're cleaner than lead and cheaper than jacketed. They seem to be safer when shooting at steel plates since they're soft and don't splatter as much. Pay close attention to belling the case mouth just right as they tend to catch there if not enough belling.

gknaka2

quote:Originally posted by 243winxb
You should be able to find FMJ at same price as plated...


Where?

Rocky Raab

Some plated hollowpoints might involve a separate punching operation, as 243win says. Speer's Gold Dot bullets are one example. However, some plated hollowpoint bullets like those from Berry's Mfg do not. Berry's forms the lead core in a punch press - complete with hollowpoint cavity - before they are plated. No extra steps.

gknaka2

Again, I would like to know where plated and fmj are the same price. Last I checked plated were about $25-30 for 250 and FMJ were about $20-25 for 100.

Rocky Raab

He's probably talking about milsurp pulled bullets, which can sometimes be very cheap - and almost worth the price.

243winxb

The above info was not correct, sorry. I was thinking of this thread. quote:the difference in prices between JHP vs. FMJ.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=557370&highlight=cost+of+9mm+bullets+plated+fmj

Rocky Raab

Holiday brain fog. Happens to the best of us.

richarda

How about use of plated bullets in Glocks, H&K P7s and others where lead bullets are a no=no?

gknaka2

Is that because of the octagonal barrel?

Rocky Raab

It's because of the polygonal rifling, yes. And plated bullets are fine in such barrels.

44shotdoctor

You have to be careful when reloading plated bullets. You have to load them like lead or low power loads. They are not jacketed so no high power rounds. Myself I dont like plated bullets its either lead or jacketed.

Rocky Raab

Well, as I wrote, they are "tweeners." So you can load them to levels between cast and jacketed. That's a very useful slot, IMO; and plated saves you both the effort of casting your own and the expense of buying jacketed.