Gluelits--It's probably been said.

[chewie146]

Ok, so I was surfing various forums, google, etc. I decided to try my luck with some gluelits, and this is what I've found.

1. They're too much fun for a grown man to have. An old t-shirt suspended from a piece of wood is enough, provided it is not anchored at the bottom. It will "catch" the gluelit and often times the gluelit will stick, as the primer has heated the base some.

2. Use a really good glue gun. A good, high temp glue gun will fill out the mould much more readily. You don't want to have to mess with a cheap-o.

3. If you drill out the flash holes, it does stop the setback, but many times the anvil will leave the primer, so be aware that not just a gluelit is coming out the end.

4. Cleanup is not as bad as you'd think. A brass brush will scrape any smearing out of the barrel.

 

[aarondhgraham]

I have no idea what this is about,,,

Perhaps a bit of clarification,,,
Or a link to something that explains it.

Aarond

 

[Rj1972]

Interesting. He's talking about glue bullets. Never heard of it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhESy_ZocfM

 

[jglsprings]

Seems like a lot of extra work to me. If I understood what the video was saying, he is casting and sizing these hot glue bullets?

If that is the case I'll use the Speer plastic target bullets and skip the "casting" and sizing steps. If I go to the trouble to set up my bullet sizer, I'll cast and size lead.

https://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUS239&q=speer+plastic+bullets&oq=speer+plast&aq=0&aqi=g5g-v5&aql=&gs_sm=c&gs_upl=951l3404l0l7411l11l6l0l0l0l0l1150l3265l0.2.1.5-1.1.1l6l0#hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUS239&q=speer+plastic+bullets&gs_sm=c&gs_upl=951l3404l0l7411l11l6l0l0l0l0l1150l3265l0.2.1.5-1.1.1l6l0&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbo=u&tbm=shop&source=og&sa=N&tab=wf&ei=LF0pT6TCKYaw2QXV2JG8Ag&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=425bf091d839cf29&biw=1440&bih=730

Perhaps I'm missing the "better" part.

 

[PawPaw]

Yeahs ago, I used wax bullets in the .38 special. Simply push the open mouth of the primed case into a block of wax until you've got a plug of wax in the case mouth, chamber and fire. I set up a target on the back of the barn and let the kids work on their shooting. Those wax bullets also drive stray cats crazy.

 

[chewie146]

I'm not sizing the bullets...just "casting" or really injection molding. They are reusable and relatively accurate. I looked at the plastic bullets, and unless I spring for a whole lot of them, I won't have a ready replacement when I lose and or damage them. These little guys have lasted 5 shots apiece so far. I'd say each pair takes about 2 minutes to make. Finger pressure is all it takes to seat them. I haven't tried in the autos yet, but I'm pretty sure my M&P will feed empty cases, so I may try that one first. It's an option, especially for those of us who have "crafty" spouses who have arts and craft supplies around all the time. Glue sticks are cheap. I didn't calculate how many I get out of an 8" stick, but I'll let you know.

 

[aarondhgraham]

Hello PawPaw,,,

We must have read the same magazine back in the day,,,
I got the instructions from I believe Popular Mechanics.

Melt about 1/4 to 3/8 inch of paraffin in a tin pie plate,,,
Pull the bullet from a .22 cartridge and empty the powder from it,,,
Use the case like a cookie cutter and you had "parlor" ammunition for your revolver.

Great fun in the winter.

Aarond

.

 

[Dwight55]

We must have read the same magazine back in the day,,,
I got the instructions from I believe Popular Mechanics.

Melt about 1/4 to 3/8 inch of paraffin in a tin pie plate,,,
Pull the bullet from a .22 cartridge and empty the powder from it,,,
Use the case like a cookie cutter and you had "parlor" ammunition for your revolver.

OR: take that same wax, . . . primer up your .9mm, .38, .357, .41, .44, .45 or whatever you got cases, . . . push em in the wax, . . . "Voila", . . . instant practice rounds that can be shot in the basement or the garage.

Back in the late 60's / early 70's lots of guys were using these and a 1/4 inch plate mirror to hone their Wyatt Earp fast draw skills.

May God bless,
Dwight

 

[dyl]

Good friend of mine had a variation for his 44 mag that went like this:

Get a block of wax (or reuse scraps, doesn't matter)
Put it in a wide and flat pyrex / microwavable container, melt
Place as many empty brass cases as possible mouth first down into liquid wax
When it cools you have wax bullets!
(i don't know if he hand primed first or after)

Backstop: carpet scrap hung in cardboard box
Re-using: to remove dirt from wax, microwave again and pour off clean wax (try keep dirt at bottom).

Accuracy: from across the garage (length of a van/SUV maybe) group size was about the size of a standard sheet of paper. So not the greatest.

Legality: Not certain for those who live within city limits - may still count as discharging your firearm.

(and if I could go back in time, I think hearing protection would still be in order)

 

[JohnKSa]

When considering indoor home practice using wax/rubber/plastic bullets, keep in mind that primers have lead compounds in them and the discharge will spray that material out of the muzzle into the shooting area.

It's a good idea to have decent ventilation to blow the discharge away from the shooter and also to have a plan for cleanup of the area to prevent lead from building up in living areas.

 

[Sport45]

I've never measured a stick of glue, but read somewhere that some are cutting them to length and loading in 45 caliber cases as-is. No casting or sizing required...

Enlarging the flash hole is a must if you use glue or wax bullets in a revolver. My experience with popping primers in my Model 19 with empty cases ended with a tied up revolver. You don't have to drill it out so large that the anvil has room to escape...

 

[Lost Sheep]

I wonder what else?

Was bullets powered by primer alone will put a half-dollar size dent in a steel exterior door. I don't have the picture any more (found on another thread). I would expect it to break a TV screen, raise a welt or burst an eyeball, so take this as a caution.

Also, it is best to use the "cookie cutter" method of loading the wax bullets BEFORE priming the cases. Having a primer in place will trap air in the case and pushing the wax in will compress the air. You can probably count on the was bullet being forced out of the case before long.

I have used the Speer plastic bullets (in their plastic cases) before, but eventually, inevitably they do get lost after a while. The wax bullets are cheaper than buying replacement plastic bullets and the hot glue ones are easier to re-use.

I wonder what other stuff could be pressed into service as bullet material?

Lost Sheep

 

[Lost Sheep]

I've never measured a stick of glue, but read somewhere that some are cutting them to length and loading in 45 caliber cases as-is. No casting or sizing required...

Enlarging the flash hole is a must if you use glue or wax bullets in a revolver. My experience with popping primers in my Model 19 with empty cases ended with a tied up revolver. You don't have to drill it out so large that the anvil has room to escape...

I heard the same thing about the diameter of the glue sticks.

Some people enlarge the flash hole and the primer pocket as well, so you can use shotgun primers.

Lost Sheep

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

Oh yeah, I used to to shoot wax bullets out of my 9mm with my housemates (in the house) for fun. It got to be a pain to clean and wax bullets will break things, along with teaching casual gun safety. I stopped, but I wouldn't tell anyone not to do it.

 

[Mike / Tx]

The Speer plastic bullets are great, but they only come in three calibers.

With the gluelets, you can pick up a cheap Lee 2 cavity mold, and pour up any caliber you choose to and a much wider variety per caliber.

While they might not be for everyone, they sure can be fun.

I have only done the wax myself, and can testify that they WILL indeed easily penetrate window screen, and in the 44 will cleanly take out a nusience attic squirrel with a shot to the head at around 20ft. So I hear....

 

[chewie146]

Yeah I read 1/8th inch, so i tried that on 5 cases. The anvil will pop through those. I tried it in the 9mm M&P, and while harder to use than with a revolver, they are great practice. I need a cheap .45ACP mold and a cheap .40 mold, and i'm set.

 

[m&p45acp10+1]

This looks like a time when the Non Toxic primers would be a good buy.

 

[chewie146]

For sure they would. where can you even find them, though.

 

[JohnKSa]

This looks like a time when the Non Toxic primers would be a good buy.

To my knowledge, they are not available as reloading components.

 

[chewie146]

I guess I'll have to rely on ventillation. They sure are fun, though. They'd be a great camping toy so you don't bug everyone at camp, but you can bounce some coke cans etc. behind the tents.