Question on ammo modification

[SteelCore]

Has anyone ever modified a FMJ round to make a softpoint/hollowpoint? Is it feasible?

Maybe just take it to the bench grinder and open up the tip of the jacket?

Is this feasible in say, a mosin, our would the lead somehow slip the jacket during firing and not exit the bbl?

Is this an OK or bad idea? Advice please.

Thanks!

--Steely.

[Woodman in MO]

I gonna say bad idea...unless you are some sort of grinding wizard, I think you would mess up how the bullet will travel...

May I ask why you would want to do this?

[Optimus Prime]

You can get 7.62x54r soft tip stuff from a few different people, so there's really no reason to do it. Best case scenario is that you throw the balance off on the bullet and it doesn't hit anywhere near your point of aim...

[M1 Tanker]

Why am I hearing "danger Will Robinson, danger" in my head. Steelcore, why not just buy some soft points? Both Wolf and Brown Bear make a soft point.

[okie shooter]

Steelcore, if you are just hunting with them, why not just buy a box of commerical, norma is out there but if you go thru a box a year it aint that bad.

[Simon]

I know I've heard of this before, and I know I've read about it on some gun site.
However the last time I asked about it I was warned about the possibility of the jacket separating and obstructing the bore.

[tomoshenko]

Not a good idea. Powder charge is matched to bullet weight and chamber pressure is controlled within acceptable tolerences by this. Although in general ,lightening the projectile by removing mass would probably lower
the working pressure you just dont know....
Also, as others have stated you would probably destroy the balance and aero dynamics of the projectile. I think Century has 202 grn soft point pretty cheap anyway.

Nothing like a soft point on a sealed jug of liquid....

From Century site:
Product ID: AM024
7.62x54R Softpoint (203 GR.) Details & Associated Product Family

Russian mfr. 20 rds./box. 500 rds./case. Berdan non-corrosive.
Price: $5.49

[k98k792]

Negative! Do not try it. It can strip the jacket and obstruct the bore.

[cimmaronkid]

Years ago, someone came up with a jig like cap deal that you placed over the top of the bullet and it guided a small drill into the tip of the bullet and you drilled to a pre set stop on the drill bit. I haven't seen one for over 20 years and it was dangerous because the jackets would seperate sometimes in the bore. If you don't want to buy factory ammo, get a bullet puller, pull the bullet and replace it with a commerical soft point or hollow point, or even better, one of the ballastic nylon tipped bullets

[tump]

+1 what they said.:lol2:

[DAA1]

Has anyone ever modified a FMJ round to make a softpoint/hollowpoint? Is it feasible?

Maybe just take it to the bench grinder and open up the tip of the jacket?

Is this feasible in say, a mosin, our would the lead somehow slip the jacket during firing and not exit the bbl?

Is this an OK or bad idea? Advice please.

Thanks!

--Steely.
BAD IDEA for the following reasons...
the jacket is bonded to the core, cut the jacket and it breaks that bond.
Price wise is it worth it to have a problem? I have heard both sides discussed, not sure I support either side about jacket separation, but why take the chance? Error on the side of caution.

And lastly for those of you with military experience... The law of war prohibits modifing ammunition to cause further injury. We use FMJ because it is more humane, yes there are other types of ammo, but we as country only use FMJ ammo.

Now the above statement does not apply to what you do if you are not in the military, but the majority of your rifles were made to be most effective with FMJ ammo.

Be safe, stay safe, shoot safe, and if it ain't broke don't go trying to improve your ammo like that.

Just my two cents....

[SteelCore]

Just asking, really. :)

Great comments everyone, M1--LMAO!

1992--I once modified a JHP by taking the steel pins out of thumbtacks and pushing them into the holllow of the projectile until they filled the cavity up, it was a sort of homemade flechette round (hey, I was in my last yr of college, working the 8pm-4am shift on a Sat. nite as a security guard at a slaughterhouse for hogs, in the middle of N o w h e r e...BOOORING!). there was no kaboom, perhaps because I didn't alter the way the jacket bonded with the lead...also a .45cal is much slower than a rifle round.


The reason I ask on the rifle round is that you don;t get a lotta reaction from a water jug you shoot with a FMJ--no fountain of water, but it will tear the jug up good. I guess I'll get some soft points for the mosin to blow up some jugs. Until then, I'll have to settle with steel plate, clays, and paper, wityh the occasional bowling pin.

[Seattlefungus]

The posts were interesting. There was a counter bore jig 20+ years ago for lead bullets. It was even sold in the back of Guns & Ammo, (Mostly pistol, in the early years of the hollow point). It worked. The velocity of rifle rounds would make the flight unstable. I remember hearing about experiments drilling a cavity in a round, filling it with mercury and sealing it with paraffin supposed to make the round "explode" sounded kinda dangerous and stupid to me. Some guys would cut crosses in their bullets to make "Dumdum" bullets. Did a lot of damage up close. Not too accurate. Bottom line is to pick the bullet for the job. The most destructive bullet on the market now is the frangible. I've seen it used. fatal both time. Wound track looks like a mini grenade went off.

[drhall762]

No way! Not worth the time, trouble and aggrevation not to mention possibly ruining a nice firearm and yourself.

Dave :sniper:

[Perro]

easy way to do this

get setup for reloading

get a collet type bullet puller and pull the bullet out with your press

insert new soft point bullet of the same weight, (or close to the same weight - as an example our 762 nato is 147 grain bullet, but they sell commercial 150 grainers in bulk which is close enough) onto the already primered, and powdered case - set to correct over all length - crimp if thats your thing - go shoot.

take the FMJ bullet and reload later on, or sell as a component and recoup most if not all the money you spent on the soft points

where theres a will, theres a way

[SteelCore]

gracias, perro.

[arnaiz]

Negative! Do not try it. It can strip the jacket and obstruct the bore.
THats the only reason you must do not !!

[arnaiz]

I made in the past explosive rounds with razonable succes.
Were made in 10mm auto, and lead bullets.
Made a hole in the bullet of the diameter of a prime till the center of the bullet or so , fill with black powder, one primer ( with care) a mini bearing ball and cover with epoxin resine.
Worked fine.

[bullseye]

Arnaiz, I was going to try that but in my state that is illegal. :( I know a guy that does it for his AK though, and he has a blast. :) (but it is still illegal) :ziped:

[jfowl31]

not trying to split hairs or encourage anything illegal, but what law is it that makes modifying the bullets to be explosive illegal? Ive never done it, but it does sound fun. Is it illegal in TX as well?

btw, to the OP, I wouldnt modify high-powered rounds, but I used to take a knife and "X" the tips of 22's, and so did my dad and a buddy's dad... Im not sure it made much more down range impact than just normal 22's, but it did kill the accuracy quite a bit.

[bullseye]

[QUOTE=jfowl31;6558]not trying to split hairs or encourage anything illegal, but what law is it that makes modifying the bullets to be explosive illegal? Ive never done it, but it does sound fun. Is it illegal in TX as well?

Here in tn is is specifically listed in the law that thou shalt not have exploding bullets or something bad will happen to your butt. I don't know about any other states specifically, but here it is a nono.

[Optimus Prime]

probably falls under the destructive device catagory at least...

[okie shooter]

My first comment on making exploding projectiles, is anything really large enough to fire safely with a self detonateing charge is too big for most folks to legaly own, 20mm. I am not sure if I would want to even mess with that small of a shell, they say it makes a neat pop when they used to make them here when a press exploded while pressing pellets into the 20mm projectiles.

There are atleast one safety to prevent accidental discharge of fuses on most "explosive gun projectiles", either setback or spin, or both. That said there still are problems with these fuses, thus with no protection you would have no insurance that a unintended detonation wouldnt occour in your barrel, or just outside of the barrel.

[SteelCore]

Wow...this sounds interesting...you folks sure took this and ran with it!