pennies

[Sigmar]

Since I'm known for stupid questions here goes another one. However this was asked of me and I didn't have an answer. Can you mold bullets out of pennies ?

[Hawkeye2]

No. Pennies are made of zinc with a thin copper wash.

[Sigmar]

what about pre-1983 pennies, were made of 95% copper and 5% zinc.

[Thunder50]

With the proper dies, you might be able to "draw" the copper pennies, to make a bullet jacket, and then swage a bullet with the appropriate caliber dies.

[jeepnik]

Okay, how about this. In the past muzzle loading shotguns were loaded with all sorts of stuff, rocks, nails, rock salt, what have you. And folks have been known to load some interesting things into shot shells. So, for a short range proposition how about using those pennies in either a muzzle loading or shot shell of 10 ga? The diameter of a penny is .750 in, and the inside diameter of a 10 ga (no choke) is .775 in.

Hmm, I wonder what would be cheaper, a slug of lead or one from melted pennies? Of course the penny slug would be lighter, but for up close and personal...

[92&94]

Remember those toy guns sold in drug stores and places that shot little plastic disks? Several years ago, a friend and I wanted to make a steel and aluminum version that would shoot pennies (oriented like a frisbee) - we were going to call it "the Lincoln Launcher"

[Mac in Mo]

It would be interesting to see how a stack of pennies would fly after leaving a shotgun barrel, using one of those high speed cameras to film it. What about a stack of appropiate sized washers from a 12 gauge?


Kevin

[3leggedturtle]

It would be interesting to see how a stack of pennies would fly after leaving a shotgun barrel, using one of those high speed cameras to film it. What about a stack of appropiate sized washers from a 12 gauge?


Kevin

FWIW Mythbusters did dimes and washers. Didnt work very good, but mind is not to sure. However a length of chain shot out of cannon worked real good.

[AJMD429]

Okay, how about this. In the past muzzle loading shotguns were loaded with all sorts of stuff, rocks, nails, rock salt, what have you. And folks have been known to load some interesting things into shot shells. So, for a short range proposition how about using those pennies in either a muzzle loading or shot shell of 10 ga? The diameter of a penny is .750 in, and the inside diameter of a 10 ga (no choke) is .775 in.

I thought about dimes in a 12 gauge but figured my luck they'd get stuck and blow the barrel up.

OTOH - plastic sabots (shotgun wad type or pistol-bullet-in-muzzleloader type or 223-in-308 type have always been potential vehicles for 'shot' loads ranging from bb shot to pea gravel or whatever).

[jeepnik]

It would be interesting to see how a stack of pennies would fly after leaving a shotgun barrel, using one of those high speed cameras to film it. What about a stack of appropiate sized washers from a 12 gauge?


Kevin

FWIW Mythbusters did dimes and washers. Didnt work very good, but mind is not to sure. However a length of chain shot out of cannon worked real good.

Now are you talking about two balls chained together from one cannon, or the one that used two balls chained together with each ball being shot out of separate barrels? I know the two barrel job didn't work too well. Killed more gunners than enemy.

[3leggedturtle]

They put about a 6foot length of chain in 1 cannon and shot at a target. Tore the silhouettes almost in half

[Sigmar]

With the proper dies, you might be able to "draw" the copper pennies, to make a bullet jacket, and then swage a bullet with the appropriate caliber dies.

what about solid ball made from them as you would lead?

[J Miller]

Alice ( Milla Jovovich ) loaded quarters in her shotgun shells in Resident Evil: Afterlife. Made hash out of the baddies.

Joe

[44-40 Willy]

Don't know if the story is true or not, but Billy the Kid supposedly killed a deputy with a shotgun loaded with dimes. Considering what a dime was worth back then, it was some pretty expensive shooting if true.

[RIHMFIRE]

Don't know if the story is true or not, but Billy the Kid supposedly killed a deputy with a shotgun loaded with dimes. Considering what a dime was worth back then, it was some pretty expensive shooting if true.

not true...just a myth...

[J35]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPbGvjslY6A

This fellow has shot a lot of different things out of a 12 GA even dimes.

Good slow motion stuff as well.

--J

[madman4570]

Sometimes he uses rocks-------------?????????????????
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ES59LtA7XE8

[Sigmar]

so much for my question

[92&94]

so much for my question

well, I guess if you have a use for zinc bullets, you could make them out of pennies. Probably still illegal (destroying currency) if you worry about such things.

I think copper would stick to your bullet mold, as it melts at a much higher temp than zinc and lead alloys. Copper and alloys like brass are more typically investment cast - a refractory plaster (called investment) mold is made around a wax positive, and the wax is burned out in a furnace - also pre-heating the mold. Once the wax is gone, molten metal is poured into the mold, and once it cools the mold is smashed to reveal the casting.

[765x53]

Okay, how about this. In the past muzzle loading shotguns were loaded with all sorts of stuff, rocks, nails, rock salt, what have you. And folks have been known to load some interesting things into shot shells. So, for a short range proposition how about using those pennies in either a muzzle loading or shot shell of 10 ga? The diameter of a penny is .750 in, and the inside diameter of a 10 ga (no choke) is .775 in.

Hmm, I wonder what would be cheaper, a slug of lead or one from melted pennies? Of course the penny slug would be lighter, but for up close and personal...

Check out "The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon" http://books.lakdiva.org/riflehound/chap03.html by Samuel White Baker, chapter 3 'Bull Buffalo Receives His Small Change.'

[Buck Elliott]

You can do whatever you want to a penny.. Or any other currency or coin.. Drill it; mill it; melt it; hammer it, bend it... no problem.. You just can't attempt to use it as Money, after it has been mutilated...

[Sigmar]

so much for my question

well, I guess if you have a use for zinc bullets, you could make them out of pennies. Probably still illegal (destroying currency) if you worry about such things.

I think copper would stick to your bullet mold, as it melts at a much higher temp than zinc and lead alloys. Copper and alloys like brass are more typically investment cast - a refractory plaster (called investment) mold is made around a wax positive, and the wax is burned out in a furnace - also pre-heating the mold. Once the wax is gone, molten metal is poured into the mold, and once it cools the mold is smashed to reveal the casting.

thx

[M. M. Wright]

I've done the dimes. Does lots of damage to underbrush around your target.