Dust In The Wind — Handloading Frangible Bullets

Guns Magazine, Jan, 2001 by Charles E. Petty

Efforts to eliminate a shooter's exposure to lead from bullets have taken a number of different tracks. The simplest solution is just to avoid exposed lead on the base of the bullet. One of the best examples is Speer's TMJ (total metal jacket) design that plates a layer of copper over a lead core. Other variations "encapsulate" the lead by covering it with a washer of jacket metal.

This is a considerable improvement. Studies have shown that the bullet is responsible for up to 80 percent of airborne lead at the firing point.

There are other approaches though. Some makers eliminated the lead core altogether and replaced it with a non-toxic element such as zinc. Others created frangible bullets that contain no toxic materials and are reduced to little more than dust on impact.

Until recently the handloader has not been able to buy frangible bullets. SinterFire Inc. in Kersey, Pa., is now manufacturing high-tech. frangible bullets. They are OEM suppliers to some of the ammo biggies but component bullets are also available through their distributor.

The idea of frangible bullets is hardly new. The first one dates back to the '30s when a .30 caliber cartridge with a Bakelite bullet was used for training aircraft gunners. Since then, we've seen a number of frangible designs using powdered material, in a large variety of metallic elements.

One of the early drawbacks was that the molded bullets were fragile and would not withstand use in autoloaders. Those problems are now solved and there are several different products available.

As with any frangible bullet, crimp can be a problem and modern frangibles feature a small crimp groove along with a warning to use only a modest taper crimp. Over-crimping can actually fracture the bullets.

SinterFire's line includes everything from 9mm up to .45 along with some special bullets for IPSC and a few rifle bullets in .223 and .308. Early experiments show great promise and a couple of powder companies are developing loading data, which should be available by the time you read this.