How Barnes Bullets Are Made — Views from Inside the Factory
Many of our readers have been interested in learning how modern bullets are made. While a “boutique” bullet-maker, supplied with appropriate cores and jackets, can craft bullets using relatively simple hand dies and manual presses, factory production is different. The major bullet-makers, such as Barnes, employ huge, complex machines to craft their projectiles on an assembly line.
Modern hunting bullets are made with a variety of sophisticated (and expensive) machines, such as Computer Numerical Control (CNC) lathes, giant multi-stage presses, and hydraulic extruding machines that draw lead ingots into lead wire. Barnes offers an “inside look” at the bullet production process in a series of videos filmed at its Mona, UT factory. We’ve embedded four videos from the series here. These videos can also be viewed on the Barnes Bullets YouTube Channel.
Milling Slots in TSX All-Copper Bullet
This video shows how the slots (between the drive bands) in the TSX all-copper bullet are cut. The slots reduce the bearing surface that contacts the rifling. This helps reduce friction and heat, extending the life of barrels used with all-metal, drive-band bullets:
Varminator Bullets Produced in Jumbo Transfer Press
Here is the transfer press used in the production of Varminator and MPG Bullets. The process begins with a giant spool of flat copper material. The copper is stamped into jackets and eventually the formed Varminator bullets are ejected one by one into a bucket.
CNC Lathe Turns Bullets Automatically
In the video below, a Bar-Feed CNC crafts mono-bloc bullets from metal bar stock. Barnes uses a small CNC lathe to turn .50-caliber bullets from brass bar stock. We’re not sure which bullet is being made in this video. The material looks to be sintered metal. In the close-ups you can gold-colored shavings from when the machine was previously used for CNC-turned brass bullets.
Accuracy Testing in 100-yard Tunnel
Barnes regularly tests bullet samples for accuracy. In the video below, a Barnes technician loads sample rounds and tests them for accuracy in a 100-yard tunnel. The rounds are shot through a special fixture — basically a barreled action connected to parallel rods on either side. This allows the testing fixture to slide straight back on recoil (see it move back at 1:07-08 minute mark). Note how the tester actuates the trigger, which is oriented upwards, just the opposite of a normal rifle. The technician taps the upward-pointing trigger shoe lightly with a metal rod. Could this upside-down trigger orientation be useful in benchrest shooting — perhaps with railguns? It could make for an interesting experiment.
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AccurateShooter staff,
Thanks for this write up! I’ve been doing my own research on bullet manufacturing, but not turning up very much information. This was helpful, as well as the link showing the other videos and other processes involved with making bullets. Imagine being the lucky guy who gets to test fire ammunition all day, what a dream job. Hopefully I can get into the industry myself once I’m out of school, and into one of these positions. Keep up the good work!
Tanner
Notice that he taps each round “5” times before loading…..I wonder if he knows something I don’t!!!!!
I wonder what type of electronic equipment is used…the video was very careful not to show the left hand section of the screen.It appears that there is a chronograph and Triangle electronic target system in unison.Very cool
Could I get the use of the range for a day? PLEASE
Roy
Roy,
That’s a good question; maybe it’s to settle the powder evenly so there is a consistent air to powder volume ratio?
That is really impressive software and equipment, whatever it is. Some ranges have electronic scoring for highpower matches, but this is a new one for me, too. I haven’t heard of one that measures groups automatically.
When I win the lottery, I’m putting one of these ranges in my basement.
I agree that this would be a dream job, but after test firing all week, I highly doubt that I would want to go to my local range and fire my own rifles after dealing with it all week.
At any rate, thanks for the write-ups!
Not sure about the accuracy of those bullets.
The screen showed a distance of 202 feet.
Target grid size was 0.5 inches and the group shot was a whopping 1.2 inches.
Now from a machine rest and accurate bullets, I would have expected much better.
The upside-down trigger orientation means nothing, it is just more convenient for the tester rather then bending down and reaching underneath for every test fire.
As civil82 mentioned, after doing it all week, you soon get very bored. I can testify that proof work can be extremely monotonous and boring. I have firsthand experience of it and the stuff I was testing were artillery, tank guns and mortars! I even fell asleep a few times, neither good as I head butted an industrial keyboard made of rather thick and hard ally and the other time I was woken up by a tank gun firing with no ear defenders on… ouch!!!!
Hitting a trigger even on a machine rest can not be a good thing for accuracy
With the action right side up, when the action is cocked, clearance at the rear bridge of the action combined with the angular interface between the cocking piece and the trigger sear causes the back of the bolt to rise, taking the top lug off of its seat, and when the trigger releases the cocking piece, an the reset force on the sear continues to keep the top lug off of its seat as the pin falls. This is the primary reason that bolt clearances are considered important for best accuracy. With the action inverted, the back of the bolt is held down by the trigger, and the front by gravity, so that both lugs are in contact with their seats, an obvious advantage when the extremes of accuracy are being pursued. I am not sure that this sort of testing would show the difference, if a custom action was used, but for match work, it might, in a good tunnel.
I am in the process of switching all my big game hunting ammunition customers to Barnes Tipped Triple Shocks.
If you have not signed up for the Barnes University, an on line loading and shooting course offered to those interested. It cost about $50 if my memory serves me correctly. I have been shooting and loading ammunition for over 45 years and I learned a lot.
Nat Lambeth