Lehigh Defense is a U.S. bullet and ammunition manufacturer located in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, and holds 12 patents on bullet design, and currently offering nearly 200 unique machined bullets.
Dave FrickeDave Fricke, President of Lehigh Defense, recently approached Advanced Plating Technologies in Milwaukee, WI, with a challenge for his new Black Powder Substitute Ignition System (BPSIS) casings.
Fricke needed a coating that would withstand the extremely aggressive star crimp at the case mouth without flaking. To say the crimp is aggressive is putting it lightly; the casing mouth is essentially turned into modern art through a dramatic crimp/fold process.
Ducta-bright 7a nickel
APT’s engineering staff recommended their Ducta-bright 7a nickel for the application, and the results illustrate how truly durable the deposit is.
“The nickel finish remained fully adherent and did not crack or flake even despite the brass itself beginning to craze due to the extreme yielding of the crimp process,” says Matthew Lindstedt, APT president.
Ducta-bright 7a Nickel is the cornerstone finish within APT’s family of ammunition and firearm finishes. It was developed in 2010 in response to growing demands within the self-defense ammunition market for a ductile, bright nickel process that could reliably withstand the extreme stress that occurs when casings are loaded and fired repeatedly.
Reducing Stress in the Deposit
Matthew Lindsted
“Traditional bright nickel systems have organic brighteners added, which increase the stress in the deposit,” Lindstedt says. “This results in a finish that can often crack or flake during loading and/or firing.”
Ducta-bright 7a was developed in response to this in a year-long R&D project at APT. The goal was to create a ductile and bright nickel deposit that would be optimized for the most aggressive ammunition applications.
Of the 40 process variants that were developed and tested, group A within Lot 7 produced the best combination giving the process its signature name.
Fricke was doubtful if he would find a finish suitable for the BPSIS but was thrilled.
“I was pessimistic about finding a finish for the BPSIS application,” he says. “Ducta-bright 7a performed flawlessly, providing a bright and durable nickel that will help ensure our rifle performs when it counts.”
Visit https://www.lehighdefense.com/ and https://advancedplatingtech.com/
