Pure Lead?!

[StrikeEagle]

I have a good amount of pure lead, most of it smelted down into ingots.

I'm sure it's not 'laboratory pure' but it's pretty soft... it's from the test facility of a small manufacturer, and I happen to know that most of it is spent Winchester Silvertips. It's really nice and it's what I use for casting muzzle loader ammo.

Sometimes I cast cartridge bullets with it as well, but I always add some Linotype and some Tin.

But I'm thinking here... swaged bullets are pure lead, pretty much aren't they? I've never been crazy about swaged bullets, but I've used them... always keeping the velocity way down.

But shouldn't pure lead be 'ok' to cast with for cartridge bullets? I've never done it, but it should be as usable as soft swaged stuff is, no? And of course the old bullets from way back when were as soft as can be, and they seemed to work. :)

If so, I'd be able to use the stuff in an additional way. What do you think... pure lead for casting. Yea or Nay?

[Bass Ackward]

Pure lead around here is a scarce resource.

Pure lead melts at higher temperatures. And you have to get about 200 degrees above that melt temp (621 degrees) to get good fill out and have enough time for it to shape and defects be filled before it solidifies again. Antimony and tin both lower the melting point depending on percentages. As an example, WW that is 2% antimony melts at 550 degrees. WW that is 4%, melts at 485 degrees.

These can be advantages to the caster or disadvantages depending on what he needs to do. Pure lead is softer and obturates sooner to seal. Since it melts at higher temperatures, it withstands galling better if you have a very smooth bore and or poor lube. In other words, pure lead can sometimes be shot where other mixes lead.

The disadvantage is pure does require heat and still may not fill out with high detail / small feature molds. It is still softer, so if you apply too much pressure, your base obturation may exceed your lube. You must match your bullet strength (BHN) to your pressure range.

If you don't understand what I am trying to say, then you will simply have to try it under the conditions you offer, and see if it works for you. I shot a lot of it with 45 Colt and 38 Special when I had a free source.

Man uses what he has .... or watches westerns on TV.

[Jim]

Ever notice those Winchester Silvertips are a pretty silver color, not that telltale dull gray like pure lead? They add a taste of tin to it, but I dunno what the percentage is. Anywho, my hardness tester says it's a smidgeon harder than pure lead.

[randyrat]

I would guess there are plenty of people that would be happy as goats to trade you WW alloy with your softer lead and possibly with $ to boot. Just ask around. As stated before, soft lead is tougher to come by and is needed to aid in loading/obturation BP bullets. Soft lead with some tin added would be a commodity also.

[ANeat]

Im in a similar situation, having a good bit of pure lead. What I do is mix it with WW for stuff like 45acp target bullets. The one thing you need to watch for is when going to a higher percent of lead; your bullets will come out of the mold smaller and smaller.

You can also use this to your advantage if youre carefull. You can adjust your alloy untill your bullets are coming out very close to size.

Ive traded away some but if you dont find someone local you end up paying shipping and the hassle of packing etc. Tried that and it gets old pretty quick.

Got to where the postman hated to see me coming with a priority mail package:roll: :mrgreen:

[OeldeWolf]

I do not know where you are, StrikeEagle, but I am in No Cal, and could use some lead that is pure or close to pure. I am casting for both BP and centerfire. Drop me a PM for a trade, anyone?

OeldeWolf
who may yet get kicked out of the Republik of Kalifornia for owning too many firearms

[swoter]

I've got 2 big blocks of hard lead, one weighs 51 lbs, the other is 55 lbs, they came from some type of cooler I was told. They're about 21x12x2.5 inches, cannot scratch with a fingernail, but a screwdriver does easily. If someone wants to trade some softer lead, I'd be willing, because right now I don't have a way to cut them up. London, Oh.

[Old Ironsights]

Find your local Muzzleloaders. They will do almost anything for pure lead for Round Balls & Minnies.

[ANeat]

Swoter; Ill PM you, I dont think were to far apart.

Adam

[leftiye]

FWIW, those blocks succumb to a torch very easily. Just stand it in yur pot and use the torch on the bottom, and let it slide down into the melt.

[MtGun44]

Use good ventilation if you use a torch on lead alloys. The
partial pressure of lead is extremely low at our casting
temperatures, meaning we are not going to breath any
lead "fumes", just ingest lead dust which is easier to deal
with.

If you are heating with a torch, you will reach much higher
temps locally and cause lead to vaporize, so you will be
breathing lead fumes, not a good thing.

Ya'll be careful out there. :)

Bill

[zuke]

I get my pure lead from any old cast iron plumbing pipe's. Their all sealed/bonded together with pure lead.
But do the first melt outside, kinda has an aroma too it [smilie=1: