Dang Police Department, WHAT ARE THEY THINKING

[SlowSmokeN]

I was at the range doing maintenance yesterday while the local PD was qualifying some guys. I did some chit chat with the trainer about how they are doing on getting ammo and what not. To my shock come July 1st they are switching over to lead free ammo. This ticked me off to no ends. I could careless that it is going to cost more but now they are taking lead out of my pot. On the bright side they gave me all their brass.

Is there anything to worry about with the lead free bullets when I am smelting?

[quilbilly]

I am curious. Is it an indoor range? I have no idea what lead-free pistol bullets are made of. If they are solid brass like many rifle bullets, they will just float to the top of the furnace. If tin like lead free fishing sinkers, you may have to add more pure lead to the furnace to cut the tin percentage.

[Bwana]

It should tick you off that they are spending that extra tax money on that "lead free" ammo.

[SlowSmokeN]

It is an indoor range and if it is solid brass that would be great. As far as tax dollars it is the next town over that uses our range. Only one in the area. As far as tax money it is there budget, yes I know the locals pay for it but they also know there is not a snow ball chance in hell they are getting any more money.

The county next door laid off half their force closing part of the jails. They will not even come out to take a report unless someone is hurt. Why because the good citizens voted no on a tax hike. The same would happen here. No one is going to vote to raise their taxes right now and the local police got a wake up call.

[62chevy]

The county next door laid off half their force closing part of the jails. They will not even come out to take a report unless someone is hurt. Why because the good citizens voted no on a tax hike. The same would happen here. No one is going to vote to raise their taxes right now and the local police got a wake up call.

Why is it they always lay off the Police and Fire Departments first. Or does it just seam that way?

[Sweetpea]

Police/Fire are very visible.

They get cut first, so people will agree to raise taxes.

Nevermind all the other nonessential things that could be cut without issue... And Nevermind the man behind the curtain, either!

[SlowSmokeN]

Why is it they always lay off the Police and Fire Departments first. Or does it just seam that way?

I think you are right. I believe it is a scare tactic and the police are making the people pay for not voting for a tax increase. No one hurt we are not coming out to investigate or take a report. They are going to put it back up for a vote again and once again it will fail. They are having record number of CCW permit applications. I think the police are hoping the state will bail them out but doesn't look like that is going to happen. The part that kills me about it is they knew 5 years ago that their budget was going to be cut and they did nothing to prepare for it. Our county started making adjustments as soon as they found out they would not be receiving the timber payments. They just spent away with no care in the world.

I make sure to vote as that is all I can do. My concern is what are they going to be shooting at the range. I have come across these bullets that break apart almost like a powder. I have no idea what they are or if they are toxic when smelted. I wear a mask when smelting but not when casting. I was told lead from batteries will kill you if you breathe in the fumes. Don't know why it is deadly but know to stay the heck away. Makes me wonder if these lead free bullets or hard powder things I am finding could be toxic.

[dbosman]

Publicity. That's the same reason sports then band, and art are targeted for cuts if a school mileage doesn't pass.

[mold maker]

Battery lead is no longer just lead. The maintenance free batteries have all sort of nasty stuff in them. Some of it is very toxic when melted. No mask or filter, we can afford, will offer any protection.
I'm afraid the lead free ammo may ruin another of our lead supplies. Glad I got an ample supply years ago and now am shooting less to make it last.

[Chicken Thief]

I am curious. Is it an indoor range? I have no idea what lead-free pistol bullets are made of. If they are solid brass like many rifle bullets, they will just float to the top of the furnace. If tin like lead free fishing sinkers, you may have to add more pure lead to the furnace to cut the tin percentage.

Danish Police lead free ammo uses tin.

[Chicken Thief]

I was at the range doing maintenance yesterday while the local PD was qualifying some guys. I did some chit chat with the trainer about how they are doing on getting ammo and what not. To my shock come July 1st they are switching over to lead free ammo. This ticked me off to no ends. I could careless that it is going to cost more but now they are taking lead out of my pot. On the bright side they gave me all their brass.

Is there anything to worry about with the lead free bullets when I am smelting?


They will add tin instead you know!

[Johnch]

The local range had a bunch of lead free ammo shot on a few years back
Those bullets were a tin copper mix pressed into a jacket

I had to process a lot of high tin range scrap ( LOL Poor me)

John

[Bigslug]

SlowSmokeN,

You might want to get some clarification. There's true lead free ammo (usually frangible), and then there's reduced lead emissions ammo such as Winchester's WinClean.

WinClean uses a lead-free primer and wraps the jacket around from the back, so the only exposed lead is at the nose where the hot powder can't act on it. The core is still very soft, swaged lead that is useable for our purposes - melts right out of the jacket.

I think Speer's got their own version that uses a fully copper plated slug - not as good for us

[SlowSmokeN]

I will check back with them and find out next time I run into them. Free tin would be nice!

[rmatchell]

Our local police haven't been cut yet, but you can tell things are getting tight. A guy I work with is dating a local officer and the other day she asked me if I could spare enough ammo for her to get through qualifying. I had a hard time believing that would be a problem.

[dilly]

If you dig that berm you should be scrapping your copper. Copper is worth way more than lead. This should be a good thing for you, except you pay the bill for those pricey copper bullets they are wasting money on.

Lead scare is as ignorant as the general hysteria about guns.

[Texantothecore]

Lead free ammo is really expensive and it appears that your police department has more cash than they actually need. A lot more.

[Iowa Fox]

Why is it they always lay off the Police and Fire Departments first. Or does it just seam that way?

I have always asked this same exact question. They are some of the most needed of all the state, city, and county employees. One thing that always impresses me is the high quality of service from the volunteer fire departments. Living in the country surounded by small towns that is all we have for fire, rescue, and emt. They sure do a great job. The real place to cut in my opinion is the extremely high paid loafers that don't really do anything. Also consulting and engineering fees are out of control which usually do more harm than good. Government, the only profession that has no culpability. Back to the original question, I believe its just a scare tactic to get the average person to buy into more governmental debt.

[fourarmed]

Who gets laid off first when budgets are cut, the firefighters or all the mayor's relatives sitting on their behinds at the DMV? Why, the firefighters, of course.

[762 shooter]

I have always asked this same exact question. They are some of the most needed of all the state, city, and county employees. One thing that always impresses me is the high quality of service from the volunteer fire departments. Living in the country surounded by small towns that is all we have for fire, rescue, and emt. They sure do a great job. The real place to cut in my opinion is the extremely high paid loafers that don't really do anything. Also consulting and engineering fees are out of control which usually do more harm than good. Government, the only profession that has no culpability. Back to the original question, I believe its just a scare tactic to get the average person to buy into more governmental debt.

The scary thing Iowa Fox, is that the stupid strategy that would not work on my four year old grand daughter, seems to have the nation paralyzed in fear.

Don't get me started.

762

[frkelly74]

I have found some of the Frangible no lead bullets. Occasionally one ends up in the pot and once I think one popped with slight tinsel fairy results. Am i right in thinking that they might pop? I have hit them with a hammer and they pulverize into a copper colored powder. So I have been throwing them in the jacket pail to recycle. Does that seem reasonable?

[WILCO]

As far as tax dollars it is the next town over that uses our range. Only one in the area. As far as tax money it is their budget, yes I know the locals pay for it but they also know there is not a snow ball chance in hell they are getting any more money.

The county next door laid off half their force closing part of the jails. They will not even come out to take a report unless someone is hurt. Why because the good citizens voted no on a tax hike. The same would happen here. No one is going to vote to raise their taxes right now and the local police got a wake up call.

Just FYI: The government has more than one way to generate revenue from the taxpayers. Taxpayers are the end user on all products, they end up paying the full freight. There are four levels of taxation: Local, County, State, Federal. You're not immune from other folks and their budgets.

[Foxcatcher]

Most lead free projectiles are copper polymer matrix. The only thing you would need to worry about is frangible SHOTGUN AMMO. They are mostly zinc.

As far as the police going to these rounds, I would bet my left lugnut it's not their choice. The Greenies are forcing all govt ententies to fold one by one. Believe me most officers WANT to shoot more and this is not possible if the ammo budget buys less ammo.

Luckily our dept still uses the cheaper quality ammo. Usually Magtech. We only qualify 2 times a year unless you are on a special team.

Don

[rsrocket1]

Danish Police lead free ammo uses tin.

You know you are addicted to casting when you go to Denmark and say "shoot me, shoot me, I want the tin!"