Pure Lead Or WW More In Demand?

[American]

If I have some pure lead, and I like water-quenched WW alloy for my rifle bullets, should I try to find, buy and alloy in the antimony, tin and arsenic to make my own alloy, or just try to trade the pure lead for WW to someone who needs it?

Is pure lead or WW more in demand on average?

[Leftoverdj]

Try to trade. Straight lead is much sought by muzzle loader shooters. It would be prohibitively expensive to sweeten lead enough for most rifle bullets. For pistol bullets and some of the blackpowder rifle cartridges, lead/ww/tin mixes work well at a reasonable cost.

As supplies have tightened, it's become much more important to put metals to their best use. Unfortunately, it has also become more common that what you can get is not the best suited to your purposes. WW is still the most common, and it ain't unusual to find someone with WW who badly wants lead.

[bobthewelder]

Not to highjack but where is this reasonable source of Tin. I looked at plumbing supplies and bar solder is very expensive.

[American]

Not to highjack but where is this reasonable source of Tin. I looked at plumbing supplies and bar solder is very expensive.

Found some 90/10 (tin/lead) for sale in the Sell & Swap section - 20# for $150 delivered.

Lead-free solder is often 95% tin and 5% antimony. I saw an 18# spool on ebay for ~$8 per pound.

If you only need a pound or two you can get lead-free solder locally and not pay shipping...

[dmftoy1]

Here's a question . . .if you wanted to trade off pure lead to someone in exchange for WW's what's the best way? (Ingots or a box of stick-ons?)

I've got a 50 caliber ammo can packed completely full of stick-ons but I'm hesitant to melt them down because I figure some one who's after "pure" might like to sort them themselves?? (I throw out the obvious zinc stick-ons)

Regards,
Dave

[American]

Here's a question . . .if you wanted to trade off pure lead to someone in exchange for WW's what's the best way? (Ingots or a box of stick-ons?)

I've got a 50 caliber ammo can packed completely full of stick-ons but I'm hesitant to melt them down because I figure some one who's after "pure" might like to sort them themselves?? (I throw out the obvious zinc stick-ons)

Regards,
Dave

Seems to me that if I traded for wheel weights I'd want the unsmelted ones. Even an honest person might accidentally melt the zincs in with the lead, and who knows what a dishonest person might sell as wheel weight metal - old car battery lead? Whatever.

[2muchstuf]

I cast with straight WW , they seem to do just fine for me as long as everything is hot enough.

Just bought a 1# roll of 95/5 for the plumbing box - $17.49 here in central Pa.

[Trez Hensley]

For cheaper solder (Tin), check at your local scrap dealers for a while or get some older stuff off of e-bay. I found about 60# of solder at my local scrap yard one of the times I went for lead. It was a bit beat up and dusty but who cares. You might also check local radiator repair shops for their "waste". You won't know exactly what it is without testing it, but you can use it like 50/50 and most likely be right. My last batch came from a shop that uses 95/5.

[mroliver77]

I keep hearing about bp shooters that will trade for the soft but have not met one of them. I keep all my lead. The antimony man has high antimony alloys to use with lead to make whatever alloy you desire. He also has flux for mixing in antimony. He claims it is a real pain to do. Bill is a good guy and a walking encyclopedia.
http://www.theantimonyman.com/

[American]

I cast with straight WW , they seem to do just fine for me as long as everything is hot enough.

Just bought a 1# roll of 95/5 for the plumbing box - $17.49 here in central Pa.

Yeah, that's about what it costs at the big box stores here, too. Got a roll of 95/5 today at a plumber's supply store for $11.40 to use in WW alloy. If the LASC site is correct WW already have 1/2% tin so a 1# roll should bring 62.5# of WW to the desired 2% level. Um, I think... Oh, wait, I forgot to figure in that its only 95% tin... Whatever, its too late and I'm tarred.

Good night!

[calaloo]

I mix my own lead / tin alloy. Usually 20/1 for 200 yard shooting in BPCR. I have probably 200 lbs of clean (no zinc) wheel weights that is poured in a muffin mold. I would entertain trades with someone for some very clean pure lead. Please let me know.

Bill

[dmftoy1]

I'm not sure what constitues clean/pure lead, but I have a 50 caliber ammo can packed full of stick-on wheel weights and some very soft lead "sheet" that a buddy of mine gave me. I'd be happy to send it your want (sans ammo can! :) ) and you can give me what you feel is fair in pure wheel weights.

Let me know,
Dave