Additional barrel wear from recovered/reclaimed lead boolits?

[Skeet6]

Just wondering. Some years ago, I bought a hundred pounds or so of reclaimed lead ingots. I traded them off (I shoot bought lead boolits, no casting yet)... the buyer sent me many rounds for my 45 ACP loads in trade... haven't tried them yet. Just wondering if there is additional wear to barrels due to "grit" or any impurities.
Thanks, sorry if covered elsewhere, tried to search it.

Mike B

[RED333]

If the lead is smelted well it will not have grit or be dirty.

[Skeet6]

Thanks, that's what I had hoped. They are pretty, perfect looking boolits, he used a Lee mold and a certain tumble lube.
Mike B

[kencha]

Wow. 4+ years and 5 posts. You're more of a lurker than even I am.

Short answer: possible, but highly unlikely

Lead is very dense. When melted for smelting, and then again when casting, grit or impurities will float to the top. They are usually skimmed off as dross. One would have to be extremely sloppy, or intentionally including impurities, to make boolits that would accelerate barrel wear.

Unless you suspect the caster of wanting to sabotage you, if the boolits look/feel OK, I'd say you have nothing to worry about.

[Skeet6]

Wow. 4+ years and 5 posts. You're more of a lurker than even I am.


LOL! I am usually on the road shooting high power matches around the country... I get into and out of interest in handguns depending on what I buy for the collection, and usually a few range trips before back to practice sched for matches...

thanks for the info, I think I've nothing to worry about.
Mike B

[country gent]

Properly fluxed and cleaned lead will be very clean as to grit and impurities. Improperly done maybe, maybe not. I have cleaned up range lead from an indoor range and its doable and normally after 3 fluxing wioth wood chips sawdust and 1 of wax its very clean skimming is also umportant to the process taking most off then getting that last little bit off. A "sluice could be made to set out with lead on it and rain would was remove most dirt before casting but make sure its good and dry before casting.

[DrCaveman]

I figure... If i tried to include the clips from wheel weights in my boolits, it would probably accelerate barrel wear. If i totally ignored the pages of advice about smelting and removing dross, there would be very visible crud in my boolits. But wait, i skim off all that stuff, and recover up to 50% of my shot boolits from the stump/berm, re-melt, and cast new ones

Not a problem AT ALL if you follow normal, well-documented smelting and melting procedures. Im not sure what people are buying to cast with that DONT require some smelting and refining...running a boolit casting process from pure certified roto-metals alloys seems to defeat a lot of the purpose to me. I thought the fancy stuff was just for sweetening the alloy.

[country gent]

Die to my mobility issues I can no longer stand and smelt large amounts of metals into the alloies I want. But to keep going and stay shooting I buy 20-1 from Buffalo arms several times a year. When you figure in gas and time running to find scrap lead, having it analized. smelting cleaning blending and pouring ingots just to get to casting boolits its really not that far off cost wise at times. Some times the added time and work are the real issue. I seldom cast alone now but have several friends out to sit around my pot and cast so were not doing it alone, that way if something does go wrong theres help there.

[cajun shooter]

Country gent, You must have a huge gift of gab to convince others that picking up molds of 750 degree lead alloy is a fun group past time. Ha!! Ha!!

[prs]

Ya, he will have them white washing the fence before you know it. Great fun!

prs

[country gent]

Not really both are older gentleman and close friends. We shoot together and also cast together. Think what I save them in buying a pot set up. I order lead in and they cover cost of whatthey cast for themselves buy wieght. Another plis is the pool of moulds there for all to use. Since we all need bullets and all shoot similar calibers and alloy its a win win set up for all of us. They arnt casting for me but here casting bullets for thier own use.

[M-Tecs]

I am usually on the road shooting high power matches around the country...

Mike you shooting high power in Minnesota or anywhere close?

[44man]

How many lifetimes would anyone or relatives live to wear a gun from boolits?
Cleaning, rust and powder heat is what does damage.

[Skeet6]

Closest I'll get to Minnesota this year will be Camp Perry in July. Two trips down to Talladega to CMP's new Marksmanship Park, too!
I can see from your badge in your avatar you go to Perry!!
COOL badge, someday, someday.
Mike B

[M-Tecs]

High Power at Perry in July just doesn't seem right. The FullBore Championship matches makes for an odd schedule this year. I am not going this year but some of the Long Range and Palma rifles I built are.

[lightman]

I've heard this a few times over the years but have not seen any evidence of it being true. Even so, it would take a long time. If you flux good, it should not be an issue.

[Shiloh]

All of anything that would damage a barrel is skimmed off the pot.

Shiloh