pure zinc(wheel weight) bullets?

[LAKEMASTER]

so i have begun my journey of reloading. i decided to start with lead collecting and bullet making before pulling the trigger on a press.

anyways... i saw a few pictures of someone making zinc bullets that had aluminum in them ?

over the last 2 years of research i haven't seen too many people saying (pure zinc bullets) but i will say im very interested in finding out if i can melt down the zinc weights i have and turn them into light pistol bullets...

i have about 160lbs of processed lead ingots waiting for my 40cal mold to come in today. but i can also acquire hundreds of lbs of zinc weights throughout a single year, so that explains my curiosity

[dilly]

It can be done. If you were to do it, here are a few points of interest. I've never done it so some of these could be metallurgical legends; all my knowledge is second hand.

Use an iron mold (or maybe brass, I'm not sure if brass would be good), not aluminum. Some people have said that aluminum molds don't do well with the extra heat, or worse the zinc and aluminum in the mold could alloy.

Use a heavy for caliber bullet. You will probably get somewhere around 65% of the weight advertized for lead bullets. For example, a 147gr lead mold would probably yield a ninetysome grain zinc bullet, which is on the low end of heavy enough to operate some 9mm firearms. In addition, case capacity might be diminished in relation to a 95 gr 9mm bullet.

You will get very high velocity at short range but significantly diminished performance at longer ranges. That's not necessarily the end of the world, depending on your application. In fact it could be a good thing depending on your range.

If you mine from the berm where you shoot, you might reconsider this as your range scrap will now be contaminated by zinc.

Zinc bullets are considered by some to be self lubricating.

[LAKEMASTER]

interesting... my thoughts were basically for plinking rounds. i will save my lead for my 3006 bullets :D

so, i need to use iron molds huh ? bummer.....

[LAKEMASTER]

i guess a bigger question would be abour the wheel weight zinc since that has been brought to my attention.... i didnt know they were an alloy :brokenima

[GrayTech]

Zink ww are mostly "dirty" alloys of unknown content. I would be careful, unless you have a cheap gun you don't mind destroying. Pure Zink is another story.

[Tatume]

If anyone knows the approximate composition of zinc wheel weights, I would appreciate being told. I'm thinking of collecting zinc to cast anodes for my boat.

[dilly]

I guess someone will have to melt a bucket of zinc wheel weights down and take it to a scrap yard that does the x ray reading. Of course that doesn't guarantee that every wheel weight would be the same, but it would be a starting point.

[2AMMD]

I have a poor but legible copy of a Handloader Magazine Article from Jan-Feb 1978 where they cast and tested zinc boolets. If you would like a copy, pm me your email address and i'll send it.
2AMMD

[Tatume]

I have a poor but legible copy of a Handloader Magazine Article from Jan-Feb 1978 where they cast and tested zinc boolets. If you would like a copy, pm me your email address and i'll send it.
2AMMD

Is this the article on police use of zinc bullets?

[dilly]

I think this thread has images of the article.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?256583-Zink-bullets&p=2976703#post2976703

[LAGS]

I recently smelted 15 lb of Zinc WW that I sorted out of my other COWW and SOWW.
I was thinking of casting a New frame for a RG 22 short revolver that blew up on me a while ago.
The original frame was Zinc so why not.

[Tenbender]

At least, No Leading !