First time casting with pure lead

[happy7]

I cast up some 457 round balls today, for my Ruger Old Army I got recently. I figured I better get one while the getting was good, since Ruger discontinued them. I also cast up some conicals with the Lee ROA mold.

What I found really interesting was that the bullets came out so shiny they looked chrome plated. The ingots I was using were from sheet lead and were all purple and had gone grey, so I am pretty sure the lead is almost pure. I did not realize that pure lead was so shiny. Now to see how they shoot!

[45nut]

Just a quick note, this is thread number 30,000 :)

[runfiverun]

purple in the lead is a good indicater of pure.

tirtytousandtreads........WOOOOHOO

[DLCTEX]

Really bright purple is an indicator of zinc.

[44man]

If you are going to store any of those balls, put them in a box and give them a squirt of rust preventative like Sheath. They will stay nice and shiny. If just stored they will corrode and get a dirty hard surface.

[trooperdan]

Seems like I heard somewhere that rinsing your boolits with dish soap, leaving it on and not washing it off would keep them shiny. Anyone tried that?

[Calamity Jake]

"What I found really interesting was that the bullets came out so shiny they looked chrome plated. The ingots I was using were from sheet lead and were all purple and had gone grey, so I am pretty sure the lead is almost pure. I did not realize that pure lead was so shiny. Now to see how they shoot"

When you cast with pure at a low temp(700 or under) it will be shinny but won't stay that way long without some kind treatment to them as suggested above.

[happy7]

Thanks for the advice on coating them. I have given them a coat of Rem Oil. That should keep them. I cast up about 500 of the balls, so they will probably last me for years.

[AZ-Stew]

My God, Man! Don't y'all know that the Yanks will be able to see the sun glinting off those nice shiny balls when y'all reload? You're givin' away our position!

Sorry. Flashback.

Regards,

Stew