WOW 41,000 lbs of lead

[murf205]

I was just browsing the GSA Auctions web page and there is a lot of spent lead, the majority of which is 40 cal pistol boolits. 41,000lbs of it. It is in San Diego and you are responsible for removing it. 17 hrs left on the auction. Man what a score. If somebody is in the area the GSA web page shows a huge industrial sack of the boolits....yummy.

[Scharfschuetze]

With the new California gun laws just passed, I wonder if loading components fall under the new law requiring persons buying ammo to pass a background check?

[gnostic]

'With the new California gun laws just passed, I wonder if loading components fall under the new law requiring persons buying ammo to pass a background check?'

I wonder what the background check will cost?

[murf205]

Dunno. Surely they wouldn't call scrap lead boolits reloading components...but it is the government after all!!

[starmac]

It would not be reloading components until after it came out of a bullet mold, but from what I have read the new laws did not cover components YET.

[Scharfschuetze]

the majority of which is 40 cal pistol boolits.

I'm sure that the politicians in that close to failing state will find a way to make the law apply.

[Tazza]

I wonder if the 40 cal projectiles are jacketed, if they are, the lead will no doubt be soft. Hard cast would be a good score, little to no antinomy will be needed to harden it up to the required levels.

In .au, we have restrictions on reloading components that are explosives or propellants. So primers and powder are the only things we need to show our license to buy. This was only after someone decided to make a pipe bomb with gun powder, stuffed it up for the whole country. Now all powder sales are recorded to your name and license number.

[murf205]

I looked at the pic and they looked like jacketed

[leeggen]

It will not be about the lead being bullits it willl be about moving the LEAD and EPA/California laws. No thanks even if it was given to me, I think they would require spl. permit to transport it, then refuse to issue it. If it were in Tn. I would go after it.
CD

[Tazza]

That is just silly, i hear quite a few things about California whining about things, is it the only state that the EPA tries to take over? Be it car and truck emissions, or moving "hazardous" metals around.

I wonder if there are any industries that bother doing anything there due to the laws.

How do they generate power? i bet they turn a blind eye to that one.

[mdi]

That is just silly, i hear quite a few things about California whining about things, is it the only state that the EPA tries to take over? Be it car and truck emissions, or moving "hazardous" metals around.

I wonder if there are any industries that bother doing anything there due to the laws.

How do they generate power? i bet they turn a blind eye to that one.
Yes, the EPA has a great deal of power in CA. Plus the politicians are influenced by all the environment organizations, "tree huggers" (remember the No Lead Zone for the protection of the CA buzzard)...

[Tazza]

There is a time for the EPA to get involved, and there is a time to butt out.

Someone dumping waste into the river, sure, get on to it. But the little things? just leave them in peace. They could spend thousands or even millions on petty things.

[merlin101]

41,000 Hmmm that's one truck load
2600 miles @ 7mpg = about 370 gal x avg $2.50 gal= $925 for fuel each way. 4-5 days each way. Nah It would have to be real cheap to even think about it.

[Sasquatch-1]

We don't call it the LEFT coast for no reason.



That is just silly, i hear quite a few things about California whining about things, is it the only state that the EPA tries to take over? Be it car and truck emissions, or moving "hazardous" metals around.

I wonder if there are any industries that bother doing anything there due to the laws.

How do they generate power? i bet they turn a blind eye to that one.

[Preacher Jim]

1 ,248000 40 cal bullets wonder if they learned to hit something

[Loudy13]

it sold for 23,500!

[runfiverun]

wow, that's about 70% of the spot price and they still have to remove the jackets.

[jmort]

"70% of the spot price "

Are you basing that on the lead alone? The copper jackets have a value, but no where near $23.5k.

[bangerjim]

Those CA lead/ammo laws do not go into place until 2017 from what I have heard.

[runfiverun]

yeah it was just an off the top of my head quick numbers price based on about 75 cents a pound for spot lead.

[dragon813gt]

it sold for 23,500!

Plus buyers premium? Either way that's a lot less than what I thought. I figures it would sell for around $1.50 a pound. Rarely do the auctions sell for less than spot. They are typically above retail.

[Tazza]

It would be a scrap dealer, they get higher prices for lead than we do when we take to to a scrap metal joint. I know my local joint exports their scrap to China to be processed.

My local dealer wants $2.50/kg for scrap lead, not specifically WW or lino.

They would get more for the jackets after the lead is recovered, but it's all labor to do so.

[Petrol & Powder]

So just for my own entertainment, how would one go about separating 41,000 pounds worth of jacketed bullets into the lead and jackets?
I know how to do it on a small scale but if you're trying to turn a profit on that, how would you go about it?

[dragon813gt]

Economy of scale. You better be geared up on a heavy commercial level at a minimum to process that amount. You're turkey fryer will not be cutting it.

[Tazza]

Not sure how the guy heats it, but a dood that i have heard of that casts a lot from scrap lead uses propane and a BIG pot. I thought he was melting 1 tonne at a time. Throw the lot in, scoop the jackets/dross off the top.

He doesn't have a day job, so time isn't a big deal i guess.

If it was just being bought as scrap, it would likely be exported to a country that has low labor costs, you can pay them just a few bucks and they will do all the hard work for you.

For most of us, we would spend a fortune on gas to heat it and loads of time processing it.

[Petrol & Powder]

I'm trying to do the math and I'm not sure I'm right: but once you transport it, separate it and pay for all of that - I'm not sure there's a lot of profit in that deal.

[Tazza]

It may be a conspiracy, the government bought it up so shooters couldn't get it to turn into bullets? :)

Who ever bought it may have a market that pays more than we do. I know the scrappie i know some times buys things to stock pile to sell later or even to take it off the other guy. He may not make as much, but he made it so the other guy missed out.

[Sasquatch-1]

The buyer paid a little over 57 cents a pound. Melting would take a lot of gas, but the sale of the jackets would pay for that and then some. Sell the ingots for a dollar a pound +shipping and I think you might make a bit.

Let's say 8000 pounds of non ferrous jackets and just for the sake of argument $.75 a pound equals $6000.00.

[Petrol & Powder]

But you have to go get it, transport it to some place to process it, expend some type of energy to separate the lead from the jackets, and then transport it to someone else to sell it. I guess if you did that all yourself, you could turn some profit but I don't think it would be a lot of profit.
Now, I admittedly do not know what the jackets would sell for and the percentage of jacket to core in terms of weight.

[dragon813gt]

You guys are looking at this as backyard casters. That's not who bought it. If a foundry bought it they are set up to process it. It won't take them much gas. I used to install Eclipse burners for this exact application. They are able to melt metal fast while being somewhat efficient. A foundry has all the heavy equipment to handle this amount. 20 tons would be nothing to them.

[Petrol & Powder]

You guys are looking at this as backyard casters. That's not who bought it. If a foundry bought it they are set up to process it. It won't take them much gas. I used to install Eclipse burners for this exact application. They are able to melt metal fast while being somewhat efficient. A foundry has all the heavy equipment to handle this amount. 20 tons would be nothing to them.

That makes more sense to me.

[mdi]

Perhaps it went to China? A lot of scrap metals are going to China these days. Big commercial port in San Diego and it would be no problem to ship from there to China, no EPA interference...;)

[MOA]

Maybe we should all hope it will make it's way to Roto Metals, then we can get some benefit from the sale.:bigsmyl2:

[lightman]

That is just silly, i hear quite a few things about California whining about things, is it the only state that the EPA tries to take over? Be it car and truck emissions, or moving "hazardous" metals around.

I wonder if there are any industries that bother doing anything there due to the laws.

How do they generate power? i bet they turn a blind eye to that one.

They actually had some brownouts when they first voted to deregulate the electrical industry. The electric companies quickly found that they could sell power elsewhere for more profit and less hassle. Personally, I thought it was funny. Hope no Castboolit members suffered because of this. Talk about cutting your nose off to spite your face!

[Blanket]

never will that in need

[Sasquatch-1]

Maybe, just maybe, California, Colorado, Illinois, New York and Maryland should withdraw from the Union. Then we could see how long their ultra conservative ways would last when they can't steal money from the rest of the country.

[leadman]

Jackets that have other things on them like lead do not sell for as much a "clean" jackets. The cost difference can be about a third of the clean metal. A foundry may have the capability to melt the jackets so the resale value would be the highest.
There is a foundry south of town here and the guy that runs it told me China buys lead from him and they do not care what the alloy is. They even buy the dross.

[Pardini]

Maybe, just maybe, California, Colorado, Illinois, New York and Maryland should withdraw from the Union. Then we could see how long their ultra conservative ways would last when they can't steal money from the rest of the country.

If you think these States are ultra conservative, which are ultra liberal?

[merlin101]

If you think these States are ultra conservative, which are ultra liberal?
I was wondering the same.
NY as a state is quite conservative, it's downstate (NYC and surrounding area) that are so liberal and they drag the rest of us along kicking and screaming!

[bangerjim]

You guys are looking at this as backyard casters. That's not who bought it. If a foundry bought it they are set up to process it. It won't take them much gas. I used to install Eclipse burners for this exact application. They are able to melt metal fast while being somewhat efficient. A foundry has all the heavy equipment to handle this amount. 20 tons would be nothing to them.


Yes! There is a big wide industrial world out there.......far beyond our teeny little dutch ovens sitting on a turkey fryer! Gotta think outside the normal box we all live in.

[Sasquatch-1]

Excuse me. I don't know how I made such a hideous mistake. I did mean Ultra Liberal.



If you think these States are ultra conservative, which are ultra liberal?