Pipe lead, maybe, what should I do with it?

[78CJ]

For some reason here at the road commission I work at we have had a milk crate of what looks to be lead pipe sitting under a bench for some time. I talked with the mechanics and they said to get it out of the way. The pipe looks to have an o.d. of about 1" with 1/4" thick walls. It bends pretty easy by hand and is rather easy to scratch. Is this for sure lead pipe? Are there any other alloys that it could be? As I was unloading it last night I could not help but think - if it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, well........

I have about #150 of this stuff and figure I will melt it into ingots and mark it as such.

Oh yeah and also mixed in with the pipe were several chunks that were about the size of baseballs but were shaped rather irregular, what would these have been?

I also have about 9 pounds of 40/60 solder and an unlimited supply of wheel weights for now.

I cast for gas checked 44 mag, plain base 45/70 and just sent my funds for Ranch Dogs latest gas check design for the 45/70.

I am having trouble getting the plain base mold to fill out but once I do I will want to use this 405 grainer at moderate speeds.

The two gas checked bullets will be pushed up a little farther.

Every bullet will be a consideration for hunting.

So what would you all recommend I do with the options at hand?????

Thanks

Ryan

[Bucks Owin]

First thing to do is to hide your find from your front stuffer pals! :eek:

Seriously, pipe is an excellent source of pure lead and should be treasured and guarded IMO! It'll need some hardening for most uses other than muzzleloader fodder....

Dennis

[Ranch Dog]

Melt it and use it for bullets! It is going to cast some heavy bullets. You might try adding 1 part tin for every 10 parts lead and that should help the fill. The cheapest way I've found to purchase tin is through a local hardware store. They still sell it in 1# bars of 50/50 Pb/Sn for plumbers. So I add 2 bars (1# tin and 1# lead) to 10 more pounds of lead for my alloy mix. I would also water quench the bullets to toughen them up a bit so you could push them faster (at higher chamber pressures).

The irregular shapes are probably some of the lead seals used around the joints. I posted a picture of a plumbers smelter here on the forum and that is the purpose it served. Hot lead was poured in the pipe joints to form the seals. Picture the way two pieces of PVC pipe fit together... one end is flared and one end not. We now use glue to join them. The lead pipes were no different. Most joints were vertical rather than horizontal with the flared end on the bottom facing up. Hot lead was ladled into the joint for the seal. At least, this is how it was related to me while I was searching for information on how the smelter was used.

[44man]

DON'T RUIN THE STUFF! I am sure if you find some muzzle loader guys, you can get a good deal. Then you can get some WW's or other alloy with the money. A damned shame to ruin pure lead!
BPCR shooters love the stuff by adding a little tin to it. If nothing else, just stash it away.

[ANeat]

A damned shame to ruin pure lead!


I came across 600 lbs or so of pure lead, I would love to find someone that needed it and swap for some harder alloy. It is a shame to convert it to a harder alloy.

If you have plenty of WW then your Idea of melting it down into ingots and saving it sounds good.

Adam

[44man]

600 pounds! Tears come to my eyes.

[357maximum]

Ahh pure lead, that is where my job has always shined. I am an underground utilities worker and In doing so I run across a ton (literrally) of the old lead water service pipes as well as old lead coated sheathed phone wires every year. And if I know for a fact it is abandoned guess where it goes. I melt it all down about twice a year in a dead end cap for 12 inch steel gas main. I have bricks of this stuff and I "RUIN" alot of it by mixing it 60/ 40 with original linotype letters I stumbled across. Sure makes for a good high velocity GC boolit. I also make shotgun slugs, fishin sinkers, and muzzleloader projectiles from it in it's pure form. I even swap and sell some from time to time. One guy I know trades me 358 gas checks for it so he can feed his fronstuffers. with the price of them bad boys I don't know how long he will continue to do that, but I can just offer more poundage for the checks. When I do spice it with lino, I really do not see it as ruining it, I am simply making something abundant to me more serviceable.