Questionable lead properties

[Gary Carter]

My brother-in-law saw the buckets of ww in my shop a few weeks back, after explaining what I was doing with it, still shaking his head he woundered off. Then he stopped by the other day with some lead he found in his barn. What I am not sure of is how to determine the hardness of the contained lead.

I ended up with five ingots about 5lbs each(haven't weighed them just what they feal like). They are hexagonal with JS on them. They dent easily with a thumbnail. I think they might be pure lead.

How many pounds of ww would be a good guestimate to mix them with? Also is their a good "cheap" way of telling the hardness of lead?

[jhalcott]

http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm scroll down and look over the entire page. Are you making soft pistol or hard rifle bullets?

[Bent Ramrod]

Gary,

Generally pure lead takes more heat than a lead alloy to melt, and oxidizes quicker because of the higher heat. There isn't much of the silvery dross characteristic of alloys on the surface with pure lead, just dark blue-gray oxidized crud. When cast, pure lead turns a darker gray from oxidation sooner than most alloys (generally a few hours to overnight does it). Pieces of highly alloyed lead (ie, bullets) tend to make a musical "clinking" noise when they are rattled together; pure lead makes a dull noise, more like pebbles rattling.

Those are the cheapest tests I use. Things like thumbnail scratches, etc, are OK at distinguishing pure lead or melted .22 rimfire lead from 50:50 solder or linotype, but I find I need some known alloys to compare anything closer in hardness.

[montana_charlie]

The cheapest 'scientific' means that I know of for checking to see if you have pure lead does require a thermometer. The procedure is here..
http://www.theantimonyman.com/thermometry.htm
CM

[Gary Carter]

Wanting to start casting for my .44 mag. revolver, haven't cast anything for 20+ years, and that was for my muzzle loaders. I am hoping to be able to shoot cast without gas checks.

[waksupi]

Gary, awhile back, there was a group buy for a plain based .44 bullet. It has three crimping grooves. It shoots great in both my S&W, and Winchester, seated out to the longest OAL.

Maybe someone here, has an extra to sell? I don't remember what the mold designation was, but sure someone will remember.

As for how much WW to add to your pure lead, I dunno, but one of the professors here should be able to give you an idea. Or, maybe you can trade the pure, for some WW or similar hardness alloy.

[Bass Ackward]

How many pounds of ww would be a good guestimate to mix them with?

Also is their a good "cheap" way of telling the hardness of lead?

Gary,

You can get ball park. I try to guess all the time before I use my tester and thank God I don't play the lottery. But nobody gives prises for correct hardness guessing.

Remember that for decades, we had a standard. 20 to 1 mixed at that ratio will produce the same hardness tomorrow that it does today. Lyman no 2 was popular for quite awhile until tin got expensive. These are mixes that produce certain hardnesses through blending. Mix it right, and you know what hardness you will get.

Today, we want to mix cheap and heat treat. And as you dilute low antimony mixes and then try to HT, temperature, bullet diameter, and speed take on a wider margins for error. And this is what you are proposing to do with your first question.

I have been testing a mix of 50/50 and I like it. Because I like to operate in the 14-16 BHN range. WWith this mix I can get BHNs anywhere from 12 - 20 which are outstanding. Just .... not predictable. I HTed last weekend with the same procedure and technique that I used the week before and was set to lube and load wanting and expecting 16 BHN. Luckily I tested, ..... 13 BHN. So I had to cookem again.

Does this make a significant difference. Well to some folks no. Especialy if you load for the worst case senario. But if you want to load for the highest velocity and or accuracy, then .... you need a tester to know what you got.

[MGySgt]

Gary, awhile back, there was a group buy for a plain based .44 bullet. It has three crimping grooves. It shoots great in both my S&W, and Winchester, seated out to the longest OAL.

.

What load you using? I have about gave up on that bullet!

Drew