Seeing as I have several "Lead Mine Roads" in my area, I'm wondering what raw lead looks like and how one processes it to get usable lead. Anyone have a website to recommend for this type thing?
Seeing as I have several "Lead Mine Roads" in my area, I'm wondering what raw lead looks like and how one processes it to get usable lead. Anyone have a website to recommend for this type thing?
Galena occurs naturally in the presence of other minerals. I've read historical documents where early pioneers mined the lead directly from the ground and smelted it over campfires into musket balls.
This website will show you what it looks like in pure form:
Galena
Wikipedia has useful info also:
Wikipedia - Galena
The hardest part would be separating the raw ore from the other minerals and ensuring that you don't contaminate the melt.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |