Reclaiming from a snail

[dsmjon]

Searched, but couldn't quite find the answer..

I work for an NC based AR manufacturer, we test fire every rifle into a snail trap (AR500, + water based solution).

Today, i smelted down a recent cleanout of the trap. That typically happens around the 1500rnd mark.

Net total of 1lb of lead. Doing the math, that works out to an avg of less than 7gr lead per projectile.

This leaves me to wondering if I'm missing lead that is locked up in three ~5gal aqueous solution that is drained from the trap.

Thoughts? Experiences?

[merlin101]

Your missing something, is someone else getting to it before you? by my math there should be aprox 11-12lbs of fired bullets in there assuming 55gr. x 1500= not quite 12 lb
But then again I had to retake 9th grade math !

[marvelshooter]

Your missing something, is someone else getting to it before you? by my math there should be aprox 11-12lbs of fired bullets in there assuming 55gr. x 1500= not quite 12 lb
But then again I had to retake 9th grade math !

Your math is good. There should be just under 12 lbs of bullets including jackets. OP are you talking about bullets that are fully encased in jacket material that could be preventing you from melting the lead out? Even with a thick jacket the cores should weigh ~40 grains yielding over 8 lbs of lead.

[dbosman]

I think the answer lies in where's the rest of the metal?
There should be some copper or gilding metal, too.

[dsmjon]

No one else is getting to it. I build them, I shoot them, I clean the trap.

Three jackets come out as sheets (no way lead is stuck inside). I head everything to 900F to ensure lead would liquify.

[dsmjon]

Oh, and LOTS of metal. I haven't weighed the jackets, but I can.

[armedmoose]

No one else is getting to it. I build them, I shoot them, I clean the trap.

Three jackets come out as sheets (no way lead is stuck inside). I head everything to 900F to ensure lead would liquify.

nothing to add... just wanted to state my jealousy that work gives you a free source of lead...

[dsmjon]

LOL. You forgot CNC machined copper .300blk bullets.....

[dsmjon]

Your math is good. There should be just under 12 lbs of bullets including jackets. OP are you talking about bullets that are fully encased in jacket material that could be preventing you from melting the lead out? Even with a thick jacket the cores should weigh ~40 grains yielding over 8 lbs of lead.

No jackets left..at least that contain any lead. I'll take a pic tomorrow, but the jackets are completely laid open with nothing to hold the cores.

Lots of jackets, lots of dust. Which is what leads me to believe lots if lead left in aqueous solution that i no longer have

[country gent]

I have a home made snail trap. the snail acts as a deceleration chamber, the bullet slides along it till it comes to a stop. They rreally seem to grind the bullets up alot so yes alot of the lead dust will be in the liquid soulution. If you set the liquid of to the side for a few days the lead may settle to the bottom.

[lmfd20]

How bout adding an agent like jet dry to your water. I don't know if you are using other chemicals in there that might prevent this. I use jetdry in my water for processing fine gold concentrates to keep it from floating.

[dsmjon]

Only thing in the water is a water soluble oil.

How would Jet Dry help?

[fastfire]

I believe it breaks the surface tension.

[dsmjon]

Good to know. Guess I'll clean it out in the AM!

[lmfd20]

I believe it breaks the surface tension.

This is correct. It breaks the surface tension and helps other particles suspended in solution drop out. If I'm getting clay in my water, it clears the water up much quicker if I shut my pump down and let the water settle a minute. I can then scoop the layer of clay of the bottom. Hope this helps.

[zuke]

Are you sure it isn't "leadless" ammo?

[Baryngyl]

Unless that snail is really huge, I would just stomp on him and take whatever i want from him.





Michael Grace

[TES]

bad shot?

traps is not catching the lead.


Take a shop vac out to the trap and start suctioning the dirt around it. You will quickly see if there is any lead fragments that are bouncing out of the trap and be able to recover it.

[bruce381]

I make soluble oils and machine coolants and there is nothing in any coolant i know of that will suspend or dissolve the copper or lead, perhaps in the ppm range but thats it.

[bruce381]

maybe flux better? whan I do range "splatter' ther is about half jacketed "dust"