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Thread: Lead Alloy ??????

  1. 07-16-2014, 03:51 PM #1
    BigboreShooter
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    Lead Alloy ??????

    A while ago a fellow gun club member mentioned he had a bunch of lead, and wanted to know if I be interest in it. Of course I said I take it. Well, he brought it to the range today. It was an assortment of scrap alloys in a 5 gal. bucket. I guessed about 60-70lbs, so I gave him 20 bucks for it.

    When I got home I started sorting through it. Well first thing I noticed was 5lbs of bar tin,1.5lbs 50/50 solder,20lbs of pure lead and another 40 lbs of on unknown scrap lead alloy that I'll take to scrap yard.
    My question, in this assortment stuff were 3- 4.5lbs ingots marked Hewitt Detroit, on the back they are stamped 3-6-5.
    When you lift these ingots you can tell they not heavy enough to be pure lead. I'm hoping its tin. Is anybody familiar with these markings. If not, how can find out which alloy it is??????

    BigboreShooter
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  2. 07-16-2014, 04:24 PM #2
    bangerjim
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    X-ray gun at your local scrap yard. That eliminates all your guess-work.

    banger
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  3. 07-16-2014, 04:29 PM #3
    Zymurgy50
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    You ought to catch up with this guy and present him with a good bottle of Scotch for the tin.

    Upon google searching Hewitt Detroit it seems that the company produced alloys containing Radium. I would not handle these (or keep them in the house) until you know for certain what they are.
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  4. 07-17-2014, 09:11 AM #4
    zomby woof
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    Why scrap the 40 pounds. Make some boolits first.
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  5. 07-17-2014, 01:27 PM #5
    bangerjim
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    Again.......local scrap yard! All of mine have Geiger counters AND x-ray guns at the ready to check all materials. It is required by regulations.

    Check with your local big scrap mongers.

    banger
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  6. 07-17-2014, 01:32 PM #6
    RogerDat
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    Any University will have a Geiger counter which is what you need to check for radium. You should really do this check for your safety and the safety of others. Back in the day they used radioactive materials to "enhance" stuff without any knowledge of it being dangerous. Just like you can buy copper or magnet bracelet for arthritis pain today at any corner pharmacy back then you could buy a radioactive one.

    You might actually want to put it in a bucket with some lead around the bucket. Just saying better safe than sorry.
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Abbreviations used in Reloading

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