To Water Drop Or Not .380 Round Ball

[sixshootertexan]

I'm going to pick up a .380 round ball mold this weekend and cast some for my 1851 Colt Navy. Will water dropping them make them to hard? I will be using lead with 1 or 2% tin.

Ricky

[bosterr]

No. You need antimony in your mix to get any hardness from water dropping or air cooling.

[sixshootertexan]

OK thanks. I was not sure I'm still green at casting. I'm thinking that the water dropping will help keep them round and reduce ding marks but was not sure if it would harden them.
Again Thanks.

[MT Gianni]

It will only keep them round if they harden. I would use a towel and empty frequently.

[Wayne Smith]

Actually either Antimony or Arsenic will cause hardening on rapid cooling. No, you don't want those hardened, you want them soft. All water dropping will do is cool them off more quickly.

[stubert]

Black powder revolvers use pure lead, hardened lead will be difficult to shave a ring of lead off of when loading, possibly damaging the loading lever.

[jcren]

All the above are correct and so is your thinking. Dropping in a tall water container like a 5 gallon bucket will allow the lead to solidify (not harden) before it hits anything. When casting hot I have had dropping on a towel leave the impression of the towel fibers on the soft bullets!

[mdi]

Just a side note; I have been casting for a while and have not experienced bullets being damaged by dropping on a towel, even if they bump each other. I use a lot of WW alloy and some 1/2-1/2 WW and range lead, about 9-10 BHN. Am I doing something wrong/right?

[sixshootertexan]

I have been casting for a little while but only for one rifle. It's a .308 air rifle and I use the same formula of lead with 1-2% tin just to help it flow better. I have been dropping into a cake pan with paper towel and only see a few that get dinged. I'm just looking to get a better round ball than store bought. Trying to find any info that will help me out. So far all good info.

Thanks Ricky

[jcren]

Nothing wrong. I get in a hurry sometimes and drop the bullets too soon and that is when I get dings and marks. If I slow down and take my time it usually isn't a problem, but time isn't always on my side.

[sixshootertexan]

Cast my first round ball today. I'm pleased with how they turned out. A random 20 measured .380-.382. That should make them tight in the Colt Navy.

[Driver man]

Looking good, Next step is to weigh them for consistency.

[sixshootertexan]

83.1 to 82.6 gr out of a handful weighted.

[country gent]

I use a paint roller tray to drop into on a stack of towels. I use bar towels as the fit the way I wand with a little over hang on the tray. I lay them in the tray 6-7 deep. when bullets have a decent pile I grab the 4 corners of the top towel and pick it up placing it off to the side. This leaves the next towel ready to go.

[Driver man]

weigh them all. I have found some of mine under weigh by more than a grain and are very inaccurate. I learnt to do a cull . They can look fine but shoot not so good. Anything within 1 grain is fine.