Got some pure lead pipe today, old water lines.

[Tripplebeards]

50/50 mix with COWW and PC your boolits. I add a 16% pewter ratio to my 44 mag boolits with excellent expansion at rifle velocities.

[Bookworm]

Yes I have a few of them. How would I go about using them? How much of it should I add to how much of the pure lead? Just got another 128 pounds todayand will be getting one more last batch tomorrow. So far 518 pounds.

I had some of those lead pipe solder joints. I cut them close, and rendered them separately from the rest of the pipe.

I sent a sample to member BNE, and it came back 95%Pb, 5%Sn.

Cheapest 20-1 (19-1 actually) I've ever seen.

[Doubles Shooter]

I just melted down 40 pounds of lead pipe. Some 1"od, some around 1-1/2". The wall thickness is a bit over 3/16". The best part is I should be able to get several hundred pounds more for nothing. Hopefully it will happen.
Also picked up 20# of plumbers lead from the same guy for free too

[Rich/WIS]

For alloying soft or pure lead I like foundty type. From Roto Metals it is advertised as 23% SB and 12% SN, which gives you both SB and SN in the mix. Mixed 5-a alloy is @ 4% SB and 2% SN, about perfect for most light to medium power hand gun loads. Mixed 3-1 gives @6% Sb and 3% SN, an alloy I find works well in the loads I use in my rifles (1600 fps +/-). SN improves castability but SB is more efficient (about 3X) at increasing BHN and anything over 3-4% SN is a waste of SN.

[USSR]

IMHO, Sb rich alloys like that still require some solder to be added to up the Sn content. My rule of thumb is to have as much or more Sn as Sb to make for a more malleable handgun alloy, especially when casting hollowpoints.

Don

[lightman]

IMHO, Sb rich alloys like that still require some solder to be added to up the Sn content. My rule of thumb is to have as much or more Sn as Sb to make for a more malleable handgun alloy, especially when casting hollowpoints.

Don

Theres something almost magical about having equal amounts of Sn and SB. Actually there is a scientific explanation for this, but thats above my pay scale. But it makes for a good casting alloy. And it doesn't have to be as high as whats in Lyman # 2. It can be as low as 2% each up to 3% each.

[USSR]

It can be as low as 2% each up to 3% each.

Funny that you mention that. One of my favorite alloys splits it right down the middle.

Don

[Bookworm]

And it doesn't have to be as high as whats in Lyman # 2. It can be as low as 2% each up to 3% each.

I make Lyman#2, then dilute it down to about 2/2 Sn/Sb. Easier to start with a known, then make what I want.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Scrounge pewter from junk stores and get some linotype. You can do about anything with it then. I got 300 lbs. of cable sheathing a while back and want to try some softer gas checked bullets, maybe 2.5% tin in pure. That would be 40/1 if I'm thinking straight. I need to stop by my local metal recyclers and see if they are open and what they have.

[kevin c]

I do hope you were able to stay upwind as you melted them ;^]

I melted down some 2" pipe for a buddy. Cutting it up to put into the pot, I found that it was full of whitish crumbly stuff. I'm hoping that it was just mineral deposits :^P

[GregLaROCHE]

The problem with moisture when melting, is if the pipes were folded over. That makes a temporary sealed spot where moisture can turn to steam and then let loose when finally melted.

[William Yanda]

May be more of this coming. Eliminating lead waterlines is part of Biden's infrastructure bill, I understand.