What to add?

[geslayton]

I have 90 lbs of soft/mostly pure lead, most of it is stamped "super soft". I use COWW for my rifle boolits and hard pushed pistols, but, I want to harden this soft stuff enough to shoot through 9mm, 40 S&w, and maybe 38 special. I can't get the calculators to work on my phone, so, my question is, what is the best way to harden this enough to use for pistols? It will be water quenched and powder coated.

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[lightman]

Add enough of your COWW to it to equal 50% or so. Maybe about 1% tin if you have any.

[kevin c]

To 88# of your pure, add 10# of SuperHard (30% Sb) from Rotometals, and two pounds of tin (or 2.2# of pewter) to end up with an alloy of 95% Pb, 3% Sb and 2% Sn, which is pretty much COWW with extra tin and no arsenic.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

To 88# of your pure, add 10# of SuperHard (30% Sb) from Rotometals, and two pounds of tin (or 2.2# of pewter) to end up with an alloy of 95% Pb, 3% Sb and 2% Sn, which is pretty much COWW with extra tin and no arsenic.

There ya go! Nice alloy for medium loads.

[geslayton]

Thanks guys! I'll order some super hard soon

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[Conditor22]

you might be able to trade the supersoft for a useable alloy from the black powder shooter.

You could do a WTT in the swapping and selling section and see what happens.

I don't know what you'd get mixing pure with COWW -- say 50/50 60/40 70/30 then quenching. It might get you where you need/want to be with what you have.

[Green Frog]

Remember; quenching an alloy of pure lead and tin will have no significant effect, it’s the antimony in the mix that makes quenching do anything for you.

Actually, I guess I’m Really with the previous posters who suggest that some of the front stuffer crowd will probably be interested in trading you some COWWs or other alloy for that pure stuff... they need it!

Froggie

[fredj338]

I have just come into about 500# of pure lead. So I am alloying it with Linotype for 9mm & 40 ammo. I run coated so I can get by with something that comes to about range scrap. 3-1 lino-lead works just fine, nothing else to add to get good bullets.

[kevin c]

Three parts Lino and one of pure, making 9% Sb and 3% Sn, or three of pure and one of Lino, to make 3% Sb and 1% Sn?