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Thread: "Diagnosing" estate lead-alloy.

  1. #1
    Boolit Master

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    "Diagnosing" estate lead-alloy.

    A portion of an estate contained ~200#'s in 2# rectangular truncated pyramid ingots of a composition-unknown lead-alloy impressed as "LYMAN" (so I know the mold) and it has been a question trying to decide what alloy it may be. There were no notes from the caster. I suspect it to be Lyman #2 (90/5/5 percent Pb/Sn/Sb lead-tin-antimony, 15 BHN). I have not, as yet, pencil tested for hardness.

    Clues include the alloy belonged to a competition 30-06 Springfield Garand shooter, the FFL for his group. He cast for his Garand. The boolit mold(s) remain unknown although there are a few remaining rounds which could be pulled and the boolit shape investigated. He bought powder, primers, and components in bulk quantities and distributed proportioned quantities among his group's members, a very good way to spread the cost of HAZMAT and shipping.

    It will be mostly never before I may need any of the estate alloy as I already had a lifetime supply prior to discovering and loading that portion of the estate. Short of paying for a metals test, are there further recommendations for discovery?
    If it was easy, anybody could do it.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
    contender1's Avatar
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    One of the members here does testing for a VERY reasonable donation of the alloy. You mail him a sample,, along with an ingot (If I recall correctly,) and you get back an analysis.

    I had to look him up.
    member; BNE sample,, and a (1) lb ingot for payment.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master


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    Drop an ingot on a concrete floor. If it rings, it is harder than soft lead, if it thuds, it is closer to soft lead.

  4. #4
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    Go with the pencil test. anymore I'm more interested in BHN than alloy

  5. #5
    Boolit Grand Master
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    BNE's testing is NOT expensive! Please contact him for details. 1 test for a # of lead was his going rate normally.

    With 200# of unknownium, it is worth it!

    You can bong and bang and drop and scribble on the ingots all day and still not know what you have. Knowing the % content, you can the use the FREE alloy calculator on here to determine what you want to mix up & make.

    Worth small outlay for an x-ray test from him.

  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I would get a test done.

  7. #7
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    The drop test and the "looks" can help you see if there is some Antimony or not.
    Melt temp and Freeze temp, help you see if there is some Tin or not.
    and hardness test will help you get close to it's composition.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    “If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.”
    ― The Dalai Lama, Seattle Times, May 2001

  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master


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    Don’t forget that they may not all be the same alloy or hardness.

  9. #9
    Boolit Master
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    It's rough-- but I had exactly this same problem with 700# of lead I got from a old shooter in my town. Here's what I did. I took some known alloy that I was using for rifle (Lyman #2). Put my Lyman #2 in a vise with a piece of the unknown stuff and squeezed a ball bearing between them. If the dent in the unknown is bigger than the Lyman it is softer-- and I put it in one pile. The ones with smaller dents than Lyman were harder so I put them in a different pile. I use the softer pile for pistol bullets and the harder pile for rifle-- and they all work fine.
    Hick: Iron sights!

  10. #10
    Boolit Master


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    I got some unknown alloy once. I melted it, cast it into pistol boolits and shot them up! I never did know what alloy it was and I never will. Don't care.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master
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    I have an LBT tester which gives an BN number and a Saeco tester which gives a relative number . If you cast a few bullets in .45 cal and include an ingot of the alloy and ship them to me Ill test it.
    NRA High Master XTC
    DR# 2125

  12. #12
    Boolit Buddy Rooster's Avatar
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    Call up a local yard and say you "may" be selling some. They might have a PIXIE gun. I've not done this, but you're looking for ideas. Aaaand we are a frugal bunch.

    I've never seen another hobby that is so expensive, with so many participants that are so capable of turning a pinched penny into copper wire. Amazing.
    Last edited by Rooster; 02-01-2021 at 09:41 AM.
    Looking for USGI M1 and carbine rifle parts, please PM me.

  13. #13
    Boolit Grand Master In Remembrance
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    I don’t understand why more casters don’t own a hardness tester to answer their own questions ...
    Regards
    John

  14. #14
    Boolit Master
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    Because they are very expensive?

  15. #15
    Boolit Master

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    ...and pencils are cheap
    If it was easy, anybody could do it.

  16. #16
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    I think a lot of us get wrapped around teh axle about alloy content sometimes. BNE is a great guy to deal with, but if it were mine, I'd likely cast a pot of something I wanted to try and see how well it worked and if it shot well, who cares what the alloy is?

  17. #17
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by GregLaROCHE View Post
    Don’t forget that they may not all be the same alloy or hardness.
    Kind of my thinking and richhodg66's too...

    I'll pencil test a random sample. I'll empty the Pro-Melt pot, refill it with these ingots, and pour a mold or two. If "fill out" in the mold is good, I won't add any tin and will keep pouring.

    I KNOW my shooting is a LOT different than others here. I don't competition shoot so "absolutely consistent" alloy isn't critical to me. Accuracy is though. I target shoot and plink for hand-eye coordination, weapon familiarization, muscle memory, and fun.
    If it was easy, anybody could do it.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master

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    Look up your local industrial x-ray company, ( think about pipes in refineries), ask them if they have a PMI gun. PMI stands for positive material identification, most of the time, if no report is needed, the will shoot it for free! Shoot the ingots, mark them as-to alloy, hardstamp them all, done! Just my .02
    I firmly believe that you should only get treated by how you act, not by who or what you are!!

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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