I'm reorganizing my casting area. Most of my cast boolits look normal but there is one batch of large 45-70 boolits that developed a super fine coating of 'dust'. It is so fine that if I rub the boolit it is like a coating of silver paint. I don't think it is lead oxide as the boolits are still like-new shinny but whatever it may be it is fine enough to where I'm concerned over toxic contamination. I could probably blow hard and send the fine dust flying.
What could this be?
Oxidization would be my guess.
NRA Life 1992
My avatar is almost a dead ringer for my little buddy Chico. Six pounds of mean that thought he was a Pit Bull. Miss that little guy.
Mine, too. I don’t worry a lot about it, though.
"Experience is a series of non-fatal mistakes"
Disarming is a mistake free people only get to make once...
Maybe it's carpenter bee dust? What's going on above it and nearby? If it's white or yellow it may be lead oxidation please don't breathe that.
I agree that it is done sort of oxidation but the dust is so fine and copious that it looks like a heavy metal contamination hazard. And as stated none of my other boolits look like these
These were WW with a bit of tin
The sinkers in my old tackle boxes used to look like this. I blamed it on moisture and humidity along with up-and-down temps. I powder coat all my fishing sinkers now, so I don’t have to worry about it.
What is the source of your tin? Babbitt, pewter, solder? It appears to be an external formation, and lead oxide would not leave the silver smear. Were these bullets allowed to become wet and than are dried out?
Lead forms a seal coat of basic lead carbonate .....this is why shiny lead on a roof goes dark,and lasts for 500 years.
I've seen a lot of old Lead, but never anything quite like that.
I sort of looks like something airborne settled out on them.
In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.
OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
This ain't your Grandma's sewing circle.
EVERYONE!
Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.
I had some 12 year old round balls in a tin with lubed patches that had a crusty white oxidation on them. Looked similar?
I would guess leadoxide
Did you perhaps water-drop these bullets? Had a problem with that myself. So that's why I'm asking.
That would've been my initial thought, but the shiny coating rubbedOriginally Posted by GrimReaper
off on his finger looks like nothing I've ever seen before.
.. . almost like heavy layer of motor mica.
I’ve been watching this thread. I’ve searched some sources and have discovered this one from a chemistry site:
It is probably lead carbonate PbCO3, because it is white, and lead(II) oxide is yellow, and lead(IV) oxide is brown
I’ve also found it may be caused by storing lead outside/basement/in a moisture environment. You should was hands very good as to not ingest.
Is it slick when rubbing your fingers together?
Sure looks like powdered mica on your finger to me.
If a 41 won't stop it, I wouldn't bet my life on a 44.
Store them in gallon ziplock bags and keep them closed. Alternative is to shoot them sooner.
[The Montana Gianni] Front sight and squeeze
That is what it looks like to me!
Lead also reacts with many bullet lubes to form white scaly lead soaps ,if stored a long time.
Yep best storage is inside brass cases.
[The Montana Gianni] Front sight and squeeze
Posting Permissions
| 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 |
Reply With Quote