Where to get lead in California?

[jabilli]

Hey guys-

So when I got into reloading and first was a member of this forum, I lived in Utah- I piled up a good maybe 200 lbs of lead from the tire shops in the area.

Fast forward a few yearsI find myself in the area of Fresno California- where for years now lead wheel weights have been banned, and I get funny responses when I call scrap yards asking for lead (unless I want to buy a "ship-full" as the lady said with dismissal). Am I stuck with spending 2$ a lb? Suggestions for places to go?

[jabilli]

Maybe I'll just have to buy a ship-full :-p

[Digger]

Yeah , all the easy pickins disappeared a while back , if you can't come up with the usual spots with some effort , I found a place over in Auburn advertising lead ... in California of all places no less .
Seems they are in the market for selling lead in all the popular forms from fishing sinkers , race car ballast ... also ingot .
50 pounds for 61.00 dollars ? ... at the moment. . please correct me if I am wrong but here is their link.
http://www.leadweightvault.com/
Besides watching what is available from some of the members here on this site.
good luck.
digger

[wkelley70]

Keep watching Craigslist (search range lead, lead, etc.). Last month I purchased 100lb of pure lead ingots for $100 and 100lb of range lead ingots for $125. Both purchases were in the Sacramento area. Those may not be the best prices, but those of us who live in California cannot be too picky.

I also see a 5 gallon bucket of range lead (not smelted) show up on Craigslist for $85 from time-to-time. I have thought about it but am not sure of the yield and it is about 60 miles from me.

[khmer6]

I would watch the swap and sell and vendors here. A little over a dollar a pound for clean ingots. Before the craze ebay was selling for about a buck a pound

[SciFiJim]

Jabilli, You need to hit up the tire shops in town. I have gotten lead there in the past. My kids go to Fresno State and I am in Fresno occasionally. I always carry a bucket in the trunk and when I have time and see a tire shop I stop and ask. Usually the answer is "no", but sometimes it's "yes" and you can get some. Most of the bucket will be steel and zinc weights, but they are still pulling lead weights off of cars as they get new tires. The yield is getting smaller, but it is still there.

[Kull]

As you've already noticed tire shops and dealers are just about a waste of time anymore for scrounging lead, unless you have an in at a certain place. Better to just get the word out to your friends that your after lead and willing to buy if the price is right. Honestly I've had better luck gathering up range scrap.

After that buying is your next option. Either full price online or keep an eye out here.

[Arkansas Paul]

Am I stuck with spending 2$ a lb?

No, you're not.
Our Swapping and Selling section here on the site usually has people selling lead for much less. I sell occasionally and when I do I get $70 for a 50# box, and that's shipped to your door. Unfortunately I don't have any at the moment, but if you check often, you'll find it right here.

[khmer6]

At 70$ for 50# of clean ingots it would still be cheaper than buying commercial cast.

[Bullwolf]

Yeah , all the easy pickins disappeared a while back , if you can't come up with the usual spots with some effort , I found a place over in Auburn advertising lead ... in California of all places no less .
Seems they are in the market for selling lead in all the popular forms from fishing sinkers , race car ballast ... also ingot .
50 pounds for 61.00 dollars ? ... at the moment. . please correct me if I am wrong but here is their link.
http://www.leadweightvault.com/
Besides watching what is available from some of the members here on this site.
good luck.
digger

Sorry to dig up this old dead thread.

While searching for more info about a particular deadbeat seller who had burned us, I ran across a reference to the Leadweightvault here on cast boolits of all places. Since we have had a couple of dealings with them, I wanted to post this as a warning to the other members here.

My casting buddy on the California side got an extremely nice 50 lb batch of lead from these folks once via a Paypal transaction.

Second time around, sent a US postal money order for 100lbs, and never got the lead, just a bunch of empty email promises and delays that ended up with no results, then eventually denials, and finally no more responses from the vendor.

Still have all the emails, and it left a really bad taste in our mouths.

I notice that the website is down now, and I haven't seen any other activity from this particular questionable vendor anymore.

Buyer beware with this one. If your on the California side strongly consider dealing with Rotometals instead over this bad seller, and at least you will get your product.


- Bullwolf

[RogerDat]

^^^^ Why I would buy from members in swapping and selling. Lot of folks with a solid reputations available to choose from. Prices better than commercial. Consider eBay a roll of the dice unless you know the seller.

[khmer6]

Support the folks of the forum. Lately it's been really goodpricing that I question why I even bother with picking up wheel weights

[jakharath]

Bullwolf, if you paid with a USPS Postal Money Order and the seller never sent the items, you may be able to get them on mail fraud. The USPS frowns of such shenanigans.

[konsole]

I think the best thing to do would be to ask for lead in the Swappin & Sellin section. Ask for someone that lives out of state and is within a few hours drive. Hopefully they will sell you alot and make your trip worth it. I sell lead in MA and do pickup only and give guys a 10% discount for picking it up.

Are lead WW's banned in Nevada?

Another idea is that if they arent banned in Nevada then make a trip into Nevada and spend a day or two stopping at as many places you can that balance tires. Load your car up with as much as you think your car can safely transport.

[OuchHot!]

The Captain has been a benefit to me. Her lead is as described and very promptly shipped. I have not had much luck with tire shops and junk yards.

[psychbiker]

I ordered 130lbs from here and got it sent quickly. It was all in pucks ready to go. Wheels eights would be nice and fun BUT if it's anything over $0.75/lb, it's not worth it when formed ingots are shipped to the door at around $1.10lb

Found a guy with 400+ lbs of wheels weights but he wants $1.10lb. Not worth it since it needs propane and time to smelt. I'm driving 2 hours this weekend for a few hundred pounds.

I stopped by a few tires shops in california and they said they PAY to have a company come and get them. I offered to pay them for a few 5gal buckets. They all said no cuz of 'liability'. so lame.

[psychbiker]

Ps. I really really really hate having to buy reloading and firearm related items for the 'just in case' it becomes not available years down the road. I'm only 33 and can see when I eventually have kids, ammo/shooting will be tough to continue. I'm already storing powder at family members houses.

[RogerDat]

Wheel weights are not the magic bullet ( I crack me up) they are just a lead alloy of a general hardness suitable for bullet making. Formerly having the advantage of being cheap or free, commonly available, with nationwide distribution. So like printers lead or rototmetals purchase they were pretty much a known alloy that everyone could lay their hands on. But much cheaper than commercial purchase.

Now they are not as easy to come by, not always available, and cost more. Something to remember to put it in perspective, even buying all your lead and tin on the forum you can cast 180 gr. boolits for 3 cents each. Pretty cheap. Casting for most handguns would be even cheaper.

As for stockpiling... I guess if you can get a ready supply of WW's or any other usable lead at a good price be silly not to as long as you have a place to store it. What you don't use someone will buy off of you or swap for something. Not sure I would plan on storing a multi generational supply unless I had some certainty that a family member would use it. Kids and grandkids shoot just not sure the spouses would want my stash and loading bench. I guess I figure if I don't shoot the whole 1000# then the kids will or they will scrap it (or offer it here). Lord knows I can't see moving it into a retirement community. Unless maybe I cast a bunch of hardball into art objects to keep it on the down low Oh no someone broke the arm off of your cupid statue! (some .38 specials were born) No worries neighbor I have three more of those statues. Head goes when I want some 200 gr. Enfield rounds.

[Bullwolf]

Are lead WW's banned in Nevada?

Another idea is that if they arent banned in Nevada then make a trip into Nevada and spend a day or two stopping at as many places you can that balance tires. Load your car up with as much as you think your car can safely transport.

I picked up a WW in Reno at the funeral parlor parking lot right off of the ground. It was a Zinc WW and stamped Zn. Small moment of excitement, followed by... disappointment.

Being so close to CA, and with more and more new cars coming with Zinc weights, the ratio of Zinc to Lead is getting pretty bad in many places with cheap wheel weights. I just don't think it's the way to go much anymore.

I simply did not want anyone here on Cast Boolits to get taken in by leadweightvault.com like I was. The first 50lbs were so nice, and actually showed up so I figured I could get 100lbs, and be sitting in tall cotton.

I probably had some form of recourse with the US postal money order at the start, but it dragged out so long due to delayed promises over and over that I would get still be getting the lead I paid for.

Like supposedly losing my order invoice number, issues due to stress, promises that they would never steal my funds and not send me product, delays due to high volume, health issues, more promises they would eventually send me my order, and even add a bit extra and a note of apology, backlog from being behind on his work due to building a house, working part time and being behind on orders, etc.

I got lots and lots of empty promises, and for a period of time I actually felt sorry for him.

I'm a nice guy in general, and I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, but even though I waited patiently. No product ever showed up in the end. Eventually the emails turned into denials, and then no more responses were forthcoming at all.

It's likely long past the time that I could get my money back. I chalk it up to a learning experience now.

I'm perfectly capable of finding lead on my own, but thanks for all the tips everyone. I prefer to deal face to face anyways.

As they say if a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is. Don't anyone else fall prey to this site because of what looks like a good deal, as I did.


- Bullwolf

[GLL]

I live in California and finding alloy is so very, very easy !
Just contact The Captain or one of a dozen other reliable sellers in the Forum classifieds and you get clean ingots at a reasonable price. I do not even bother to search for lead any longer. It is easier and in the long run even cheaper to buy right here !

I deal with five different sellers here on the Forum and each has provided instant service, high quality lead/ alloy. and amazingly good packing !
Even the USPS could not destroy the boxes !

Jerry