range lead smelting

[jacobslagle018]

Hey everyone. I'm still new to this game and wanted some more advice before i start smelting. The only source of lead in my area will be what I mine from berms at local ranges. I was going to buy a small propane stove and cast iron dutch oven to melt the lead with. I understand this process, but will that be enough to get me going? Also most of what I recovered is FMJ. Can the copper that floats on top be sold for scrap or is it too messy to bother with? Thanks again for all of the help.

[williamwaco]

Good luck.

I had so much trouble getting the lead out of the jackets I just gave up.

You will need some way to pick up the jackets ans shake the molten lead out and back into the pot.

I never succeeded in accomplishing this part of the task.

.

[btroj]

I use aWire strainer like used at Chinese restaraunts, works well.

I sold some jackets recently, got 12 cents a pound. Hardly worth the effort.

[Boolseye]

Howdy, and welcome to the forum.
Wally World sells a little stainless steel basket strainer w/ handle for about $7 that does a good job getting the jackets out.
Beware of the tinsel fairy when those fmjs are heating up. They pop like firecrackers. If it's primarily fmjs it may be tough goin'.
Range Lead can be a great way to smelt alloy, but it's a lot of work. You're going to want something a bit heftier than a propane campstove if you get into it–the turkey fryer type burners work good, preferably about 35,000 btu or higher.
For small batches you should be OK. A 20# propane tank cut in half makes a good smelting pot for larger batches, up to about 200#.
The copper can be sold if you have a cool salvage guy that will work with you. I trade mine for wheel weights with a local salvage guy–the big local salvage yard needed it cleaner than I could get it.

Best of luck, and let us know how it goes,
-BE

[mold maker]

You'll never get the copper clean enough to sell at clean copper prices. Mine goes for #2 brass and like said above no money changes hands. I trade it for lead that he has on hand. You might also check to see if he has range brass.

[Carolina Cast Bullets]

All that is necessary on the FMJ's is to split the jacket, no matter how small of a split to allow an avenue for the molten lead to drain off. Yes, the jackets can be sold as scrap but don't expect top dollar for them. Seldom get more than "red brass" for them, in my area , $1.20 /lb, but its found money.
Jerry
Carolina Cast Bullets

[truckjohn]

I used propane on my first smelt like that... Ran an entire BBQ tank empty...

Round #2 - I went with wood.... Tons of wood laying around all over the place... Family was happy that I got rid of a pile of brush that was in the way at the farm... I was happy that I got my lead melted down...

Be sure you have a good pair of heavy leather welding gloves when doing this sort of thing...

Thanks

[RP]

Red brass price is what I get also but I sure am not tossing it in the trash when I can get paid for them. I smelt mine in a large pot then toss some used motor oil or transmission oil. The heat of the burning oil will pop open any jackets that need it and turn the lead that's stuck to the others loose. Note stir the burning mix with a long handle keeping back away from the squirting bullets. Shake them out with the wire mess spoons the others spoke of which works good. Also run a magnet over the jackets to get the steel ones out. Have fun and be safe range lead is for me the most hazardous of my lead that I smelt for popping or spraying lead.

[Sgtonory]

For small batchs say under 25lbs i just use a cast iron skillet and a camp stove with 1lb tanks works fine take about 30min to get the lead melted. Can can 2 skillet smelted off one tank.

[ReloaderFred]

I use wood chips for fluxing recovered bullets, and just keep stirring. The more lead you get out of the jackets, the more money you'll get for them. The last time I took smelted jackets to the recycler they paid me for #2 copper @ $3.00 a pound. I was able to also sell them the steel jackets @ about .06 a pound, but it got me more for the copper, since they could see that I separated them.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[jacobslagle018]

Wow you dont wast time here. thanks for the quick posts. I plan on doing batches of about 20# at a time until I get this casting process down. And thanks again for all of the warnings as well. Hopefully this wont be too bad on me

[jacobslagle018]

I was looking at some coleman burners today but I was wondering what the minimum BTU number I need is. Since I am melting range lead I want to work in small batches of 10# or so. Thanks again.

[ReloaderFred]

You'll get bored doing small batches really quickly. You might just as well get something a little bigger now and save the money you'll spend upgrading later. It's better to have more capability than you think you'll use, than not enough.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[dikman]

Fred is right, of course, but if you're only likely to be doing small quantities then you should be fine. My last lot was 90 lbs. of range scrap and I only used a small home-made steel pot (probably only held about 8 lbs) but it was ok for me. As I was using the pot as a crucible (putting it into the forge fire and removing it to pour) it was safer not to have too much lead in it. Granted, the forge will melt the stuff a lot quicker than the propane, but I wasn't in a hurry, and doing small batches isn't as tiring (important as you get older ).