Smelting Range lead Ideas

[GP100man]

We have a new indoor shooting range that opened & I went & patronized em today !!!!

Noticed some buckets in the corner , Hmmmm , What`s in the buckets I ask .

Well 3 were brass & 1 lead from the berm "you want the lead ?the brass is saved for somebody"

Sure I said ,it had a lid on it, should have looked , it has paper from the targets ,wood ,sand & some brass in it !!!

I have some ideas of my own ,but I need some ideas how to start cleanin or seperating this stuff !!!

Input of any kind welcomed !!!

[blaser.306]

Heat! melt er. down the heat will take care of the rest ! Paper will act as flux and the assorted misc. will just float up to be scooped away . May want to checkfor the odd live round in the mix however . Ask me how I know ?

[Tom R]

Put it in your smelting pot,start the melt. Then pour gas on it and light all that **** on fire. stir and flux.
Of course this is very very dangerous, but I have tried this and it worked well. Try this at your own risk. I would at least pick out what you can first.
There might be a very elegant way of doing this but I offer mine as a last resort.

[GP100man]

I have a top to a wood box that`s 4ftx3ft , thouht of pouring some in it & shakin the lead down then rakin the **** off to 1 side to look for live rounds at least .

My original plan was what Tom R posted pour gas on it &lite it, bbuuuttt!!!!

[imashooter2]

Same as you would any other scrap. Put it in a pot. Melt it. Pull the big trash off the top. Flux, skim, pour. I like to turn my scrap out into a wheelbarrow and load the pot with a long handled garden shovel. It gives me one last chance to look over the scrap for duds and if I should misss one, at least I'm not standing right over the pot.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showpost.php?p=457126&postcount=2

[garym1a2]

Since it could have live rounds you should sort thru by hand first.

[Jailer]

Since I got my range scrap from a berm I screen all mine before I melt it to get some of the dirt out. When it's in the screen I also pick out any trash in the mix.

Just shovel it into something relatively flat and sort it by the shovel full before you throw it in the pot. Keeps handling it to a minimum and maximizes your time spent smelting.

[BrassFever]

Might be wise to check for any TMJ's that don't have the core exposed. I worry about them building pressure and bursting. I usually just smash them with a hammer then melt em down.

[GP100man]

I have in the past just taken what few TMJ`s I`ve encountered & took a lee sizer &"unbreakable" decapper & just poked a hole in em !

My biggest concern is the bulky stuff hiding a LIVE ROUND !!

It`s quit rainin so maybe this week I can sift thru it !!!

[Freightman]

[QUOTE=GP100man;1151337]

My biggest concern is the bulky stuff hiding a LIVE ROUND !!
Best not to have your body over the smelting pot with scrap, and wear boots, and long paints and shirt at least. I have seen pictures of people casting on shorts and flip flops. Skin + 700* heat = pain and suffering.

[BrassFever]

I've smelted range scrap in the past, and usually I'll try to clean the stuff by laying it out on a slight hill and washing it with the hose. This will get it clean enough. Just make sure you don't add any to a hot pot.

[*Paladin*]

Might be wise to check for any TMJ's that don't have the core exposed. I worry about them building pressure and bursting. I usually just smash them with a hammer then melt em down.

I have a small chisel I use to cut a hole in the jackets when I run across the TMJs.

[GP100man]

As weather & time permits I`m gonna spread it out & seperate the mess from the brass from the pot material !!

[lwknight]

Nice thing about indoor range backstops that are AR atell is that the tmj,s are already busted open.

[Jal5]

:-oI sort it out on a table, mainly looking for any live rounds in the stuff. Once the FMJ popped off on me in the melt---used good lid always after that time:-o

[evan price]

I dump my range scrap on an old trailer with a bit of tilt then hose it off. LEt it dry in the sun a few days. Spread it out in a thin layer. Never found a live round in the scrap yet but they are there I'm sure, just waiting.

Otherwise, melt it all and skim what doesn't melt.