Types of WW

[MikeACP]

Sorry guys, I searched but can't seem to find out the answer. What is the difference between a stick on weight and a clip on weight? Is one better than the other?

[fredj338]

In composition? Stick-ons are almost pure lead, if they are lead. They also make zinc & stell ones too. Same for clip ww, but they are lead/antimony & maybe or not some tin. For general casting, ww alloy is tough to beat. For black powder or LHP, stick-ons w/ a bit of tin added work better for me.

[*Paladin*]

Stick-on=nearly pure, soft lead. Clip-on is harder, due to higher antimony and tin content. If you could only have one, I'd grab up the clip-on's, because they are slowly going the way of the dinosaur. Pure will always be around, in one form or another. I like to alloy my clip-on WW's with pure in a 50/50 ratio. Great for making my clip-on's last longer. I have had great accuracy and no leading in .45 Colt and .45 ACP with this alloy so far, with velocities checked over a friends chrono, at around 800-830 fps.

Hahaha!!! I see Fred is a faster typer than me! :drinks:

[bumpo628]

Clip on WW is typically 0.5% Tin, 2% Antimony, 97.5% Lead
Stick on WW is typically 0-0.5% Tin, 99.5% Lead

[MikeACP]

Thanks for the very clear answers. Sorry to be such a newbie and a pain. I plan to start collecting whell weights and some pipe a contractor friend can get. (small quanities but free. Pipe) Was wondering what to look for. I would like to start building a lead supply,then start getting casting tools little by little. This looks like it could be fun.

[KYCaster]

Unlike others report, I've found very wide variations in both hardness and specific gravity in stick ons. Any thing from dead soft to 18 BHN is fairly common around here. Because of this, I no longer sort the CO from SO.

Add in the steel, zinc, plastic and composite weights and its becoming a major PITA to deal with WW in general.

Jerry

[MikeACP]

I've found where people will melt around 600degrees, Then remove the garbage that will remain? (steel,iron,zinc)

[Hardcast416taylor]

Because I`m retired, I have the luxery of time to sort thru the weights I get given to me by friends. If I can sort with a large magnet, I can get alot of the steelies out. I them resort to using an 8" long pair of end snips to test those weights that look questionable to being lead. I have sorted out the stick ons along with the valve core parts and gum wrappers mixed in with other colorful tossins at the start. I still smelt the end pile at about 600 - 650 degrees to ensure there wasn`t something slip by. The sorted steelies and zinc weights are put in a box with the clips that float when melted are placed. Once in awhile I take these back to the scrap dealer and sell them or trade them for lead he may have. I put to the side those stick on weights and smelt them seperately due to the adhesive backing and their soft nature.Robert

[MikeACP]

I have some marked TAL. I didn't find anything with a search . I found it..zinc