Is it Lead???

[km101]

I was given some small "weather fittings" that supposedly came out of natural gas meters. I was told that they are lead, but I am doubtful. If it is lead, it is really hard. The fittings are oval shaped and taper from top to bottom in thickness. When I squeezed one with a pair of pliers, it broke before it collapsed. I can scratch it with a screwdriver, but not with a fingernail. It is much harder than any alloy that I have

Does anyone have any info on these fittings? Any experience, or ever heard of them? I have about 5 lbs of them and I would like to make use of them, but I dont want to contaminate my pot with something that's not lead. I havent had a chance to try to melt any of them to see what temp they melt so I am really in the dark here.

Any help would be appreciated!

[I'll Make Mine]

If you scratch the metal with a screwdriver or knife point, is the exposed metal glossy, smooth, and silvery and the feel of scratching smooth and even, or is the exposed metal more frosty and the feel of making the scratch more gritty? The former is typical of even very hard lead alloys; the latter of zinc and zinc alloys.

[km101]

It's glossy and relatively smooth when scratched, but I am concerned that it is almost brittle and will break rather than bend. I have never had an alloy that is this hard. But I have never dealt with an alloy that is harder than about 18-20 bnh. Do you think this could be lead?

[runfiverun]

could be.
i break linotype pigs by hitting them on the edge of the steps.
i would melt them down and note the melt temp.
pour a boolit and weigh it against a known boolit.
worst case you use one ring to a pot of ww alloy.
the melt temp would help you determine zink it melts at 787-f
lead alloys are usually no more than 650-f.

[km101]

Thanks gentlemen, I will have to melt it to get a temp and go from there.

Appreciate the input!

[I'll Make Mine]

It's glossy and relatively smooth when scratched, but I am concerned that it is almost brittle and will break rather than bend.

Lead with a lot of antimony will break and ring, vs. bending and making a "thud" for nearly pure or lead-tin (tin will add a ringing sound if there's enough). Based on your scratch test, I think it's likely it's a hard lead alloy; the other test is if the break is fairly straight and full of small, bright crystal faces (zinc) or if it's a fibrous or ductile (pulls before it breaks) fracture (lead alloys).