Low down on pure lead

[armednfree]

It looks like I'm going to be getting pure lead in the form of old lead pipe. What are the issues with casting pistol bullets from pure lead. I'm talking a 125 grain .358 from a 38 special, A 180 grain from a 40 S+W, A 214 grain from a 45 colt, a 200 grain from a 44 mag and a 230 grain from a 45acp. All tumble lubed sized then tumble lubed again with the 40-40-10 mix. all about 850-900 fps. I know the hornady and speer bullets were pure lead, so what is the issue? Should I mix 1/2 pound of no lead solder to a 20 pound batch? some of those no lead solders are 97% tin and 3% copper, others are 95% tin and 5% antimony.

[Jack Stanley]

If Hornady and Speer are getting away with it then perhaps you can too . With proper fit , good lube and sensible velocities you can make it work .

Jack

[44man]

Add the tin.

[prs]

I add about 2% SN and 3% SB. It runs the cost up quite a bit, but the frustrations are reduced exponentially. The lead free solder is OK, Rotometals can supply the "pure" SN and prepared antimony (Super Hard). 88# plumber's lead, 10# Super Hard, two rolls of solder and you can cast enough muffin ingots to mold a few boolits. The trick is securing powder and primers to use the boolits.

prs

[popper]

Using rotometal antimony lead will cost less to get WW alloy than super hard.

[runfiverun]

the hornady and speer swaged bullets were NOT pure lead.
they were swaged and contained 5% antimony.
swaging and casting are not the same and lead alloy reacts differently when you use one versus the other.

btw some water pipe also has antimony in it, it is swaged [extruded]