pure lead 45

[mrblue]

Is it possible, and safe to use pure lead to cast for my 45? I want to play with it and I don't want to use my stash of WW. I guess i know it's possible but how bad will it effect the leading of the barrel?

[runfiverun]

for a long time Winchester used 40-1 alloy for their 45 colt loads they might still.
they were running about 850 fps or so.

[btroj]

Only one way to know.

['74 sharps]

I've shot 4000 rounds of almost pure lead with real black powder through my Colt Single Action. I have no leading, whereas before I started casting my own, I was buying "hardcast" from several suppliers and got leading out of all of them. Same with my two '74 Sharps in 45-70. I have no love for "hardcast" anything.

[ku4hx]

I have and it worked fine for me. But I like a wee bit of Tin because I can successfully cast at a lower temperature with an alloy vice pure lead. Antimony is one of those strange substances that expands as it cools. That being the case, it aids in mold fill out for problematic boolits so I like a bit of it too.

['74 sharps]

I've shot 4000 rounds of almost pure lead with real black powder through my Colt Single Action. I have no leading, whereas before I started casting my own, I was buying "hardcast" from several suppliers and got leading out of all of them. Same with my two '74 Sharps in 45-70. I have no love for "hardcast" anything at the velocities I shoot.

[44man]

Tin will really help, seems to toughen the boolits well. It will also let your boolits stay shiny without all the oxidation pure gets.

[Sasquatch-1]

I shoot a lot of pure lead through my Rugers both Blackhawk and Redhawk. I use the rounds when shooting at 2x4's in a friendly competition we have at my range. I do get some leading but I am willing to clean this out when I am done. The bullets are probably a bit undersized.

[DrCaveman]

I've got some 5lb spools of 50/50 lead/tin solder. I have very little pure lead. We could make a swap and have the tools for some classic two-part alloys.

I've read that you want around 8 or more BHN for 45 acp. Never tried lower so can't say but I think pure lead is around 6. A little tin never hurt anything.

[Sensai]

45 ?? Colt or ACP ?? Soft will work OK for revolvers at low power levels, ACP needs a little more hardness for the feed ramp and chamber top battering they do.

[rexherring]

I've shot pure lead in my BH but kept the velocity down to about 650fps with no trouble. I tried pushing some faster around 950 fps and they started to skid and lead the barrel.

[fredj338]

Tin will really help, seems to toughen the boolits well. It will also let your boolits stay shiny without all the oxidation pure gets.

Plus a little tin makes the molds fill out better. I have no issues running pure lead @ 850fps, but casting good bullets may be problematic.

[Lizard333]

Plus a little tin makes the molds fill out better. I have no issues running pure lead @ 850fps, but casting good bullets may be problematic.

I cast pure boolits all the time. I use them as core for swaging my own bullets. I run the pot a little hotter and cast quick. Pure boolits give you some VERY shinny boolits. Sprue is easy to cut and the boolits drop right out.

[44man]

Pure is easy to cast, I have used tons of it but storing them for any long periods and they get the white oxidation.
I put them in the container and spray with Barricade now.