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77cutlass
02-26-2014, 10:44 AM
Gentleman, I am new here and this forum is wonderful help. I was wondering if what I experienced last night was normal. I was sizing some Keith 357's that someone had cast a long time ago. They were oxidized and gray in color. Die was set right as I had been sizing the same bullet that was not oxidized with no issues. When I decided to do the old looking ones they did not behave to good in the sizer. They actually pulled or smeared the lead even into the crimp groove and the sides looked funny, almost scored looking. Is this normal? Are they being stuck in the die because of the roughness of the oxidation? Probably should throw them in the pot, huh?!
dondiego
02-26-2014, 11:16 AM
You might want to wash them and relube before you try to size any more.
JonB_in_Glencoe
02-26-2014, 11:29 AM
If I were to guess, I'd say those old boolits were near pure as boolits with some tin tend not to oxidize. I could imagine that Softer boolits in a lube sizer will be "pulled or smeared the lead even into the crimp groove and the sides looked funny, almost scored looking." ...especially if they are a bit large...maybe the oxidation had something to do with it too...also maybe if they were dusty or dirty, that'd add to it too.

I'm with you on remelting them.
Cmm_3940
02-26-2014, 11:39 AM
The nice thing about boolits like these is that the material isn't wasted and you get to have the fun of casting them all over again.
77cutlass
02-26-2014, 11:44 AM
They are very hard! They have never been sized or lubed. They don't appear to have ever been dusty or dirty. They were nice and dry in a plastic box. I only have 77 of them and they were actually nicely cast. The others that looked nice had been sized but the lube groove was not filled with lube correctly....had gaps. So I resized and lubed them. Measured them and they are nice. Wonder if I could put the "dirty" looking ones into my tumbler? Probably should throw them in the pot!
JonB_in_Glencoe
02-26-2014, 11:49 AM
well now, that is strange...Now I have no idea.
Cmm_3940
02-26-2014, 12:16 PM
I tried tumbling some gray boolits once, hoping to shine them up. They got grayer. :(
Walter Laich
02-26-2014, 01:33 PM
For me if I only had 77 of them I would remelt them. I do like the actual job of casting so this would actually add to enjoyment of reloading
77cutlass
02-26-2014, 02:16 PM
It's decided then! Back to the pot....no need to overthink this!
osteodoc08
02-26-2014, 02:56 PM
It's decided then! Back to the pot....no need to overthink this!

The best answer IMHO.