unknown lead what to do with it?

[762cavalier]

I was given about 150 lbs in lead ingots cast in lee and lyman ingot molds. I have no idea what they were before or what mix they are. Can I use them as they are for 44 mag bullets or 45-70 bullets? the molds I have are Gas check molds if that makes a difference.

I was also given about 500 158gr lead bullets that are undersize for what I want (they measure .357) Can I just throw all of these in my Lee 4-20 pot and re-cast them?

Thanks

[Down South]

Can you scratch the ingots with a fingernail? If you can they are pure or close to it. This is where a decent hardness tester comes in handy.

[454PB]

Yup, the easiest way to know is to simply cast a few. When they cool, use a micrometer to measure the diameter.....smaller than normal means lower antimony, larger means more. Comparative weight will also indicate content, heavier means less (or no) antimony, lighter means more. Tin content can be judged by how well the mould fills out (fluidity).

But how they shoot is the main test, if they cast well and are big enough to fit the gun, it's a good alloy. Recasting the undersized boolits is fine.

[zuke]

If their cast into those ingot's, they were probably done by a shooter.
Got a scrap yard near by? See if they'll zap it with their analisis gun for exact alloy.

[trapper9260]

Can you scratch the ingots with a fingernail? If you can they are pure or close to it. This is where a decent hardness tester comes in handy.

I say the same because that is what I do also use the hardness tester to check what I got for unknow alloy and then go from there.Or you can send a sample to someone that have tester to see what the hardness is for you there is some that would do that for you.From what I know of that is .

[fredj338]

My rule is if it dents, it's castable alloy. I do have a BHN tester, but if you don't, no problem, cast away. Checking the BHN doesn't tell you what the alloy is. Some guys will water drop ingots, so remelting will NOT give you what you think.

[jsizemore]

Try a drop or two of muratic/hcl acid on a fresh scraped spot for zinc. No fizz, no zinc. A caster got rid of them for a reason. Eliminate this as a possibility and you got lucky.

[nanuk]

Can you scratch the ingots with a fingernail? If you can they are pure or close to it. This is where a decent hardness tester comes in handy.

I have several ingots of stuff.. pure, WW, 50/50, babbit, lino... I can scratch them all with my thumbnail

[Springfield]

If you can put a fingernail line in your lino then it isn't lino. I mean a real indentation, not just a mark on the lead.

[RogerDat]

The sticky on pencil test will probably get you an answer to the question are they hard enough for your use. If they cast well and pencil test as hard enough do you need to know the alloy mix?

I picked up a few RCBS and Lyman ingots at the scrap yard. Were tested as COWW with a scanner, which when you think about is probably the most likely thing for some caster to melt into a batch of ingots ready for casting with some solder thrown into the casting pot. I think the consensus is lino, mono, or tin one would keep in the original form for clear identification. Plain lead is the other type one would be more likely to melt. Pencil test would easily identify difference between plain and COWW.

BTW - I think in my case someone scrapped lead from a caster, there was some pretty good printing lead and pure tin in that bin along with those ingots with price tags and labels on some of it. Possibly getting rid of it because the owner was no longer able to cast. Kind of bummed to be paying retail for COWW but like to think it's going to the use the original owner intended.