Smelting TMJ bullets?

[samwithacolt]

So I was digging in the backstop at the range today, a lot of what I got are TMJ bullets.
I had a handful last time and I whacked them with a hammer, but it took a few blows to split the jacket. Was thinking of hitting this batch with a hatchet.
I have thrown them in the pot before and found that they came out intact, with the lead still inside.
Any ideas? Size them and shoot them again as is?:wink:

[Cowboy_Dan]

Only smelt range scrap once so far, but the few tmj's I had I just smashed in a vice. A little time consuming, but effective.

[tryNto]

Anything to bust them open, I usually use a pair of heavy duty wire cutters.

[Spawn-Inc]

hard floor/object, hammer, done.

[Bzcraig]

Anything to bust them open, I usually use a pair of heavy duty wire cutters.

yup they cut easily

[390ish]

Bolt cutters

[LIMPINGJ]

Bigger hammer, one whack works for me.

[bangerjim]

Lot of work for a few grains of lead from each boolit.

[pmer]

Plus one on bolt cutters. Easier than hammering IMO

[fredj338]

I smash em with a 4# sledge. You only need a crack.

[Landshark9025]

Smelted for the first time last night. Ran across the same thing. I just used these:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-8-in-Linesman-Pliers-DWHT70798/203536134

Except I used the cheapo version.

The bonus was, if I couldn't cut it with one hand, it was likely solid copper.

Easy Peasy.

[edp2k]

+2 on bolt cutters.
put bullets spread out on bench, cutters vertical (jaw nose on bench, handles straight up in the air),
and chop one, then the next :-)

[mozeppa]

log splitter

:grin:

[country gent]

Heavy side cutters or hammer and cold chisel. A pair of heavy tin snis or plier type pipe cutters may work well also. Place on a disposable surface ( block of hard wood scrap steel and ) with the cold chisel and hammer to keep from destroying floor or bench top. A die with a blade in it to fit in you heavy reloading press and pusher push them through cutting a groove down the side???

[country gent]

Another that would do a very good job would be a set of the cutters for cutting cable they cut round cable with little deformation a FMJ would probably end up with a full dia opening where cut.

[samwithacolt]

Thanks guys, finally went with bolt cutters. It is time consuming but I moved recently and I'm too far from my WW guy. Gun ranges have always been a source of brass and lead for me, but now I'm almost totally reliant on range scrap. Shops want $20-$25 for a 5 gal pail of assorted garbage? no thanks.

[btroj]

Why do any of that? The base of some have a thin copper disk that doesn't hold molten lead in. The plated ones lead lead like a sieve once the core melts.
None of these bullets have a thick, hard core completely surrounding the lead. Get them hot enough to melt lead and the lead pours right out.
Having done better than 10 five gallon buckets of this stuff I can assure you that hammers, bolt cutters, and vises are not required. Way too much extra work.

Don't over think it guys. The bullets aren't gonna hold in the molten core.

[samwithacolt]

I've had a bunch come out of the pot without giving up their lead, and had a couple spray molten lead from a pinhole in the jacket right out of the pot. Maybe your using a bigger pot and more heat, but I'm using a small pot, at waist level, on an old BBQ.

[Bigslug]

I give it the opportunity to pop on its own. If the lead doesn't come quietly, it goes with the jackets. I suppose if you had an industrial-grade "pasta roller" that you could run your entire bucket of range scrap through to crack the jackets - otherwise, life's too short.

[EKE]

For small amounts I use a 1" chisel. Put a brick on the bench and smack it once to split it. Faster and less cumbersome than bolt cutters, easier on the hand than side cutters. If I've got a bucket to do I'll split what I can while the rest of the pot melts then save the remainder until next pot.

[BIGRED]

i have found laying them out on the driveway and giving the kids a hammer works the best... i usually only smelt them in a small 4# lee pot, as their is only a few handfuls of them. i made a small wire basket that fits inside of the 4# pot. after i get about 1" of molten lead i lower basket in and toss in a handful of TMJ's.. after they melt i shake the basket a few times and all the lead comes out. I used to have some lead stay in the jacket not anymore.

[CGT80]

Why do any of that? The base of some have a thin copper disk that doesn't hold molten lead in. The plated ones lead lead like a sieve once the core melts.
None of these bullets have a thick, hard core completely surrounding the lead. Get them hot enough to melt lead and the lead pours right out.
Having done better than 10 five gallon buckets of this stuff I can assure you that hammers, bolt cutters, and vises are not required. Way too much extra work.

Don't over think it guys. The bullets aren't gonna hold in the molten core.

x2

I have had very few bullets that made it out of the dutch oven and fish fryer with any weight intact. That was out of enough bullets to fill a 5 gallon bucket with jackets.