ohland
07-20-2015, 07:26 PM
Antimony is used today to harden boolits.
Here is a oldie but a goodie that will expose you to mercury vapors. Mercury is a heavy metal that does BAD THINGS to the brain and nervous system. Remember "Mad as a hatter"? Imagine what your local government would think... the amount of mercury in a CFL is pretty small, and they go BAT-Guano crazy if it breaks... Now imagine the storm if liquid mercury in a quantity of at least an ounce is added to lead... I'm guessing the mould would have to be wiped down, the ladle might be sealed and disposed of, ditto for the pot...
This is to show you what was the current thought in the day....
Again, DO NOT USE MERCURY in your alloy. We use antimony for this today...
Heavy Bullets for Small Calibers.—"Devil's Ramrod" in Forest and Stream gives the following method of moulding bullets for sportsmen who use small caliber rifles for large game: 1st, Melt sufficient lead to make nine bullets, and mould them without any special care as to accuracy. 2d, Clean the ladle out, put the nine bullets therein, and place over a moderate fire. 3d, While they are melting fill the mould with quicksilver, and as soon as the bullets are melted pour the quicksilver into the ladle and stir rapidly with a piece of clean iron. 4th, Remove from the fire and mould nine bullets from this alloy.
Pour the remainder into a tin pan or upon a piece of wood. Repeat the process until you have the desired number of bullets, pouring out the residue as above directed, each time; for if it is allowed to remain in the ladle, the proportion of quicksilver will be gradually increased and ununiform shooting will result. When you are through, take this residue, place in the ladle, melt and use. The lead must not be allowed to get too hot. as quicksilver volatilizes rapidly when exposed to red heat.
Folks, since mercury is liquid at room temperature, I'd be of the opinion that it gives off a vapor at the 600-700 or so degrees when you cast. I don't know the melting point of the lead-mercury alloy AND I DON'T WANT TO!!!
The result of these directions will be a bullet of slightly greater weight than one of pure lead, and not lighter, as when alloyed with tin, and besides possessing a fine degree of hardness, will retain its shape better when fired through hard substances, and naturally has better penetration. The following simple algebraic formula will give the weight of a bullet made of the above mixture: Sp. grav. of lead = 11. Sp. grav. of quicksilver .= 14. Let a =. weight in grains of bullet made of pure lead, 6 — weight of the mould full of quicksilver, and c =• weight of resultant bullet. Then: &=x!4, and e=ax»+" -.09x10.
Here is a oldie but a goodie that will expose you to mercury vapors. Mercury is a heavy metal that does BAD THINGS to the brain and nervous system. Remember "Mad as a hatter"? Imagine what your local government would think... the amount of mercury in a CFL is pretty small, and they go BAT-Guano crazy if it breaks... Now imagine the storm if liquid mercury in a quantity of at least an ounce is added to lead... I'm guessing the mould would have to be wiped down, the ladle might be sealed and disposed of, ditto for the pot...
This is to show you what was the current thought in the day....
Again, DO NOT USE MERCURY in your alloy. We use antimony for this today...
Heavy Bullets for Small Calibers.—"Devil's Ramrod" in Forest and Stream gives the following method of moulding bullets for sportsmen who use small caliber rifles for large game: 1st, Melt sufficient lead to make nine bullets, and mould them without any special care as to accuracy. 2d, Clean the ladle out, put the nine bullets therein, and place over a moderate fire. 3d, While they are melting fill the mould with quicksilver, and as soon as the bullets are melted pour the quicksilver into the ladle and stir rapidly with a piece of clean iron. 4th, Remove from the fire and mould nine bullets from this alloy.
Pour the remainder into a tin pan or upon a piece of wood. Repeat the process until you have the desired number of bullets, pouring out the residue as above directed, each time; for if it is allowed to remain in the ladle, the proportion of quicksilver will be gradually increased and ununiform shooting will result. When you are through, take this residue, place in the ladle, melt and use. The lead must not be allowed to get too hot. as quicksilver volatilizes rapidly when exposed to red heat.
Folks, since mercury is liquid at room temperature, I'd be of the opinion that it gives off a vapor at the 600-700 or so degrees when you cast. I don't know the melting point of the lead-mercury alloy AND I DON'T WANT TO!!!
The result of these directions will be a bullet of slightly greater weight than one of pure lead, and not lighter, as when alloyed with tin, and besides possessing a fine degree of hardness, will retain its shape better when fired through hard substances, and naturally has better penetration. The following simple algebraic formula will give the weight of a bullet made of the above mixture: Sp. grav. of lead = 11. Sp. grav. of quicksilver .= 14. Let a =. weight in grains of bullet made of pure lead, 6 — weight of the mould full of quicksilver, and c =• weight of resultant bullet. Then: &=x!4, and e=ax»+" -.09x10.