Silver solder alloy for those that need monster bullets...

[DEVERS454]

Just ... dont' ... yuck!

Well, I nearly ruined a lee bottom pour 10lb pot and all but made a complete mess of my casting bench.

Silver on its own is impossible to "cast" as a bullet. It needs to be either formed or machined after a blank is developed.

To use our favorite aluminum molds for a Silver alloy, you need to to figure out what temp it will work at. Guess what, anything more than 3% Silver and your casting temps jump!!!
With silver prices so low I talked to my brother who is a metalurgist and we took an afternoon to experiment. Some cheap ($16 each) silver rounds and 50/50 bar solder and then some pure lead muzzle loader balls. We put together 4lbs of 9.5% silver alloy with about 5% tin. melting temp was just over 900F.

So, no bottom pour pots if you go this route. PERIOD!!!

Next, propane is useless... get MAP gas and an extra cylinder. It makes short(er) work of a difficult process.

I would recommend finding an old Coleman single burner stove and a cast iron or alum pot (small) that will allow the Lyman dipper to draw some alloy.
This will give you better temp control and reduce the mess.

Once I made this change, it was not such a disaster.

We gave up after making 64 bullets. We make a pair of "blank" 9mm rounds, we each took an unloaded round, and then we loaded 30rds each (we each have a 92FS we plan to use for dispatching werewolves).

Lets just say, for the cost and frustration, I welcome my werewolve/vampire overloads...

[lobowolf761]

Sounds good. Will they work on zombies too?

[imashooter2]

Just a safety tip, aluminum is a no go for casting posts. Aluminum loses strength quickly at elevated temperatures and the pot can fail without warning.

[Teddy (punchie)]

stainless steel here for casting pot.

[Beagle333]

Pitchers? :popcorn:

[lobowolf761]

I use a small cast iron pot at times when casting a small amount. The rest of the time I use 2 or 3 electric pot. 2 Lee and 1 Lyman.

[bangerjim]

For lost wax investment casting of silver and gold, a gas fired CI pot is used heated to the correct temp and then the molten metal is usually poured into a plaster mold formed around the wax form. The mold is heated in an oven to melt the wax.....which is absorbed into the plaster. Metal is then poured into the mold. Once the metal is cooled, the plaster mold is broken open and the piece of jewelry (or whatever) is left.

The wax is carved/formed/created in the shape needed and cast into the liquid plaster. Once hardened and completely dried, you get only ONE item out of the mold!

I have read of people on here using silver-bearing alloys in casting. Silver adds hardness. I have much better uses for my rolls and sheets of real silver solder than wasting it on simple boolits!!!!!!!

[2wheelDuke]

I was thinking that sterling silver beads pressed into hollowpoint boolits would be the thing for dispatching monsters. I got the idea when I read Monster Hunters International.

[Jeff Michel]

It may add hardness to your bullets but it wouldn't compare to the hardness the missus would develop if she caught me smelting down her good flatware.

[too many things]

I have cast 90% silver bullets . they are a pain to do . I made 18 for a gun belt. I had them for several years till some thief at the range found out I had them in the belt
I used the lee pour dipper and a single lyman steel mold. I used a gas burner to heat the mold a dull red. melt the silver in the pour ladel. DO not try to cut the sprut You can do that later. Let it cool some and the silver will release.
this takes a lot of time but if you don't tell anyone they make a good looking round
The mold will be trashed so use one you don't care about . you will need to replace the wood handles. I use 1/2 copper pipe about 12in long and wrapped with muffler repair .Since you have a hard bullet don't need to size or lube.

[M-Tecs]

Silver casts very well using the proper equipment and procedures. Lead casting equipment doesn't cut it since silver melts at 1,763 degrees.

I have never cast a silver bullet nor will I cast one but I cast silver jewelry. I have been requested to cast silver bullets for display. For these we had standard bullets silver plated.

[DEVERS454]

Pitchers? :popcorn:

Of beer?

[DEVERS454]

Silver bearing solder is only 3%, if I remember correctly.

Silver SOLDER for gunsmithing or such is 7% or more.

I will say this about silver, once it had it fluxed and the mold upto a temp that worked, it had excellent fill out. I did spray some graphite mold spray before casting, as this was suggested by another person who went this route.

10% silver makes it VERY hard... Softer than a brass jacketed Hornady bullet, but not so tough it won't work with rifling.

For lost wax investment casting of silver and gold, a gas fired CI pot is used heated to the correct temp and then the molten metal is usually poured into a plaster mold formed around the wax form. The mold is heated in an oven to melt the wax.....which is absorbed into the plaster. Metal is then poured into the mold. Once the metal is cooled, the plaster mold is broken open and the piece of jewelry (or whatever) is left.

The wax is carved/formed/created in the shape needed and cast into the liquid plaster. Once hardened and completely dried, you get only ONE item out of the mold!

I have read of people on here using silver-bearing alloys in casting. Silver adds hardness. I have much better uses for my rolls and sheets of real silver solder than wasting it on simple boolits!!!!!!!