Lead Pipe

[Leon Garfield]

Picked up 135 pounds of lead from a guy that said hes had it for 20 - 30 years. Used to make down rigger weights with it. My question is any idea how hard it is compared to Wheel Weights. I took a pointes punch and pushed on it and my WW and it did go a little further. Thanks.....

[RogerDat]

Lead Pipe is generally almost dead soft plain lead.

[Leon Garfield]

So is that safe to use in my 45acp and 9mm?

[Retumbo]

Careful.

There are soldered joints and other re-enforced parts of lead plumbing which are very hard. Straight runs of pipe usually close to pure.

[perotter]

It should be safe to use in your 45acp and 9mm. Just softer than what one normally uses.

FWIW. The lead pipe I've been given I use for swaging.

[typz2slo]

I was sent some pipe for XRF analysis from a member on here and he suspected dead soft lead. But it turned out to have 3.64% antimony.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Lead pipe that was always used in plumbing was always considered to be pure lead and as such was soft for use with pistol or rifle bullets. It also did not flow/cast quite as well as wheel weights or other alloys that had antimony or tin. It was a favorite choice for muzzleloaders or cap & ball revolvers with black powder as it would upset easier and "take the rifling". LLS

[GhostHawk]

I had 20 feet or so that I used up, water supply line, no joints, soft, but a touch harder than pure. Not much harder, just a touch. Pistol boolits is what I mostly used mine for. As long as you are not pushing them fast it should be fine.

Mine was the most expensive lead I have bought thus far. 8,000 for not a whole lot of lead. But I did get a new water and sewer line out of the deal.

[RogerDat]

It should be safe to use in your 45acp and 9mm. Just softer than what one normally uses.......


That is what I would think too. Unless powder coated it might be too soft and would tend to lead if pushed. A little tin around 1 or 2 percent and maybe 50/50 mix of your soft pipe lead with Clip on Wheel Weight (COWW) lead which is a bit harder would be a common alloy mix for casting 45acp. The tin helps the lead fill out the mold better so it easier to cast.

[Leon Garfield]

So this is whay i am doing, gonna quench these which will toughen them up a little. I powder or Hitek coat so i should be fine . Was brought another 60lbs so will be.casting for a day or to. I do my shooting with 4ish grains of bullseye in my 45 at steel plates so its not being pushed. My 9mm is 3.5 grs of titegroup which is a light and accurate load to... thanks for all the imput guys.....

[Retumbo]

Pure lead won't water harden.

[vzerone]

It's been established that lead pipe has antimony in it. They use the anitimony to help extrude the pipe better. So antimony will let the alloy quench harder providing there is a proper amount of tin in that alloy.

[Leon Garfield]

Well ok I did not know that, well With coating and lower velocities I should still be fine?? Thanks