what's a good price for lead per pound these days in SE Mass area?

[exibar]

I see thie ebay auction:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/55-lbs-LEAD-WHEEL-WEIGHTS-Useable-JIGS-BULLETS-DO-IT-INGOTS-a4ax-/272183023921?hash=item3f5f5f5931:g:~JMAAMXQfFJRVBP N

is that a good price for wheel weights?
or shoudl I try my local scrap yards?
I'm in SE mass, near Cape Cod if that makes a difference?

thanks all!
Mike B

[fatelk]

Looks like if it sells for opening bid with shipping it will still be about a dollar per pound. That seems pretty high for raw wheel weights. I think you can often find nice clean ingots on Swapping and Selling here for not much more than that. It's a much better deal since you won't have the loss you have when smelting wheel weights.

[Ural Driver]

I am new to the casting world, don't know much about WW yet so have been going to the scrap yard. Lots of roofing lead and such so I have a pretty good idea what I am getting while still in the learning phase of this adventure. Been running about .75/lb except for the one time I paid with cash, then I got it for about .65/lb.....

[triggerhappy243]

that ebay ad is at a dollar a pound as is. you will lose15 to 23 percent to scrap steel clips and any crud that is stuck to the weight. to me... too much money for what you get.

[exibar]

so around 75cents a pound would be a more "average" price? I guess I'm looking for a good baseline to start off with.... so far I've been able to gather 20 or so pounds of WW just from cleaning up local garage's parking lots LOL... I want to get a decent supply together of a couple hundred pounds for now and start making use of my casting equipment for my 45...

[triggerhappy243]

I had paid .65 cents last year... there is a scrap metal place close by. read more of the other threads on this site. lots of good tips to snag a good deal when one presents it's self. If .75 cents is the best you can do in your area.... well... Just remember this, Money talks........BS walks.

[fryboy]

45 as in acp ? You can cut ww's down considerably with pure if that's the case,50/50 no problem ,at around 20% ww ,depending upon your mold they may start dropping a bit small ( my .452 die just barely kisses them during lubing ) the acp unless pushed really hard isn't very demanding of hard alloys

Lead prices vary,best to wait for a "deal" than pay more for less ...being around the ocean look for old sailboat keels,they may be any alloy but can be hardened or softened as needed

[Yodogsandman]

exibar, I would contact "The Captain" a vendor from our S & S section. Best prices on great quality lead ingots. Located in CT just south of you. Sure would make it easy for a new guy to get some 45 boolits cast up quick.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?63886-Lead-Ingots-For-Sale-Buyer-s-Choice

[bangerjim]

$.50-1.00 depending on condition. Look for refined ingots in the S&S section on here and support your brothers in arms!

I pay a buck a pound for everything. Not COWW's. I refuse to even mess with those.

banger

[exibar]

COWW? Clamp on Wheel Weights?

I'll certainly check the S&S section here for sure! I did break down and bought one of those 55+ lbs boxes, just to get me started with something to learn with. I managed to collect about 20 pounds of WW just by walking in some tire shops back parking lots too and picking up from the ground :-)
I'd like ot have a few hundred pounds, that way I dont' have to worry and can just keep on casting :-)

I'll be casting 45ACP, 9mm, .40, 38 special, and 357mag... potentially 38acp as well... with the speed of the rounds, I'm thinking all but the 357 I can mix soft lead with the WW in a 50/50 mix? with the 357 being straight WW lead?

this is great stuff guys! thank you very much for all the help! It's going to be so nice NOT to have to purchase bullet heads, and satisfying to know that I made the heads myself :-)

Mike B

[bangerjim]

Do a search for all the acronyms we all use on here. There are a couple threads listing them. There are a lot of them and they make communicating faster and easier.

COWW = clip-on wheel weights

Bullet heads? Never heard that one, my friend! We call them boolits 'round these parts. Boolit is indicative of the cast or FMJ "thing" that goes in the end of the brass case that goes down the barrel. A "Bullet" is normally a commercially loaded complete cartridge. And what everyone NOT on this forum calls ammo!!!!!!!!

Have fun!

[exibar]

BOOLITS it shall be then :-) I've for forever called them bullet heads... I think an old timer once used that term and it kinda stuck with me about 30 years ago LOL

thanks! :-)

Mike B

[Geezer in NH]

In MA 1 year in jail for violating Bartley Fox law. and maybe other law dening sales of components to MA addresses perhaps.

Sorry but MA gets nothing ammo related from me. Drive north and enjoy freedom but with your AG's history don't complain about no shipping. As soon as their researchers read this thread charges will be coming sorry.

[NY_Treeguy]

In NY.....

One local scrap yard is $1.00 per pound, any type of lead based material. Another salvage company is $0.75 per pound, any lead type material. The latter has a hard time keeping lead in stock.

[gunnut1]

eBay lead prices are silly money as far as I am concerned. Most of the auctions I see they want over a dollar a pound then you have to pay for shipping. I don't know what to call it so I will just say that what price I find on the open market via the 'net seems to be about $0.89 a pound. I have not checked with my local recycle yard yet. $90.00 for 60 lbs seems to be the norm on eBay.