Solid Zinc Boolits - Everyone (Anyone?) OK With This? - I'm Not

[ThaDoubleJ]

Couple of these in a berm that I'm mining for scrap and that's the end of all my alloys. Is this something new, or am I behind? I'm not happy :(

https://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item/00247p10mmzs100/10mm-point400-diameter-155-grain-lead-free-zinc-solid-bullet-100-count

[acoop101]

I wouldn't worry about it too much, the delta in melting temps between lead and zinc is high enough that it shouldn't be a issue, possibly flux early and skim early to minimize over heating.

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[Tom W.]

They sure are cheap enough, and zinc can't possibly lead....... really light too!

[ThaDoubleJ]

My controlled temp pots won't melt zinc, but I smelt over a wood fire, no idea how hot it gets, could be bad.

[country gent]

For a short time casting zinc bullets was done by IPSC shooter for a lighter bullet and easier recoil. Also there is the mentioned above lyman bullets that used a zinc washer. also now with the "green" ammo ( Lead free) the cores may be zinc, bismuth, or some other material. If shot guns are fired shot can now be steel, bismuth, tungsnten or some other materials.

[PBaholic]

They are using zinc out in California where lead is banned.

[Sasquatch-1]

Hawk bullets sells them for use with their swaging die. The die comes with a special base punch that extrudes a bit of lead around the zinc washer. The zinc is actually suppose to work as a lubricant in the barrel.

Scroll down to the third item on this page to see them.

http://hawkbullets.com/otherProducts.html


talked about a guy who was selling cast bullets that had a zinc washer riveted onto the bottom to act like a gas check.

[mozeppa]

i would think that a zinc bullet left out in the weather would look pretty corroded very quickly ...like a lincoln cent does ....makes for a quick identification.

[BAGTIC]

Lead bullets left out in the weather become pretty corroded very quickly. Normally the lead will melt long before the zinc so the latter can be skimmed off like skimming off steel clips when melting wheel weights.

[runfiverun]

a few zinc bullets in your alloy ain't even noticeable.

lyman used to make molds that took the zinc washers.
you pre-heat the washer.
insert it into the base of the mold in a slot cut just the right size for the washer.
close everything then pour through the hole in the washer.
there is a little nib of lead behind the washer to hold It in place.

now you could do one of 2 things at this point.
knurl lube load and shoot.
or run the bullet through your C&H swage die to re-profile the nose, and flatten out the nib.
then knurl lube load and shoot.

I still get out the stuff and make the zinc washer bullets from time to time just because.

[308Jeff]

I've been watching with a keen interest to see where this zinc thing is going, and if it's going to catch on.

Elvis Ammo's YouTube videos have been worth watching, and I'll admit a raised an eyebrow when I got the email from MidSouth regarding their offerings.

Seems like zinc might make a good 30 Carbine bullet?

Going to hold onto my wheelweights for now, just in case. :-)

[williamwaco]

Those zinc washer bullets were invented by a Jim Harvey back in the late 50s. Eventually Lyman made a mold for them. They worked quite well but they were not popular because the washers were hard to get and I could make five 358156s in the time it took to make one with a washer.

Imagine a single cavity mold at casting temperature held in your left hand while trying to insert a zinc washer the size of a dime into a tiny slot in a block of iron at 400 degrees while the other side of the mold was aggressively attempting to grill your fingers.

Tweezers were mandatory.

[runfiverun]

there is more things to do with zinc in a lead alloy than worry about it messing your casting up.
I have purposely added zinc to my alloy.

and right now Popper is running some tests with a zinc-copper-lead alloy that is looking pretty promising.

and I have been slowly working on a lube containing zinc [ZDDP] as one of the main constituents.

[TexasGrunt]

Those zinc washer bullets were invented by a Jim Harvey back in the late 50s. Eventually Lyman made a mold for them. They worked quite well but they were not popular because the washers were hard to get and I could make five 358156s in the time it took to make one with a washer.

Imagine a single cavity mold at casting temperature held in your left hand while trying to insert a zinc washer the size of a dime into a tiny slot in a block of iron at 400 degrees while the other side of the mold was aggressively attempting to grill your fingers.

Tweezers were mandatory.

I wonder how the fishing guys manage to do it? Oh yeah, lay the mold on a towel.

[trapper9260]

With the solid zinc boolit do you lube them like lead or what you do for lube?

[Geezer in NH]

Zink don't need no stinking lube!!! :bigsmyl2: seriously it does not need any.

[Sasquatch-1]

Zink don't need no stinking lube!!! :bigsmyl2: seriously it does not need any.

Do we have a bandito from the Sierra Madres here?

[LAGS]

Pure Zinc boolits would be great.
But You cant cast them out of a standard mold designed for lead or Lead Alloys.
First the zinc ids so hard , that the Sprue Cutter wont cut it, or if it does, the pivot point gets wallered out in a hurry.
But Yes, they Cant Lead up your Barrel.
But they will Galvanize the inside of your bore over time, leaving a Zinc Build Up.
But , Hay it wont rust.
But my thought is, use the Zinc boolits for a core for a Paper Patched Bullet.
Zinc is lighter, so you can cast a Longer Core for the same weight, and get more Bore Bearing surface for the same weight of bullet.
I bailed out of California before this Lead Free Stuff hit the fan.
But if we can use the scrap Zinc that is on the market, Go for it.
I just use the Zinc WW to cast other things like Nose Cap, Grip Caps and Butt plates.
Heck, I even made a Receiver for a IMP 22 short revolver frame out of a cast Zinc block.
The original was cast out of Pot metal ( Zinc ) and had cracked, so why not ?

[Eldon]

Bck in the 60s, I loaded solid zinc commercial bullets in a 45 Colt New Service and shot them into huge ice flows in old slate mines up in VT. You could pull the bullets out of the ice and load them again ! A bullet the size of a 250 gr lead weighed 150 gr.