Acquired 400 pounds of raw lead, looking to start making 45 acp

[Evand848]

New user here.

400 pounds of lead sheets, ingots, fishing weights, etc
I think they are all on the purer side of things, they are really soft.
I’m looking to make 45 acp and I tried making some the other day
They feel too soft for 45, I need to add some antimony or lead as I understand
Do I need a hardness tester?
This is a 230 grain mold but I’m getting 239 grains and 242 grains consistently. 3/4 are 239. Is that ok?
Should I quench them?
What imperfections are acceptable? I have some that look like someone indented them with a thumb nail and that’s it. Send it?
How do I know when I’ve made bullets worth shooting?

[15meter]

First, where are you located? You may be able to hook up with someone near you who can walk you through the basics.

Next do a search for:From Ingot to Target: A Cast Bullet Guide for Handgunners. Print it out and read it.

This will probably answer most if not all your questions.

Any more questions, try searching, the search function on here is very good. Try several formats of your search string, you will come across threads that will answer your questions or give you answers to questions you didn't know you needed to ask.

Good luck.

[Multra]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?110213-From-Ingot-to-Target-A-Cast-Bullet-Guide-for-Handgunners

[15meter]

And hit the threads on pewter/tin. Pretty important alloying metal. Stupid expensive to purchase it out right.

Tin can be aquired as pewter pretty cheaply as pewter candle sticks/mugs/knick knacks at thrift stores, garage sales or purchased here in the swappin'and selling thread much cheaper than retail.

[centershot]

Welcome to CastBoolits, evand848, you've just started into a very interesting hobby, for sure!

Your pure lead will work just as it is for 45 ACP, but it would be nice to have some tin, say a 30:1 alloy. That little bit of tin will allow your alloy to fill out your mold very nicely. You can find pure metals at Roto Metals (they're a site sponsor, look at the very top of the page), they also have alloys suitable for casting and mixing your own alloys. Also check out the Swaping & Selling section once you've accumulated enough posts and membership days (I think it's still 30 + 30). There's usually casting alloy for sale. If you're only casting for the 45 ACP you won't need any antimony in the mix; If it's already in there, that's fine, but it won't be necessary at these velocities. Here's a really good read on the subject by a true expert in the field:

http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm

Put on some coffee, this'll take a while to get through!

[Winger Ed.]

Soft is OK for .45. The store bought swaged ones are more or less pure lead anyway.

Get a Lyman Cast Bullet book.
The front section of it will answer about any and all questions you'll have about the finer points of casting.

[Evand848]

First, where are you located? You may be able to hook up with someone near you who can walk you through the basics.

Next do a search for:From Ingot to Target: A Cast Bullet Guide for Handgunners. Print it out and read it.

This will probably answer most if not all your questions.

Any more questions, try searching, the search function on here is very good. Try several formats of your search string, you will come across threads that will answer your questions or give you answers to questions you didn't know you needed to ask.

Good luck.

Thank you, I’m in SF Bay Area

[rcslotcar]

By adding tin your boolits will become a little harder and will come out closer to the mold weight. A hardness tester is great but not necessary for 45acp. A tester is a great tool for magnum or high power loads. By adding tin and quenching them will harden the mix for a good boolit. I mix my lead blend in 80# lots of ingots and test for hardness them mark the lot.

[Evand848]

Thank you everyone, this is definitely the info I needed. More replies welcome too!

[elmacgyver0]

Powder coat those puppies and use them as is.

[Mk42gunner]

Powder coat those puppies and use them as is.

I'm set up for using a lubrisizer and make my own Felix lube; but I have to admit if I were just starting out casting boolits now, I'd probably go with powder coating instead of lubing.

Robert

[Dusty Bannister]

If your lead is pure, then they will NOT quench harden due to lack of antimony. But many times scrap lead is soft, but still workable for the 45 ACP. A more important factor at this point is the as cast diameter of your bullets. A micrometer is best for an accurate reading. And often times the casting will not be perfectly round, so take the readings at several locations using the mold seam mark on the casting to verify the diameter and that the blocks are in alignment.That can be a common problem sometimes over looked. Welcome to the forum, a lot of great information and helpful people.

[Pablo 5959]

Thank you, I’m in SF Bay Area
Your in luck. You live next door to Roto-metals. Get some super hard, store pick up and no shipping cost.

[Mal Paso]

Your in luck. You live next door to Roto-metals. Get some super hard, store pick up and no shipping cost.

Yep! Get some tin too. 1.5-2% antimony and 1% tin should get you there.

I use 3.5% antimony and 1% tin for magnum loads.

[ih772]

Powder coat those puppies and use them as is.

Do this!

[kmw1954]

New user here.

This is a 230 grain mold but I’m getting 239 grains and 242 grains consistently. 3/4 are 239. Is that ok?
Should I quench them?

Welcome to the group first of all.
Those weights you are seeing are a very good indication that what you have is pretty near pure lead and as mentioned adding tin will lighten it up. Quenching them will have no effect.

[Martin Luber]

The fillout on the base is most important but you will learn. Somewhere here is a sticky article by Glen Fryxell called from ingot to target or something like that. Lyman cast bullet book is good to have. Be sure to read safety information.
Welcome

[jsizemore]

Yep! Get some tin too. 1.5-2% antimony and 1% tin should get you there.

I use 3.5% antimony and 1% tin for magnum loads.

I use this mix for my 45acp. That equates to 50% COWW + 50% soft lead and then add 1% tin/pewter. You can leave off the added tin/pewter by turning the alloy temp up but at a SLIGHT loss of bullet diameter.

For 9mm, magnum, and lower velocity rifle I use COWW + 2% tin/pewter which is real close to Mal Paso's recipe.

You can buy superhard, or any of the type metals and cut it to the 1.5-2% antimony with you Pb and add a little tin/ pewter to help fillout and durability. Being ductile sure helps when the bullet is making all those changes as it is forced through the bore.

[Three44s]

Second belated welcome!

I will also second or third the idea that you just go into powder coating straight away!

PC will allow softer slugs to work than lubing them. There will be a learning curve but it does not strain a fellow too much.

If you need to size just go with the Lee push die that goes in your reloading press though and pass on a lubrisizer for now. You will have more leverage (if that is needed) than you can ever subject say a Lyman 450 to etc.

Until you get comfortable with PC .... just source your powder from fellow member “Smoke” who is a vendor. He only sells proven powders and is plenty competitive as to price. When you factor in frustration with this cheap powder or that one that fizzles, you are way better off buying from Smoke and enjoy “tearless” powder coating!

Best regards

Three44s

[mdi]

When beginning any new hobby/undertaking, I suggest K.I.S.S.. There is nothing wrong with learning to cast plain old lead bullets and using a simple traditional lube. Actually I think is better to learn to cast plain old lead bullets successfully before going to PCing. For info on alloys/alloying check the sub forum "Lead and Lead Alloys" http://castboolits.gunloads.com/forumdisplay.php?57-Lead-and-Lead-Alloys. There are a few simple methods to check alloy hardness and exacting foundry quality measurements aren't necessary, so many use the "lead pencil method" and Lees's simple tester. Exacting alloy formula isn't needed either and you can get by for most of your casting with just adding some wheel weight alloy and/or tin to your lead.

I started with an old Lee pan lube/sizer kit and tumble lubing with alox. For some reason I never got a lubersizer I guess because pan lubing and dip lubing in 45-45-10 have been quite sufficient for my needs (I rarely process more than 150 bullets at a time).

I have 4, 45 ACP molds and my favorites are a Lyman 225 RN, and a Lee 200 gr. SWC and I've been casting them with my "mystery metal" for many years (BHN approx. 11) with no need for any harder bullets.

I once read somewhere; "The only way to learn to cast bullets, is to cast bullets". So, practice, practice, practice and keep notes about what yer doin' so ya can do it again.....

[pjames32]

Search this site for "From Ingot to Target" by Fryxell. It's a free book download that is the "Bible" for lead bullets. Good luck and welcome to a new addiction!

[kmw1954]

There are a few things that mdi and I are at opposite ends of the spectrum and we are fine with that. This is one area that mdi and I are in complete agreement. Simple is best and easiest way to learn. Also agree that the only way to really learn is to do it and that means starting at the bottom. No short cuts.

I started with a 5gal bucket of free mixed wheel weights. First lesson was sorting clip on from stick on from steel and zinc. Next was a simple 1800watt hot plate and a 9" cast iron fry pan and a 2qt sauce pan. Which I quickly learned the hot plate didn't get hot enough for the skillet to melt lead and that even the little stainless sauce pan with a lid on it took forever. Took a while but I got that bucket turned into nice clean ingots.

From there I was generously sent some small 380 bullets from a few members to try in the guns to see which worked best. Well it was a Lee 356-102-R1 that did best so that was the first mold I bought, and I am eternally grateful to those members that supplied those sample as it got me started in the right direction.

The very first bullets I cast were from those COWW ingots I rendered down and they were ladle poured into that Lee mold from that same 2qt SS pan. From there they were sized with a Lee push thru sizing kit and then tumble lubed with 45/45/10.. They shot great. No leading and I am still casting and shooting those same bullets, sized and lubed the same way today.

[Mal Paso]

Search this site for "From Ingot to Target" by Fryxell. It's a free book download that is the "Bible" for lead bullets. Good luck and welcome to a new addiction!

http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Contents.htm

[Hanzy4200]

Welcome! Personally, I would add a bit of tin and antimony. If nothing else, try to scrounge some wheel weights, solder drippings, or even shot bullets. Anything to bring the ratios up a little. That said, .45 is about the best modern caliber to shoot soft lead from.

[blackthorn]

You said you had acquired: 400 pounds of lead sheets, ingots, fishing weights, etc.

Several here have advised you to add tin/pewter to what you already have and that may very well be good advise. On the other hand (to me) your post seems to indicate you have a mixture of types of lead, so, I would melt it all together, test for hardness by water dropping, just to see if perhaps you already have some tin and/or antimony, sufficient to cast the type of bullet you desire. Welcome to the madness!

[WRideout]

New user here.


This is a 230 grain mold but I’m getting 239 grains and 242 grains consistently. 3/4 are 239. Is that ok?


Welcome. Boolits frequently vary some, at times quite a lot, from the book specs for weight. Usually this is a result of using different alloy with different densities. Your pure stuff may be more dense than the alloy used by the mold manufacturer, and is probably not anything to worry about.

[Geezer in NH]

Trade the soft stuff here in S&S section for alloy you want?