Why is Lead so CHEAP?

[sw282]

i think l understand basic economics of supply and demand. When demand is greater than supply the price will naturally be HIGHER. Thats what puzzles me about the price of Lead... Demand and price for ammo is through the ROOF.. Yet the price of lead is ridiculously LOW... l have never seen it this low @ app 80cents a pound, give or take a few pennies. Since 2010 it was always around a dollar. Now its 20% less. The last USA lead mine closed about 10 yrs ago.. The demand for ammo seems to be highest in my lifetime NOW. Anyone have an opinion or answer for the low prices of lead??

Thanks-282

[Walks]

Huh ?!?

[RP]

Less is being used in other areas such as WWs batteries fishing weights I think have gone to zinc is my thinking.

[Winger Ed.]

You think its cheap now?
It wasn't too long ago the scrap yards paid 10 cents a pound, and sold it for 25.
Its a commodity, the price floats up & down constantly, just like oil, gold, etc.


For Lead being such an influence on ammo prices-
If a 230gr ball loaded is really only about 200 gr. of pure Lead, and lead is $1. a pound--
you'll get about 28 or so that can be made with a pound of Lead.

That's barely over 4 cents per bullet for a big fat .45.
9mm is around half of that for a 120 gr hardball.

Cheap, junkie .45ACP loaded ammo is right at $1. each.
The really good stuff is almost $3.

Lead being $1 a pound isn't that big of a deal in the scheme of things.
Production rates are the big issue, not the scrap price of what ammo is made from.

[Rcmaveric]

Price of ammo is high due to taxes and additional fees (blame goverment). Not from the price of base components.

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[Gewehr-Guy]

A few years back China was buying lots of lead, now not so much

[BattleRife]

Demand and price for ammo is through the ROOF.. Yet the price of lead is ridiculously LOW...

From the US Geological Society's summary page on lead:

By the early 2000s, the total demand for lead in all types of lead-acid storage batteries represented 88% of apparent U.S. lead consumption. Other significant uses included ammunition (3%), oxides in glass and ceramics (3%), casting metals (2%), and sheet lead (1%).

The demand for ammunition is irrelevant. If people aren't driving cars or running electric forklifts, consumption of lead goes way, way down.

[waksupi]

Lead is a significant byproduct of many mining operations.

[Conditor22]

Lead's bought for .10¢ and sold for $1.50 at my local scrap yard.

occasionally they will have linotype pigs and rolls of solder for the same price that finds it's way home with me.

[gpidaho]

Lead is a significant byproduct of many mining operations. As in Laser Cast Bullets a subsidiary co. of a silver mining corp. Gp

[kevin c]

As in Laser Cast Bullets a subsidiary co. of a silver mining corp. Gp

According to this Wikipedia article, the silver in lead ore can be worth more than the lead itself.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galena#Lead_ore_deposits

[GregLaROCHE]

I collect all I need for free from my club’s range. For everyone who buys it, I hope the price stays low. Most of all, I hope the government, doesn’t decide to put an environmental tax on all sales of it. The way things are going, that could happen.

[quilbilly]

Lead is a significant byproduct of many mining operations.
Lead and silver are often found in the same deposits. The more silver being mined, the more lead will be found.

[jdfoxinc]

Doe Run mining company is still lining lead ore in the Missouri mine. They had to shut down the primary smelter in Herculaneum. They ship out lead concentrate only to out of country smelters.

[GregLaROCHE]

Doe Run mining company is still lining lead ore in the Missouri mine. They had to shut down the primary smelter in Herculaneum. They ship out lead concentrate only to out of country smelters.

I hate when our natural ressources leave the country, for someone else to profit from.

[kreuzlover]

We can probably thank the last president we had for lead being phased out of a lot of things, like wheel weights.

[GregLaROCHE]

We can probably thank the last president we had for lead being phased out of a lot of things, like wheel weights.

Someone probably got a kickback from the zinc producers.

[Hanzy4200]

Like Winger Ed said, it flows up and down like every other metal. My yard is selling for $.60 a lb. Was $.50 a year or so ago. Like anothers mentioned also, lead is a common by product of other mining operations. And to my understanding it isn't very difficult to extract like many others.

[Doughty]

I believe also that the ability to recycle lead is improving. Relatively little lead is actually lost, just changes it's form.

[Rcmaveric]

Lead's bought for .10¢ and sold for $1.50 at my local scrap yard.

occasionally they will have linotype pigs and rolls of solder for the same price that finds it's way home with me.You sir are a lucky man. Why kind of life as thou lived to gain such holy karma?? Teach us master! Side note i am in the market for some tin rich copper doped babbit.

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[Rcmaveric]

I believe also that the ability to recycle lead is improving. Relatively little lead is actually lost, just changes it's form.I read some where that the recycling of lead has like 95%+ recovery rate. Cant remember where I read that. Thats why it isnt mined so much. Its a by product of silver mining so its still getting introduced. It has a low power to recycling ratio so it is extensively recycled with almost none missed in reclamation

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[Eddie Southgate]

Huh ?!?

My thoughts exactly .

[monkey wrangler]

i think l understand basic economics of supply and demand. When demand is greater than supply the price will naturally be HIGHER. Thats what puzzles me about the price of Lead... Demand and price for ammo is through the ROOF.. Yet the price of lead is ridiculously LOW... l have never seen it this low @ app 80cents a pound, give or take a few pennies. Since 2010 it was always around a dollar. Now its 20% less. The last USA lead mine closed about 10 yrs ago.. The demand for ammo seems to be highest in my lifetime NOW. Anyone have an opinion or answer for the low prices of lead??

Thanks-282

There are still several lead mines active in the US. Doe run in Missouri was mentioned as well as Red Dog and Greens Creek in Alaska. They closed all the lead smelters. lead also runs with zinc as well as silver. It is amazing what the mines get as secondary metals.

[dtknowles]

I hate when our natural ressources leave the country, for someone else to profit from.

They don't ship it overseas at a loss. I hate the loss of jobs most. We should put a tariff on imports from countries with inadequate environmental and worker safety laws.

[Rcmaveric]

Tariffs effect end users. You put a tariff on it then company raises price on end product.

Hence gas price goes up so does the price of milk and Legos. You tarrif steel and aluminum and the price of cars and guns go up.. Why I never understand inflation and taxes. No matter what you do to a company the extra expense always gets transferred to the end user with no affect to the company.

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[Winger Ed.]

No matter what you do to a company the extra expense always gets transferred to the end user with no affect to the company.


Tariffs are meant to do two different things:
1. They make imported things more expensive to encourage buying domestic made items, thus protecting our manufacturing industry.

2. Tariffs are also a way the govt. can collect at least some of the taxes lost my the employees of a domestic manufacturer,
and all the other people's taxes that would have been employed there, and in businesses around that industry.

For example:
When buying domesticly produced steel, that mill employs people, and all around it grows car dealers, grocery stores,
fast food places, movie theatres, gas stations, and on and on. Those places all employ people who also pay taxes.

No steel mill due to imports--- no people to work and pay taxes either.

Then, later on, when we can't produce our own steel,,,,, is there anyone foolish enough to think the price will go down?


Back in the 80's, ya used to see bumper stickers around that read:
"Buy American The job you save may be your own"

[dtknowles]

Tariffs effect end users. You put a tariff on it then company raises price on end product.

Hence gas price goes up so does the price of milk and Legos. You tarrif steel and aluminum and the price of cars and guns go up.. Why I never understand inflation and taxes. No matter what you do to a company the extra expense always gets transferred to the end user with no affect to the company.

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So what do you want, cheaper lead from an overseas manufacturer who pollutes the environment and abuses his workers? Cheaper lead from a domestic manufacturer who pollutes the environment and abuses his workers? More expensive lead from a manufacturer who does not pollute the environment or abuse his workers or an overseas manufacturer who has to pay a tariff?

[Winger Ed.]

So what do you want, cheaper lead from an overseas manufacturer who pollutes the environment and abuses his workers?

Good point. And least we forget:
Foreign manufacturers also don't have to contend with all that EPA, OSHA, personal protective gear, minimum wage,
workman's Comp. insurance, and employee benefits nonsense either.

Buy at least when you buy toys for your kids, you can rest assured they are made by someone else's kids.

[abunaitoo]

I just checked and the price here is $3.22 a pound.
Not all the cheap.
It has also been labeled a hazardous material by our gooberment.
So getting hard to find.
Used to get wheel weights, Xray lead, Roof lead, boat keel lead, fishing lead.
Now all hard to find.
When a friend moved to Tennessee, he took all his lead to the recyclers.
Wish I had known. Would have bought it from him.
But I think half of it was not lead.
He once gave me a bucket of "lead wheel weights" that turned out to be less than 1/4 lead.

[GregLaROCHE]

They don't ship it overseas at a loss. I hate the loss of jobs most. We should put a tariff on imports from countries with inadequate environmental and worker safety laws.

I second the motion to put tariffs on countries with inadequate environmental and worker safety laws. Make more jobs for Americans even if products become more expensive.

[GregLaROCHE]

Besides a domestic a steel mill creating jobs and that income trickles down into the economy, the steel mill gets taxed by the government and the government gets the funds it needs to build roads, fix bridges etc.

[Rcmaveric]

So what do you want, cheaper lead from an overseas manufacturer who pollutes the environment and abuses his workers? Cheaper lead from a domestic manufacturer who pollutes the environment and abuses his workers? More expensive lead from a manufacturer who does not pollute the environment or abuse his workers or an overseas manufacturer who has to pay a tariff?

I want the government to deregulate lead so I can mine berms and make it easier to get scrap lead through local chains thereby boosting local economy.

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[sharps4590]

Welll...I know I've been at this a long time but, lead ain't cheap. 25 years ago I bought what is turning into a life time's supply at 20 cents a pound. Lots of folks have given me all kinds of lead over the years as well and, I did the electrical maintenance for two tire shops for years and got all their wheelweights. That was back when wheelweights were good.

[ulk77more]

the local yard here buys at .75 and does not resell to private people.

[ulk77more]

local boat yard is scrapping about 10 sail boats ill check to see if the keels are lead.

[waksupi]

Do a search on this board, you will see Doe Run shut down years ago. It almost became a running joke here.

[megasupermagnum]

80 cents per pound? Where?

Once a year or two I come across someone selling for $1 per pound in a big enough lot to make it worth it. Most on this forum seem to be trying to get closer to $1.25 to $1.50 per pound, plus shipping. Many want even more. Most of Rotometals is around $3-$4 per pound.

If talking about something like clip on wheel weights, 80 cents per pound isn't worth it. Most are likely not lead, and the work to turn them into usable ingots, if you value your time at all, suddenly turns into $4 per pound. That's the golden rule of scrapping, pay yourself first.

[444ttd]

it must be 12-15 years when the price of lead was around $0.005-0.008/lb when it was taken to a scrap yard. i was in waterline construction(operator, laborer) and when it was time to do a new service, i'd take many feet of lead pipe and take it home to smelt. 30-40' pipe/ 1/2 -3/4" pipe OD for each service. 200 and some homes, i was in heaven. i also took brass fittings and copper pipe to the scrap yard and i split the check 4 ways. i believe the brass and copper pipe was around $2.50-3.00/lb, but i'm not sure. anyway, i have enuff lead to last many lifetimes.

[gwpercle]

Price of ammo is high due to taxes and additional fees (blame goverment). Not from the price of base components.

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I knew it was all Donald's fault ... that's ok ... I use more gasoline than lead and a gallon of regular sells for $1.63 around here ...a lot cheaper than that other President before Donald was selling it for .
Gary

[Rcmaveric]

I knew it was all Donald's fault ... that's ok ... I use more gasoline than lead and a gallon of regular sells for $1.63 around here ...a lot cheaper than that other President before Donald was selling it for .
GaryIt all started under Obama. Donald has been rolling back regulations. They did it for steal, oil and coal. They just haven't made it to lead. Doubt they will but I can dream.

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[Geezer in NH]

1974 or so I bought 1 ton of lino at .10 pound all in ingots Best $200 I ever spent.

Also bought 1500 pounds of lead sheathing for a power cable at .03 a pound. $45.00 total.

mid 70's lead shot at a discount/wholesale store at $6.00 per bag I bought 50 bags it took a new set of shocks on my Plymouth station wagon at Sears that week $8.00 each plus $5.00 installation.

Wheel weights in the 80's for the cost of a couple of pizzas. I have not spent money on lead since the 90's it just seems to appear free now. Secret is never refuse any amount being given even when it may take two or three pickup and trailer trips.(never forget lunch for the giver)

[Plate plinker]

A few years back China was buying lots of lead, now not so much

Yes, since they were caught making toys with it! Who knows what else they were lacing with it?

[Mal Paso]

Lead is cheap because it's decayed nuclear material. It was worth big bucks a couple million years ago when it was hot.



LOL

[Jniedbalski]

For my lead in the 80’s and middle 90’s was free. Tire shops where begging me to take it off for them. They where tripping over it. I got 5 or6 five gallon buckets of all lead wheel weights. I gave a lot away and sold some. I think i got .20 to .30 cents a lb if that much in the early 90’s.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

I just scored a 113 lbs. of sorted lead wheel weights for $40.

[markmars]

Doe Run mining company is still lining lead ore in the Missouri mine. They had to shut down the primary smelter in Herculaneum. They ship out lead concentrate only to out of country smelters.

We can probably thank the last president we had for lead being phased out of a lot of things, like wheel weights.

Both of these go hand in hand Doe Run could not afford to run the smelter due to increase regulation.