Mystery ingots

[Doubles Shooter]

I was given an ammo can with 40+ pounds of ingots. They came third hand from an estate sale so nobody has any idea of what they are. ( Another reason to mark your ingots]. Pencil tests show a BHN of 12-13 which shows as range scrap on the chart I have I was hoping for good news like linotype hardness or tin. They pass the acid test. They cut clean with a utility knife and reveal a shiny silver color. My question is, these have a nice ring to them when hit together. All I have ever cast with is lead and tin alloys. Does range scrap have a ring to it? I've never had any before. Might be a good mix if I start casting for my 30-30 some day. Thanks.

[Conditor22]

12 - 13 I would call them COWW

[Dusty Bannister]

It could be current clip on Wheel Weight alloy. That will have a "ring" and may test in that area of hardness. Through the years, there is less and less antimony so the material is often softer than whatever appears in the casting manuals that are 10 or more years out of date. It could also be range scrap, but many have found (if you do a site search under that topic) the scrap to test more in the 10-11 BHN range. Ingots do not give a true hardness reading because of the different rate of cooling of the ingot as compared to the cast bullet. But is close enough for most of us.

[bangerjim]

COWW's...melt them and cast some boolits. Don't worry about the hardness. Like said above.................close enough! Too many on here get lost in the weeds on hardness. I personally would shoot them in anything below 1400FPS. Like 9mm/40 S&W/45acp/38's/and 45LC's. But that is just me.

If you drawers are in a bind about hardness, you can always PC them. I shoot 10-12 hardness in EVERYTHING, even rifles if they are PC'd. No leading, no smoke, no sticky boolits/able to shoot much softer alloys than what "the experts" from 1/2 a century or so ago touted was gospel. - perfect shooting everytime.

[slim1836]

Try the acid test first.

Slim

[Gtrubicon]

If your concerned, I will deal with them in a proper manor.

[fredj338]

Yeah that is quite a bit harder than range scrap. I get 9-10bhn from berm mined range scrap. You are right around aged clip ww alloy. If it can be easily dented, its castable alloy.

[LenH]

What bangerjim said plus FIT IS KING all else is secondary.

All range scrap I get is from a outdoor range in the OKC area and is mostly jacketed bullets. It test anywhere between 8.5 & 10 BNH depending on the batch.
I have shot this alloy on .38 special loads & .45 Colt with no problems. The only time I worry about alloy in my Bullseye bullets and in rifle bullets.

[lightman]

That hardness is about what I would expect from clip on wheelweights. I would cast with them as is.

[Doubles Shooter]

Thanks for the replies. I guess he was a big time caster for many years so they probably are COWW's. I'll set some aside for the 30-30 and mix some with the pipe lead I have for the .45. My friend had over 3000 cast 44's and 38's from the estate to try to sell. Some of it had the lube falling out. I might see what I can get them for. I'll just melt and recast.I got probably 40 pounds of different scrap. Sinkers, puddles of melt broken ingots, etc. That will be cast into sinkers and jigs.

[fredj338]

Thanks for the replies. I guess he was a big time caster for many years so they probably are COWW's. I'll set some aside for the 30-30 and mix some with the pipe lead I have for the .45. My friend had over 3000 cast 44's and 38's from the estate to try to sell. Some of it had the lube falling out. I might see what I can get them for. I'll just melt and recast.I got probably 40 pounds of different scrap. Sinkers, puddles of melt broken ingots, etc. That will be cast into sinkers and jigs.

Dont pay more than $1/# if you are melting them down. About 29, 240gr/44 in 1#. So $35 for 1000??

[Doubles Shooter]

He said he's tired if moving them around and he'd be happy with some more sinkers and lead head jigs I make. I'm in.