VintageRifle
12-30-2008, 11:35 PM
I bought this lead about 2 years ago. It came in 10-13lb Ingots. I was told it was hospital lead.
Anyway, this lead alloy will melt at a lower temperature than pure lead or WW alloy. I was using a GE hotplate 1100watt and I could melt this stuff on medium and keep it molten between medium and low. However, pure lead or WW alloy would not even melt on high.
I do not have a way to measure temperature at this time.
Some about this alloy:
1. Final hardness is 10-11. Checked with LEE Tester.
2. It always frosts over. The first two bullets from a cold mould are nice and shiny, the rest are all frosted.
3. It will melt if fired in a rifle without gas checks. Powder is 15gr 2400. Blows out the barrel molten.
4. The sprue is very brittle. It breaks off rather than cuts.
5. The discarded sprue will break easy. If left for a day, I cannot break it. However, when it is broken, breaks show a crystalized structure.
Below is a photo of the end of an ingot after I have melted part of it away in my pot. Shows large crystal structures. These are much larger than the structures in my boolits.
http://vintagerifle.net/images/bullets/LeadAlloyCrystals2.jpg
http://vintagerifle.net/images/bullets/LeadAlloyCrystals.jpg
Anyway, this lead alloy will melt at a lower temperature than pure lead or WW alloy. I was using a GE hotplate 1100watt and I could melt this stuff on medium and keep it molten between medium and low. However, pure lead or WW alloy would not even melt on high.
I do not have a way to measure temperature at this time.
Some about this alloy:
1. Final hardness is 10-11. Checked with LEE Tester.
2. It always frosts over. The first two bullets from a cold mould are nice and shiny, the rest are all frosted.
3. It will melt if fired in a rifle without gas checks. Powder is 15gr 2400. Blows out the barrel molten.
4. The sprue is very brittle. It breaks off rather than cuts.
5. The discarded sprue will break easy. If left for a day, I cannot break it. However, when it is broken, breaks show a crystalized structure.
Below is a photo of the end of an ingot after I have melted part of it away in my pot. Shows large crystal structures. These are much larger than the structures in my boolits.
http://vintagerifle.net/images/bullets/LeadAlloyCrystals2.jpg
http://vintagerifle.net/images/bullets/LeadAlloyCrystals.jpg