Wanted your FOUNDRY alloy recipes.

[RogerDat]

I guess COWW recipes have been covered pretty heavily but I know some people just go the route of buying "known lead" So thought it might be worth asking folks what alloys they buy and what recipes they use with those store bought beauties.

Useful information:
Alloy sources. Where you get the alloy.
caliber & maybe usage. E.G hunting, plinking, bowling pin, punching paper, bullseye etc.
Firearm type. Rifle, pistol, carbine.
Lube type might be of interest. Since PC can tend to allow softer alloy at higher velocities.
Maybe load or FPS type info.


I did some large batches of alloy mixed from scrap that I then had tested to get a home brewed Lyman #2. I use scrap yard plumbers ingots or soft sheet lead from xray shielding for "plain" lead. Probably not going to find much "pure" lead in scrap, but plain is close enough. The foundry Pb ingots I do find I hold back for muzzle loader and C&B revolver use.

I have bought or traded for lead and solder in S&S forum and made some purchases from Rotometal (a site sponsor, link at top of pages). At one time WW's from scrap yard cost as much or more than fluxed ingots of WW lead in S&S.

I use Lyman #2 to cast 70 grain .223 bullets that are PC lubed and driven at 2,000+ fps by approx. 24 grains of Varget.

Lyman #2 and plain lead mixed 50/50 I use for revolver rounds of .38 and .357 mostly mild plinking but some full power .357 mag with PC lube and gas check. Same mix with PC for mild plinking loads in old milsurp .308 or .303 British. Close to COWW and 1 to 2 percent tin in hardness or uses.

Most of my lead is from scrounging. I generally use COWW lead as an ingredient to make a known alloy. Keep some COWW ingots on hand same as a cook would keep flour. I included my recipes because one can buy Lyman #2 and plain that I use for these recipes from foundries.

[Rich/WIS]

My source for foundry type is Roto-metals, mixed with range lead from the pistol berms at my old range. A number of years ago a vendor on the forum who sold recycled range lead posted that it would run +/- 2% SB. Mixed 7 parts range lead per pound of foundry type yield @ 5-6% Sb and 1 1/2% Sn. This works wll for lower end loads in most handguns. Mixed 3/1 produces a good alloy for mid power rifle loads (15-1600fps).

Did buy some COWW about five years ago but was able to hand pick them (35 cents/lb) to mix with some pewter (1 1/2-2%). Useful in most any handgun at moderate velocity,

Don't need any super hard as my use is plinking, and for that the cheaper the better.

[kevin c]

I use, not a foundry alloy, but still a source of clean and very consistent antimonial lead, which is medical isotope containers. If they’re not obviously very soft pure lead, nearly all the various types I’ve had analyzed (https://castboolits.gunloads.com/search.php?searchid=7447216) have been between 2.5 and 3.0% Sb (usually very close to the latter) with no significant Sn.

I make up pistol alloy (9mm at velocities usually between 900 and 1200 fps) at 95-3-2, adding tin in the form of pure from RotoMetals or scrap solder or pewter. I have RotoMetals SuperHard 30% Sb and scrap type metal if I want to up the hardness. The alloy, which is close to COWW + 2% Sn, ends up HiTek coated and doesn’t lead.

My application is USPSA action pistol, which is not demanding of accuracy, but if I do my part, behind the pot, the press and the pistol, I’ve shot 2” groups at 25 yards.

The soft lead is very pure; XRF analysis shows it to be 99.9% or even better. I have some muzzleloader associates who are glad to have it.