Lead

[Wandering Man]

A friend gave me a couple of coffee cans full of lead that a relative had been using to make lead weights with. It looks like it might be pure lead, rather than melted wheel weights.

I'd like to cast this stuff for lead balls for my cap and ball revolver.

Is there an inexpensive home test to determine whether its pure lead?

Thanks,

WM

[Heavy lead]

If you can scratch it with your fingernail, it's probably pure or close enough.

[Down South]

If you can scratch it with your fingernail, it's probably pure or close enough.
Ditto

[mooman76]

Try a few and see. if they are too difficult to load I wouldn't use them any more, for cap and ball anyway.

[Wandering Man]

I couldn't tell much difference in the depth of my scratches between the dark colored lead in the can and the shiney wheel weight alloy I've already melted.

Then I looked at prices on Midway USA, and the almost pure lead is a lot cheaper than bullet alloy. At that price I can buy the lead and still pay less than I would for Hornady or Speer .454 balls.

WM