Modern solder

[Andrew Quigley]

Is it any good to mix with pure lead for hardening? Old 50-50 is hard to find but the mordern stuff is everywhere.

[Rockchucker]

I bought some 97% 3% lead (97/3) solder the other day from a Plumbing parts house the just for adding a little tin in the mix. Seems to work nice.

[deltaenterprizes]

It has tin in it ,why wouldn't it be any good? Plus it adds a little antimony.

[snuffy]

Yeah, but be careful, read the mix before buying. There's 95-5 that's 5% silver, copper, and antimony. Get the one with antimony, it'll add to the hardness a little bit. Tin helps harden the alloy, but not much. What it does do quite well is lower the melting temp and make the mold fill out better. Antimony is what really hardens alloy the most. Oh, somewhere on the roll of solder there should be a label that tells the content.

[Frankcnb]

95-5 solder is 95% tin and 5% antimony. It is a good source for tin to add to the melt if you need it. I do not think you can find 95-5 in wharehouse stores such as Lowes. You would have to find it in a Plumming or Refridgeration supply house. I have used tons of it on suction lines in refridgeration.

http://www.canfieldmetals.com/95_5_wire_solder.htm

[standles]

to answer what I saw as the point of the OP...

Adding TIN to the melt will aid in bullet fillout and castability of the alloy. Adding TIN will do very little towards hardening the lead.

If hardening the alloy is your goal then adding ANTIMONY is the method to use.


Steven

[Andrew Quigley]

If I get the 95-5 would a 10 lb lead to 1 lb of 95-5 be good? A little harder would be great but filling the mould is more important to me.

[Down South]

If I get the 95-5 would a 10 lb lead to 1 lb of 95-5 be good? A little harder would be great but filling the mould is more important to me.
Actually I believe you should go half that. 1 lb 95/5 to bout 19 lb of lead if that is what you are using.

[runfiverun]

90-10 is what rcbs uses for it's rifle bullets,same with lee.
20-1 will get you some pretty hard stuff.
winchester and remington have used 30-1,40-1 and 50-1 in their 45 colt and 38 special rounds throughout the years.
don't get caught into the hardness pattern.