Alloy Mix for Revolvers

[burch]

I`ve got about 50lbs. of pure lead coming. I`m wanting to mix this up for my revolvers, 38 spec., 44 spec., and 45 Colt. Is there a good mix for all these calipers ? I`ve also got some clip on WW`s coming and from what i`ve been reading i`m guessing i`ll just melt `em down and make ingits, right or wrong ?

Burch :Fire:

[Recluse]

Burch,

Some folks use Sharpies, others use awls, and I know one guy who uses duct tape to keep his ingots separated/sorted.

Me? I use different ingot moulds. I use Lymans for straight WW ingots, Lee for pure lead, the Lee 1/2 pound ingots for linotype and high-grade tin, RCBS for linotype/WW/tin ingots, and Saeco for my "super grade" alloy ingots. Just easier for ME to see what I have at a glance and how much of it I have. Easier to keep it organized that way, too.

I've never been a pure lead fan for smokeless powder loads, and have always mixed it at least 1:1 with WW. For my low-velocity .38 special WC and .45ACP loads, I'll simply air-cool the boolits. You may find that you'll need to add some tin if you're using a high ratio of pure lead in order to get good fillout. Leastways, that's been my experience.

Don't get me wrong--I like keeping plenty of pure lead on hand and in ingot form, I'm just not crazy about casting pure lead boolits for smokeless powder loads.

:coffee:

[burch]

Burch,

Some folks use Sharpies, others use awls, and I know one guy who uses duct tape to keep his ingots separated/sorted.

Me? I use different ingot moulds. I use Lymans for straight WW ingots, Lee for pure lead, the Lee 1/2 pound ingots for linotype and high-grade tin, RCBS for linotype/WW/tin ingots, and Saeco for my "super grade" alloy ingots. Just easier for ME to see what I have at a glance and how much of it I have. Easier to keep it organized that way, too.

I've never been a pure lead fan for smokeless powder loads, and have always mixed it at least 1:1 with WW. For my low-velocity .38 special WC and .45ACP loads, I'll simply air-cool the boolits. You may find that you'll need to add some tin if you're using a high ratio of pure lead in order to get good fillout. Leastways, that's been my experience.

Don't get me wrong--I like keeping plenty of pure lead on hand and in ingot form, I'm just not crazy about casting pure lead boolits for smokeless powder loads.

:coffee:

I`m interested in an alloy mix, 20:1 - 16:1 that sort of mix. I just wanted to hear what everyone else was using. Also where do you guys buy your alloys ( tin, antimony etc. )

[Wayne Smith]

Your tape on ww's will be close to pure in hardness. If you mix 50/50 clip on ww's and pure you get close to 16-1 in hardness but with antimony and arsenic so it will harden if water droppedl Next time I buy metals it will be from Rotometals at the top of the page.

[NHlever]

I use a cheap vibratory marker to write on my ingots. I don't know what took me so long to think of it. My hangun alloy has been 1-16, or pure wheelweights, or WW with a little tin added. All seem to work fine up to magnum handgun velocities, and for normal rifle loads.

[burch]

I feel like a complete boob. I thought I had ran this post before, well low and behold I found it. :roll:

I`m melting up some ingots of pure lead and ingots of ww`s and then i`ll mix up a couple ingots and try `em out in my guns. I got 50 lbs. of pure lead and a 4gal. bucket of clip on ww`s for FREE, FREE, FREE