View Full Version : Roofing lead for .45 acp?
cricco
01-21-2010, 06:32 AM
I have obtained a significant quantity of lead roof flashing that I plan to smelt into ingots. I do have a small quantity of wheel weights also. I am wondering if I could use the roof flashing to cast boolits for .45 ACP without adding any other alloy to my mix? Would roof flashing be too soft?
Tom W.
01-21-2010, 06:42 AM
Most likely it will be pure or almost pure lead, and a bit on the soft side. I'd save it for muzzleloaders, or in absence of that, mix W/W with it to harden it up some.
Willbird
01-21-2010, 07:39 AM
I worked a great deal with my 1911 after I had it built. Using a ransom rest. I DID want to try to make pure lead bullets work because I had access to pig lead at that time, and it was a for sure known alloy. Recovered bullets however had land marks 1.5 times as wide as recovered bullets made of linotype. This was with 4.0 grains of bullseye. I thought maybe a slower powder was the solution, but none of the many I tried was as clean and accurate as bullseye.
The best accuracy I got from pure lead bullets was around 3" at 50 yards, linotype bullets would shoot 1.25 inches.
Bill
Wayne Smith
01-21-2010, 08:48 AM
The other problem you are likely to have with pure is incomplete fillout of the mold. You have to run it real hot to get complete fillout. I'd run 50/50 and see how your gun likes it.
gray wolf
01-21-2010, 10:35 AM
If you can handle the expence add a little tin 30-1/20/1 and it should get better.
Or as it has been said 1/2and 1/2 with WW air cooled shouls do it. I use the roofing lead as is for the front stuffer and it is very, very soft. But that's great for the black powder.
The cheapest way is to mix those WW with the roofing lead 50/50. Try to head out and find some more WW if you can and at the worst add tin as mentioned to harden up the alloy a bit. Straight roofing lead probably is not going to give you the performance you want as it is going to be a bit too soft for your application.
DLCTEX
01-21-2010, 11:30 AM
Adding tin will not do much for hardening lead. Adding some chilled shot that has arsenic or antimony added will. WW+lead will be a better solution.
cricco
01-21-2010, 08:16 PM
Thanks guys. I'll try mixing the ww and lead 50/50.
SciFiJim
01-22-2010, 02:17 AM
If you have a LOT more roofing lead than WWs, you might offer to trade for more WWs in the swappin' and sellin' section. Muzzle loaders are always looking for pure.
Green Frog
01-22-2010, 09:12 AM
If you have a LOT more roofing lead than WWs, you might offer to trade for more WWs in the swappin' and sellin' section. Muzzle loaders are always looking for pure.
+1 to that! :drinks:
I had a source for roofing lead (before his retirement :???: ) and literally got a half ton or more of clean, pure (essentially) lead trimmings that could be cut with shears to fit into even a 10# pot. For front stuffers this was exactly what I needed, for precise rifle bullets for Schuetzen and Black Powder Silhouette, I generally add either pure tin in sticks or partial bars of Pb/Sn bar solder to get a 25 to 1 ratio alloy (by actual weight.) I really like to know exactly what I am shooting, so just in case something actually goes right for me I can do it again!! [smilie=w:
Wheel weights are good for pistol and plinkin' bullets :Fire: and Linotype is good if you want to make hard bullets to try to get J-word type performance out of cast bullets, but give me pure lead and tin to last the rest of my life and I will be a happy camper!
Froggie
geargnasher
02-11-2011, 02:07 AM
Cricco, you can go something like 25% WW and 75% flashing and water quench them by dropping them straight from the mould into a bucket of cold water, they should be plenty hard for your .45 ACP if you let them age-harden for a couple of weeks. Might be anywhere from 10-13 BHN depending on how hot they are when they drop from the mould.
50/50 WW and Roof tin will be fine air cooled, too. We're only talking 750-850 fps anyway, they don't have to be very hard for that.
Gear
pls1911
02-20-2011, 05:24 PM
gearnasher's spon this time.
I've gravitated to a 25-75 roof flashing to ww alloy.
onl my roofing material apparently have tin in it, as it casts pretty well and measures 11 brynell after 2 days. mixed 25-75 I get about 13, and it heat treats to 25 or more for rifles...CHEAP.
Huntducks
02-20-2011, 07:45 PM
I'm a retired plumber and when I was in Bus. I got ton's of pure lead waste change out P-traps and roof flashings you name it my guys working for me had to save it, I would then buy reclaimed shot like $6-8 a 25lb bag and mix it 50/50 worked great and I still have 6-7 hundred lbs in ingots.:lovebooli
cricco,
I have been getting away w/ using 50% range scrap/50% Pb + a little tin for my target/plinking 38 Special and .45 acp. I am only using 3.2 gr of Bullseye and a Lyman 452460 for my target loads.
I don't have a hardness tester so I don't know how hard this lead is. It is harder than straight lead but not as hard as WW's. Accuracy is as good as any alloy I have used.
Good luck, jmsj
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