pure lead

[fixit]

i'll bet this has been asked before, but i'm curious how fast one could get away with driving a pure lead gas checked boollet. i have wheel weights, but haven't smelted them down yet, and my casting furnace has 10 lbs, of soft lead in it, so i'm tempept to try it! oh, yeah, this will be in either of two 44 mag revolvers.

[Wally]

I tried some non-gas checked WC in the .44 Special. they cast very nicely, but you have to keep the temperature of the metal very hot--they also "freeze" cool quickly--they shot just fine at a MV of 950 FPS with no more lead fouling than when using a harder alloy. They will be a bit smaller in diameter than when using a harder alloy. As I shot them at steel plates, it was fascinating to find lead "disks" on the ground--it seems that the lead does not disintegrate like harder alloys do. That seemed quite good to me as it was easy to retrieve them and use them again.

[Willbird]

The Alberts bullets were swaged pure lead with some kind of dry lube, the maker more or less recommended keeping them under 1000 fps.

[Changeling]

i'll bet this has been asked before, but i'm curious how fast one could get away with driving a pure lead gas checked boollet. i have wheel weights, but haven't smelted them down yet, and my casting furnace has 10 lbs, of soft lead in it, so i'm tempept to try it! oh, yeah, this will be in either of two 44 mag revolvers.

First off I can't answer your question. I was under the impression that the lead /tin mixtures were good to about 1100fps before leading started. I haven't heard/read of anyone trying them with Gas Checks but it would really be an awesome experiment especially with a really good lube. I really look forward to your findings on the subject. Thanks for the post.

[anachronism]

I would expect bullet deformation at the front driving band around the 1100-1200 fps mark to start being an important factor. Although the gas check will likely keep the bore clear of most leading, I'd be concerned about the soft lead front driving band showing major deformation from skidding as it hits the rifling under higher velocity.

[fixit]

that seems to be a reasonable issue. the nose slumping could cause accuracy issuesvery quickly.

[libbyman]

Gentlemen,
Do some research. There was a man that drove rifle bullets, made from pure lead, to over
2000 FPS WITH NO LEADING! The seceret? Paper Patching. Now this was in the good old days.
Before gas cks.
Most everything has been tried before today.
Do some research and see how your ideas stack up.

Just a thought.

Ken in nw Mt.

[Baron von Trollwhack]

I shoot my musket with a pure lead minie' ball without gas check and a mix of beeswax and beef tallow for lube at a chronograpked 840 fps without any leading. Does that info help? BvT