Getting lead from fired fmj bullets

[baladel45]

I've got almost 100 pounds of fired 9 mm FMJ bullets, all of the same maker (a Spanish brand), and I've known the core is made of 97% pure lead and 3% antimony. I've tried to get the lead alloy from the bullet but it hasn't been an easy task.
Could anybody tell me the best way to get it out of the jackets and what use such an alloy is suitable to? Will I need to add some tin?

[bohokii]

the lead should melt out the bottom i wasnt aware that spain made any tmj encapsulated ones

[baladel45]

They're conventional FMJ bullets, with exposed lead bases

[docone31]

The big thing is not to use flux.
You do not want the lead to solder to the copper. As the heat drags on on the melt, the jackets will float and the lead will fall out.
Six the jackets, then drop in some ATF, Oil, Pam, candle paraphin, anything like that. I like Pam a there is very little smoke.

[Old Grump]

The big thing is not to use flux.


Now you tell me. Actually I just dump a few bullets like 9MM or 45 hardball in the pot whenever I have a batch going, never tried to do a bun of them all at once. It always ended up with the empty jacket floating up to the top in a few minutes or less and I just skimmed it off when I skimmed the pot. Maybe the trick is to just not get in a hurry and do a few at a time like I do.

[AJH]

I think the biggest trick, for me anyway, was to leave a thin layer of lead at the bottom of the pot. Seams to spead things up when trying to melt the lead out of the jackets.

[miestro_jerry]

I throw such lead into my dutch oven and cook them up, the jacket float to the top and they go into my copper/brass recycling bucket.

Jerry

[1Shirt]

Recently smelted about 1000 lb of range salvage blts, the highest percentage of them were fmj's. Got about 700 lb. of salvage lead ingots out of them, and 2 5gal. buckets of jackets. It does help to leave a little molten lead as a starter when adding the jacketed.
1Shirt!:coffee:

[dbldblu]

If you have some that are totally encapsulated, just set them on an anvil and smack them with a hammer. All you have to do is crack that jacket and then the lead will melt out.

[mooman76]

I think the biggest trick, for me anyway, was to leave a thin layer of lead at the bottom of the pot. Seams to spead things up when trying to melt the lead out of the jackets.

Just what I was going to say. Have some lead in the bottom of the pot first. It makes it quicker and easier to extract mor. Don't put too many in at one time because you ned to work the bullets and stir them arounf to "get the lead out" so to speak. I wonder if that's where it come from? As you build lead up you can add more at a time. Don't remove too mauch when making ingots because you will have to start over slow again.

[Rock]

I smack all of mine with a hammer (3 lb hammer). This cracks the jacket, and makes the jacket thinner. By being thinner I end up with less volume to fish out of the pot.

[JeffinNZ]

If you have some that are totally encapsulated, just set them on an anvil and smack them with a hammer. All you have to do is crack that jacket and then the lead will melt out.

Good man! I just recovered some and wondered about that.

[hammerhead357]

Yes if they are totally enclosed in jacket material crush the bullet. If they have an exposed base of lead, melt them as any other bullet. Maybe putting a lid on the pot to help keep the heat in will speed things up for you..Wes

[baladel45]

Thanks guys for all your answers but .... what about the lead alloy I'm getting from the FMJ bullets? Which uses can I give to my 97% lead/3% antimony alloy? How much tin do I have to add to it?

[Edubya]

How much tin? Probably, you could get by with none but adding 1-2% wouldn't hurt.
EW

[runfiverun]

1% tin and 3% antimony is an excellent alloy.
my favorite actually, air cooled for pistol cartridges and waterdropped for rifles up to 2300 or so.
it seems to cast nicely in the 7-750 range in everything but 22 molds.

[odoh]

on my last recycling run, came across >700 bright 405Gr .458" Rem JSPs that I can't use. Was thinking about melting for the lead but will probably pass along to someone w/a 45-70 and purchase lead out right. Slightly harder than pure ~