How to drain the lead out of FMJ's

[Triggerhappy]

Hey guys,

I was given a pair of 5 gallon buckets, nearly 400# of mixed, not finish sized jacketed bullets of different sizes. These came from a bullet manufacturer. I think they take any non-finished bullets that get dropped during processing and just throw them into buckets. Conceivably I could get quite a bit more.

When melting range lead I occasionally have a fmj pop in the melt. As long as it's covered it's no big deal.

Anyone have an idea of an easy way to melt the lead out of these? Should I simply burst them by melting with a good cover? I made a punch that I could use on a reloading press but that's very time consuming. Looking for something that makes it time effective.

Another thought was to sort them, size them and go ahead and load them. Some of them have been swaged into a finished form, but some are just oval blanks waiting to be swaged.

How hard would it be to size the bullets that are close to finished? Could I do it in a 4500? I don't know how much sizing they would need. I'll measure some today and see how big they are.

I would really like to find a way to use these since I can get a bunch of them. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

TH

[fredj338]

I just toss range pickup fmj into a covered pot. As long as the bases are open, the lead melts right out.

[Triggerhappy]

These are fully jacketed, no opening.

[StarMetal]

First if you're going to size them use a Lee push through. Jacketed bullets are very hard on the Lyman linkage.

If you want to melt them I would hit the bottom of them against a grinder wheel, possibly the tip to, then toss them in the melting pot.

If any are 243 I'll take them off your hand and of course compensate you. Let me know.

[Bullshop]

Two things I do with FMJ or TMJ's. If there are not too many I have a small set of bolt cutters that are used just for this and also for adjusting ingots to make specific weight for alloy formula.
If I have quite a bunch they get mashed with a sledge on an anvil or a concrete floor will do also. My anvil is about a 20" length of RR rail and it works well for this.
When mashed the jacket will split and that is all you need.
BIC/BS

[hoosierlogger]

Yup whack them with a hammer. It is kind of a good idea to save them untill you are good and ticked off. Then you have something to take frustration out on.

[montana_charlie]

Four hundred pounds of bullets that have to be individually whacked with a hammer...and you're hoping to get more.

I think I'd be tempted to give 'em back!
CM

[leadman]

Wow! Not only did you get the lead but after you have melted the lead out you should be able to get over $1.00 to $1.50 a pound for the jackets.

[Tom308]

I'd go with Bullshop on this. I pick up range lead from time to time. I usually use channel locks or bolt cutters on the fmj bullets. All you need to do is break the jacket. No need to cut the fmj bullet in two. Lead will drain from the break. I work until I'm tired and then quit. I'm not on any schedule.

[thenaaks]

could they be plated bullets? i've melted a few plated bullets with no problems with them popping...the thin copper plating gives way easily.

i'm sitting here wondering how they make tmj bullets...how do they get the lead in there?

[Firebricker]

If you have steady supply it might be worth looking into swaging equipment to finish them.
It would depend if they are the same caliber and weight. FB

[deerslayer]

If I had your supply I wold find me a gear setup that meshed just close enough to smash the smallest one enough to split the jacket. With a few ramps you could be cranking them out or put a motor on it and just drop em in one at a time.

[Triggerhappy]

As it turns out there aren't enough of the same type of the nearly finished bullets to bother trying to size any of them. I took a couple of scoops out of the mix and sorted them out to get a better idea of what's there. Unfortunately they are all different sizes and weights. Mostly with a flat base and one rounded end. The majority have a thick copper jacket, since they aren't sized it seems a little thicker than what you would find on a regular jacketed bullet. Definitely jacketed and not plated.

I pounded a few on an anvil and the jacket flattens with the lead core. Didn't get many to split. If I hit them hard enough I could see the lead through the copper. I think I'll have to find a way to puncture them, I just hate to do it one at a time by hand. Since there are so many different sizes involved it would be hard to make something that would do a lot at once.

Still working on it. Leaning toward cooking them off. I smelted a bunch of lead I was also given last weekend and if I had been on the ball I should have thrown a few in to see if they would pop. Next time...

TH

[Triggerhappy]

Deerslayer I like your idea. May have to look into that if the supply really comes through.

These slugs are from .22 size to .45 ACP size. May have to make a screen to separate the sizes.

Guess it all depends on how much of it I can get. From the same source I also get a bunch of lead wire that's Lyman #2. I smelted down 250# of that last Saturday. It's really nice to work with. Much easier that the slugs.

TH

[Colt .45]

sort the jacketed stuff into approx callibers and sell in large lots to other people who want to swage it?


or try hammering them standing on their bottom (top down) instead of hammering them on their side?


I envy your free lead supply though...

[44fanatic]

heck, just take the bullets on place em on the rail road tracks.

[lwknight]

they would probably just get stuck in the gears and you have to knock each one out. LOL
Maybe if the gears was actually a knurled roller , it might just work.