Lead free casting

[ejh69]

I have no need to but I was wondering if anyone casts or swage from a lead free material? I have read about zinc but being zinc is a much harder material I would think it would take special equip. not to mention what harm might come to the guns.

[Tatume]

Some people cast zinc balls for canon. Also, there used to be molds that accepted a zinc washer near the base prior to pouring the cast. The washer was supposed to scrape lead from the barrel and prevent further leading. I never tried it, but I wouldn't hesitate because of the hardness of the zinc. After all, there's been plenty of steel jacketed ammo around for decades, and it doesn't harm barrels, at least not right away.

[Janoosh]

Not to be hostile....but....the zinc washers were used to coat the bore. With zinc. The process was proposed by Harvey. It's called sherardization.
Supposedly to supplant lubing boolits because zinc is self lubricating.
Some say it works........Some don't.
Perhaps, instead of casting, try swaging or metal powder compression.

[Tatume]

It does both.

The Prot-X-Bore's zinc base must make contact with the bore to seal the gas behind while scraping the bore clean and running the length of a barrel.

http://www.hawkbullets.com/Prot-X-Bore.htm

[dakotashooter2]

I've always wondered about injection molding with zinc. I would think it would resolve some of the issues with voids and fluidity of the melted zinc.

[Janoosh]

Tatume...
Thank you, just more knowledge learned from this site.