Casting with Zinc...Pennies

[Hogtamer]

Rotometals sells Zamac3 alloy, 96% zinc, 4% aluminum. I worked up a full bore shotgun slug that came out at 477 gr from a custom mold that I can safely shoot from a rifled barrel 12 ga @ 1700 fps and 10,000 psi. The same mold produces a 975 gr lead slug. I can hit you in the face every time from a rest at 100 yds from my 87O. Needs to be an iron mold. Works great for that application and no, zinc will not hurt your steel barrel. Coming up with a suitable load for a such a light bullet could be a challenge though.

[ButchC]

I wonder if certain barrels might overspin or not stabilize a zinc bullet. Berger's twist rate calculator spec's out a SG of 1.5 (1.0-1.4 is marginally stable) to get the peak BC out of a bullet and be properly stabilized. A Lee C309-180-R cast with zinc (using weight and bullet dimensions provided by google) has an SG of 2.68 when fire rom a 1:10. Probably A-OK and likely spinning fast enough to overcome the lead bias of twist rate models, we know they don't apply to the same to copper (thanks Bryan Litz), i.e. faster than a 1.5 required for copper to stabilize so assume the same for zinc.

[HP9MM]

I remember an article in The American Rifleman about casting bullets out of zinc. Seems like it was in the 60's. I need to look in an old NRA reloading manual which I think has it.

[TD1886]

I wonder if certain barrels might overspin or not stabilize a zinc bullet. Berger's twist rate calculator spec's out a SG of 1.5 (1.0-1.4 is marginally stable) to get the peak BC out of a bullet and be properly stabilized. A Lee C309-180-R cast with zinc (using weight and bullet dimensions provided by google) has an SG of 2.68 when fire rom a 1:10. Probably A-OK and likely spinning fast enough to overcome the lead bias of twist rate models, we know they don't apply to the same to copper (thanks Bryan Litz), i.e. faster than a 1.5 required for copper to stabilize so assume the same for zinc.

It's not the weight of the bullet that is used to calculate the twist, it's the length. With that said I wouldn't worry about it one iota.

[TD1886]

Remember if you shoot zinc bullets it's going to wear your throat. Even HV Linotype loads will wear a throat.

[Somebody]

Concerning zinc and iron molds - last time I processed zinc wheel weights, something was definitely eating at the frying pan I use for smelting. The normally smooth grey-black cast iron was the light grey color and texture of freshly pickled steel. On the other hand, I had no issues of adhesion to the aluminum ingot mold, and it looked no different than before.

Pure molten zinc will attack iron, but an alloy containing 6% or more of aluminum greatly reduces the rate of attack. Zinc wheel weights range from 2-28% aluminum, so if you happen to get a purer zinc mix, mold damage seems to be a real possibility.

[Winger Ed.]

last time I processed zinc wheel weights, something was definitely eating at the frying pan .

A few of the videos I've seen about it, they talked about using Stainless Steel for the pot.
Probably for that reason.

[Digital Dan]

Note: last I knew...Federal offense to Deface US Currency... Just a note

Melted pennies have no face.

[Markopolo]

A great place to find zinc… all that you would ever need…

Go to your nearest boatyard and haul out. Zinc is used to help stop electrolysis in boats.. and boat engines. They need to be replaced often.. and are easy to come by. boat shops sell them new fairly cheap, but better to get used and melt em down.

hope this helps.

[JSnover]

It's your money.
You can do with it whatever you want........ put it out in the street and set it on fire if you feel like it.
But if you deface or alter it with the intent to defraud someone then it can be very problematic.

Destroying your own money is one of those crimes that never gets enforced.

Yep.
I worked at a co-gen plant a few times; trash-to-energy. After the garbage was burned, the slugs of metal formerly valued as currency were picked out of the ash and returned to Uncle Sam and you'd be surprised at the amount of 'money' they reclaimed each month. As near as I can tell, the Feds never staked out anyone's neighborhood to track/trace bags of trash because they might contain someone's pocket change.

[Lead pot]

I think there were some factory made bullets like that back in the mid-1800s.

I still make some but I use copper not zinc.

[GONRA]

GONRA would like to no if any
Commercial Bottom Pour Electric Pots
sold for LEAD Boolits verk for ZINC? ???

Bet you experts no..... THANX

[Winger Ed.]

There's a few videos on youtube of guys casting with Zinc,
but I don't think our common bottom pour pots get quite hot enough to get a good flow.

If you do start casting with Zinc pennies, do it late at night.
We'd hate to hear you got sent to prison for 20 years because you melted down a couple bucks worth of pennies..

[archangel2003]

Liquid Zinc will dissolve steel and stainless steel so a lead melting pot will quickly develop holes and will fail spilling molten Zinc out the bottom.
A properly tempered graphite crucible would be your best option for melting Zinc.
I have pails of pure Zinc powder intended for adding to industrial epoxy paint for improving corrosion resistance on things exposed to the elements like bridges.
Pure Zinc in a powder should melt faster and easier than solid chunks.
Each 2.5 gallon pail weight about 75 pounds.
I did get 1 quart paint cans so I can have something of a reasonable size to ship them in.
The internet says it takes 180 Zinc pennies to make one pound of castible Zinc so more cost effective than using chemically pure powder that is valued so much higher.