Need help iding ingot

[dualsport]

The recycler where I go has an ingot, roughly the size of three common bricks, I hesitated buying it even though it's only $.25 a .lb. It's hard as hell, knife tip barely scratches it. A corner is broke off showing a large course crystalline strucure inside, never seen that with lead. It feels a little light compared to lead. Should I take a chance, try a little mixed in with ww? It will either melt in (at about 700deg., float or not melt at all, right? I'm thinking if it's tin I need to jump on it.

[cbrick]

Are there any numbers on it?

I doubt it's tin, tin is very malleable and would scratch very easily with your knife. Could be a high antimony alloy, antimony would break off a piece, look course and be lighter than lead as you mentioned.

Bottom line though, it could be anything.

Rick

[lwknight]

The price of antimony is about $10.00 per pound and high antimony lead is over $3.00 per pound. High antimony lead will melt under 600 degrees

Definately test it. at .25 per pound you cannot go wrong if it will melt even if it cannot be used for bullets. It may be tin babbit which commonly has a trace of copper in it. Tin babbit is/canbe hard like hell and commonly costs around $20.00 per pound

[KYCaster]

Sounds to me like a Zinc anode. Test it with muriatic acid (brick acid) available at Lowe's/Home Depot. If it's Zinc it will react.

Jerry

[Cherokee]

Buy it, melt it separately, then try casting a bullet with it to see how it does. Did the bullet fill out nicely ? Are the bullets really shiney (high tin) ? Weigh the bullet and compare the weight to others you have cast. If much lighter, may need to cut with some lead. I have a bullet that mornally cast 237 gr in ACWW, it yields 166 gr bullets out of 75% tin alloy and 188 gr for a 50/50 alloy.

[Wireman134]

The price of antimony is about $10.00 per pound and high antimony lead is over $3.00 per pound. High antimony lead will melt under 600 degrees

Definately test it. at .25 per pound you cannot go wrong if it will melt even if it cannot be used for bullets. It may be tin babbit which commonly has a trace of copper in it. Tin babbit is/canbe hard like hell and commonly costs around $20.00 per pound

$20.00 a pound! Should I be using it in my boolits???

[dualsport]

Thanks for the help guys, I'll get it and see what happens. Not much risk, a lot to gain. I have muriatic acid, I'll try that first, though it doesn't look like an anode. When in doubt, melt it!

[glicerin]

Sounds exactly like zinc. Large crystalline structure is dead on! Surface is a dull grey, rings like bell?, but lighter, this is what we definitely don't want. My ingot was marked prime western(from B.C. Can)

[dualsport]

Well I went back to the recycler, a guy there that's been in the business a while told me it was pot metal. There was no markings on the ingot, but I decided to take his word for it. I don't have to resort to shooting pot metal bullets yet. BUT, boy was I glad I went, (and after a brutal day at work, I'm basically a laborer). 287 lbs. of ww and lead sheet rolls at $.25 a lb.! I almost didn't go, too tired, but you guys got me thinking. Thanks for all the help.