Lead

[wgttgw]

I agree that glock says no cast bullets. A manufactures warning is not something to be ignored but when you think about it many manufactures say don't shoot reloads at all. Many do shoot cast in their glocks without problems. The individual would need to make decision for themselves.

I personally think glock gets its reputation for leading due to the two most common calibers it's sold in are possibly 9mm and 40 sw. The 9mm is known for having barrel diameters all over the place.leading to folks using.356 when it may be to small to size cast in that particular gun. 40 SW brass is know to have spring back tendency which is known to size down your lead bullets.

 

[damifinowfish]

Wheel weights tend to be hard lead. Great for center fire. Muzzle loaders need very soft lead (pure lead)

I use a sauce pan and a 1000 watt electric hot plate to blend my lead into lots for casting. This way each lot of lead is constant for the batch of lead used for each casting. My lots tend to be around 13 pounds and I try to get a hardness of around 12 on my lee hardness tester. This yields around five hundred 158 grain bullets.

With reloading constantly is the key with each step.

 

[SOMDSHOOT]

While I agree with you zoostation, how many manuals these days are written by the corporate lawyers, rather than the engineers that made something?

LMAO WOOT WOOT ! This is how I feel about all the guys who told me Hodgdon Clays powder would never work in a 20 Ga. Shotshell... My cast lead 20 gauge slugs and reloads drive tacks just fine with Clays powder. I'm a little more intelligent to understand that since 20 gauge has gotten so much more popular over the past few years that the powder makers decide to create a new powder, charge more for it, and claim it is specifically designed for 20 gauge shooters... Aww horse pucky.

 

[mstraus]

I loose about 40% to scrap by weight when i sort and smelt my WW due to metal and ZN WW plus the metal clips. I just dump scrap into bucket along with slag skimmed off the top of pot and sell to my recycle place. I shop auctions, yard sales, Lead was use alot in the past for window weights. I even found door stops and a weight with a hook on it for holding down venetian blinds.

 

[chevellenut71]

Went out today and was given 2 five gallon buckets of wheel weights. Now I have to learn how to cast my own bullets. It reminded me of going around town looking for the kids Christmas gifts and finding it at the store.

How much work have I gotten myself into. Any info on equipment will be helpful.

Was told glock 17 don't do well shooting cast any info?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

NO NO First thing you do is give them all to me and I will go through them for you and pick out all the bad one and give you whats left...

 

[Dick Chaney]

NO NO First thing you do is give them all to me and I will go through them for you and pick out all the bad one and give you whats left...

Where do you live I can bring them over.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

 

[303_enfield]

Go here to learn:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/
You can shoot lead boolits in a Glock all day, IF YOU REPLACE THE BARREL with a standard rifled one.

WW don't work well in front stuffers. As the lead is to hard. Now WW work great in pistols. If you use gas checks they can run over 2,000fps in rifles. I use a lead 202 gr 314299 in my 303B all the time.

As for zinc in WW. Keep your smelt pot at 600-650 f and you'll be fine. The zinc will float on top as it melts at over 700 f. Hand sort it first and smelt the stick ons by them self. As they are a soft lead that works in front stuffers but needs tin added for centerfires.

Hit the linked site.

 

[SOMDSHOOT]

Go here to learn:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/
You can shoot lead boolits in a Glock all day, IF YOU REPLACE THE BARREL with a standard rifled one.

WW don't work well in front stuffers. As the lead is to hard. Now WW work great in pistols. If you use gas checks they can run over 2,000fps in rifles. I use a lead 202 gr 314299 in my 303B all the time.

As for zinc in WW. Keep your smelt pot at 600-650 f and you'll be fine. The zinc will float on top as it melts at over 700 f. Hand sort it first and smelt the stick ons by them self. As they are a soft lead that works in front stuffers but needs tin added for centerfires.

Hit the linked site.

What makes the WW lead too hard for a Muzzleloader ? Humor me. ( oh yes... I am waiting )

HUH ???

 

[Soundman1]

What makes the WW lead too hard for a Muzzleloader ? Humor me. ( oh yes... I am waiting )

HUH ???

Tin and Antimony .......... I am under the impression that pure lead is best for muzzle loaders.

 

[MEGARMS]

Went out today and was given 2 five gallon buckets of wheel weights. Now I have to learn how to cast my own bullets. It reminded me of going around town looking for the kids Christmas gifts and finding it at the store.

How much work have I gotten myself into. Any info on equipment will be helpful.

Was told glock 17 don't do well shooting cast any info?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

Were these just random stops that you made at tire shops and auto workshops? Everywhere I have been says that they sell their scrap to recyclers

 

[Dick Chaney]

Today is sorting day and yes I will let you know how much is good. A guy is showing me how to do my first melt down to ingots. Thank you ahead of time.

Yes they were random stops. One guy tried to sell them to me and I said that is alright and said I won't make a penny off you and started walking out. He ended giving them to me.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

 

[MikeSP]

Not sure where you are located, but, if you have any metal recyclers in your area check them out. Call them and find out what their price is on scrap lead. Local places here are getting $0.75 / pound.

They will sell scrap lead to individuals? What form is it in usually?

 

[wgttgw]

What makes the WW lead too hard for a Muzzleloader ? Humor me. ( oh yes... I am waiting )

HUH ???

If you are going to shoot them in sabots it does not really matter as the bullet never touches the barrel. However, the fact it does not touch the barrel allows you to use softer lead without worry of leading and softer most times preforms better on game.

If shot full bore lead bullets or balls in a muzzle loader than you need a soft bullet to expand when fired to seal the bore and engage the riffling due to the relative lower pressures of black power.

 

[wgttgw]

A couple of question about price have been posted.

The tire shops can sell them unsorted to the recyclers for around .30/per lb. I typically expect to pay at least that.

Some recyclers will sell lead to you and it would be in the raw form it was sold to them in. Many will not sell it to you. It helps if you are taking scrap to them and are already a customer. I sell them about $2,500 of copper, brass and tin each year so they are willing to sell me lead. They have charged me 50/per lb in the past.

 

[SOMDSHOOT]

Tin and Antimony .......... I am under the impression that pure lead is best for muzzle loaders.

I have seen so many guys debate, and state, the use of hardened lead in a M/L only to find that they are actually using a sabot and sometimes with a copper jacketed bullet in commercial bullet purchases. I was simply leading the question to see what 303_enfield's reason was for stating not use hard lead in a Front Stuffer.

I cast my own M/L bullets by the ga-hundreds and I add Antimony to my mix. I also use sabots and understand the purpose of using soft lead in a full bore bullet like a Minie, Lee REAL, or a Maxi, but, not for a Ball, since you use a patch, which is essentially a sabot, therefore, use of hardened lead in the Ball is fine.

Some guys pass on hear-say information like it is the gospel and I simply wanted to hear what his response and reasoning was for his "claim" to not use it. If he uses the full bore bullet, then I will stand down from teaching him facts.

 

[SOMDSHOOT]

If you are going to shoot them in sabots it does not really matter as the bullet never touches the barrel. However, the fact it does not touch the barrel allows you to use softer lead without worry of leading and softer most times preforms better on game.

If shot full bore lead bullets or balls in a muzzle loader than you need a soft bullet to expand when fired to seal the bore and engage the riffling due to the relative lower pressures of black power.

I will offer the same response as to not retype the novel:

I have seen so many guys debate, and state, the use of hardened lead in a M/L only to find that they are actually using a sabot and sometimes with a copper jacketed bullet in commercial bullet purchases. I was simply leading the question to see what 303_enfield's reason was for stating not use hard lead in a Front Stuffer.

I cast my own M/L bullets by the ga-hundreds and I add Antimony to my mix. I also use sabots and understand the purpose of using soft lead in a full bore bullet like a Minie, Lee REAL, or a Maxi, but, not for a Ball, since you use a patch, which is essentially a sabot, therefore, use of hardened lead in the Ball is fine.

Some guys pass on hear-say information like it is the gospel and I simply wanted to hear what his response and reasoning was for his "claim" to not use it. If he uses the full bore bullet, then I will stand down from teaching him facts.

 

[SOMDSHOOT]

They will sell scrap lead to individuals? What form is it in usually?

Abso-friggin-loutely they will. Their business is to make money and they will take anyone's money. I called Waldorf Metals in Waldorf, Maryland and the gentleman told me to come get all I wanted for 75 cents a pound. It's all scrap of course, so, what forms it comes in anyone's guess, but, I would assume there is a lot of pipe and roof lead. Roof lead makes some of the finest bullets I have ever made in my casting career. I have yet made the trek to purchase any, but, I know I can if I need to. Can there be WW lead in that offer ? Yes. He stated they did have some WW, and I quickly told him I don't want it.

 

[zoostation]

While I agree with you zoostation, how many manuals these days are written by the corporate lawyers, rather than the engineers that made something?

Well, there certainly are a lot redundant and overzealous warnings in all owner's manuals these days, that doesn't mean they all are. Engineers and metallurgists also help write those manuals.

The problem with the Glock is you are shooting lead through thin polygonal rifling that is going to foul quickly and cause pressure buildup, through a gun with a partially unsupported chamber and a quick transition between chamber and rifling. And also notably, as much as I love my own Glocks and still carry one, through a gun that's not exactly renowned for being kaboom-proof to begin with.

So if someone wants to risk a hand, or an eye or two, because they read on an internet forum people do it all the time, be my guest. I mean what do I know. I'm just a factory trained & certified armorer who works in the industry full time. How can I compete with a quick google search. There's a guy on another forum who has a lot of posts. I just hope they are courteous enough to let me know they are shooting their lead reloads through a Glock if I am standing beside them at the range, so I can move away. I happen to like my sight intact.

 

[Traveler]

Well, there certainly are a lot redundant and overzealous warnings in all owner's manuals these days, that doesn't mean they all are. Engineers and metallurgists also help write those manuals.

The problem with the Glock is you are shooting lead through thin polygonal rifling that is going to foul quickly and cause pressure buildup, through a gun with a partially unsupported chamber and a quick transition between chamber and rifling. And also notably, as much as I love my own Glocks and still carry one, through a gun that's not exactly renowned for being kaboom-proof to begin with.

So if someone wants to risk a hand, or an eye or two, because they read on an internet forum people do it all the time, be my guest. I mean what do I know. I'm just a factory trained & certified armorer who works in the industry full time. How can I compete with a quick google search. There's a guy on another forum who has a lot of posts. I just hope they are courteous enough to let me know they are shooting their lead reloads through a Glock if I am standing beside them at the range, so I can move away. I happen to like my sight intact.

Easy man. Just a discussion. I just finished checking the H&K USP downloadable PDF manual. Polygonal barrel, no mention of whether to shoot lead or not.

Besides, they can't put it on the internet if it isn't true, just like TV news. Bonjour.

 

[camobob]

I don't know much about Glocks but I've put many thousands of rounds through my HK polygonal barrels with no evidence of leading. I do try to match the bullet to the load and clean after each use.