Question about Lead for making Bullets

[Steve Sharpe 0236]

Can you use "Lead Came" the lead used in making stain glass windows, for making bullets? Is it too soft? I just was offered a large quanity but want some idea first.

Thanks
Steve

[Gary Van Kauwenbergh, 101]

Lead caming for stained glass windows varies in hardness. The best stuff is from old church windows, but you don't want to use the joints where they were soldered. It can also be very hard. I've got two stained glass places close to my home, and they'll give me all the scraps I want for free. You really need to watch what you use though.

I decided long ago that if I was going to use scrap lead, I would invest in a hardness tester. It doesn't take long for them to pay for themselves. I like the LBT testers best.

[Maillemaker]

Can you use "Lead Came" the lead used in making stain glass windows, for making bullets? Is it too soft?

For exanding balls, there is no such thing as "too soft". Pure lead is the intended softness, any alloy is going to be harder. As was pointed out, a hardness tester is a good investment.

However, for round balls hardness may be less of an issue.

Steve

[ms3635v]

Most sheet lead is soft enough for minies, but be sure it's soft before putting it in your pot. Lead pipe also works well, but be sure to cut the joints out because they are harder lead. Don't use lead from car batteries or wheel weights. As previously mentioned a hardness tester is a good idea. I've been casting since the mid 70's and learned from some old timers how to sort-out the hard from the soft. And, of course, if you cast from lead that's too hard, you'll know pretty darn quick when you see the erratic groups that hard lead produces do to insufficient base expansion. The more you deal with lead the more you will get a sense of what is soft enough for your needs.

[Edwin Flint]

My experience with Stained Glass lead is that it is usually too hard for minie balls. Had some asseyed and it was 3-4 % tin mixed in.

[Ken Hansgen, 11094]

But Southron, Sr. said he likes to add a little tin to his lead for casting minies. Does he add that much? (Three-four percent sounds like very little.)

[Pat in Virginia]

On the BHN, Brinell, hardness scale, pure lead has a hardness of 5. A 2.5% tin to lead alloy (1:40) has a BHN of 8.5. A 3% tin to 97% lead mix (1:30) produces a BHN of 9. A 5% tin to 95% lead mix (1:20) produces a BHN of 10. A 9% tin to 91% (1:10) lead mix produces a BHN of 11.5. An alloy with a BHN of 20 is twice as hard as a bullet with a BHN of 10. So, yes, there is a big difference in the hardness of pure lead and an alloy with even 2.5% of tin. Leave the harder bullets to those with shallow rifling (mainly the long range guy's (800 - 1000 yard rifles/shooters using rifles with Rigby's, Metford's, etc. style rifling ). Use soft lead alloys in those with relatively deep rifling Enfield's, Alex Henry's, Whitworth's). Each rifle is a law unto itself when it comes to what loads it likes so what is said above is good guidance, in general, i.e., a starting place.

Tin helps the bullet to fill out better at lower temperatures than pure lead even at ratios of 1:160, i.e., less than .6%.


Pat in Virginia

PS - My souce for the above technical data is a 1979 NRA publication entitled Cast Bullets by Col. E.H. Harrison, USA (ret.), p. 78. It has had several reprintings since 1979. Lot's of good stuff in there!

[jonk]

I never say no to any lead. If too hard for musket, it gets used in the Sharps. If too hard for the Sharps, it gets used in smokeless handgun. If too hard for handgun it gets used in smokeless rifle loads. And if you don't load for all those, someone out there does, who would trade you pure lead for your hard lead.

I recommend a Cabin Tree brand lead hardness tester.

[David Disher 12143]

Careful with the lead pipes. Sometimes they can have errant pockets of moisture in them that cant be detected.....if you drop a section in your pot and it has any water in it at all...wear protection.

Ddisher

[Gary Van Kauwenbergh, 101]

Good advice from David. Also, if both ends of the pipe are clamped closed from being cut, you can get an explosion from the trapped hot air. I still have splatters on my garage ceiling from that one. Luckily, I was getting the mail at the time, and was out of range of the splatter.