As some of you might remember, we got some old naval flares - expired in June 1980!

They were 4 different types, so we opened them up and recovered the powder.

Sort of mixed sizes flake powder.

Works great in 357 Magnum and 44 Magnum revolvers.

So I set up our casting equipment outside and started to cast some bullets in both 357 and 430 caliber wad cutters.

We used some tin to harden the lead - I got them to read 9 on the Redding/Saeco lead hardness tester.

We cast a few hundred bullets, and ran out of tin.

The smallest amount we could find to buy was a large ingot of 27 kilograms.

So we got the ingot, and knowing how unreliable the help here was, I melted it all and cast it into small round cookies in a baking tray.

This is the form I have cast our lead too.

Now, you have to imagine the following.

We have a gas fire setup outside to melt the lead/tin mixture. The fire is mounted in the middle of a stone topped, steel frame table. Right next to it is another, larger table, with a small electric oven on it.

We cast the bullets, size them, degrease them, then powder coat them in the oven.

Bullets cast a day earlier are the ones powder coated.

We got this working like a charm.

The previous day I loaded 1200 44 Magnum rounds I cast the bullets for.

I have two employees helping me.

Yesterday I had to go to a birthday party in the afternoon, so asked my two helpers to carry on casting.

They actually enjoy doing this, as they call their friends to come over and have a sort of tea party.

The lead/tin mixture was in a large pot.

What happened was the boys carried on casting, and as the molten mixture got less, they kept adding tin!!

No lead, just tin!

They cast quite a lot of bullets, and were very happy with their production.

In the morning the sized them and powder coated them, and put them in the oven.

Then I got a phone call.

“We have a problem. Can you come and have a look please?”

I went over.

They had the tray that fits in the oven for powder coating out.

They were all standing around it, looking very seriously at the blue colored bullets on the tray.

As soon as looked, I knew what they had done - they were unaware why this has happened.

Some of the bullets were distorted quite a lot.

Some are almost flat!!

They set the temperature of the oven too high, and had a very high ratio of tin to lead!!

I took some photos, and will upload them and post them here.

Just could not wait to give you a bit of a laugh!

as soon as you got to the helpers part I knew what was going to happen.

at least you can recuperate everything and start over with an educated guess and be good.

The joke does not stop there.

I got one of the geniuses who did this, gave him one of the bullets, and asked him to go to the hardware store where we get our steel parts.

I told him to find a steel pipe that will fit the bullet!

He went there and called, saying they only have round pipes!

I really think you well have a hard time getting them to group.

Or are you thinking of making a barrel to fit them.

Some times if one wants the best one needs to do the work your self.

Well the powder coat seemed to stick very well. Try again lower temperature!!!

"They only have round pipes" is priceless! I busted out laughing on that one.

HA!

You need to glue these to a display
board for keepsakes.

Most half hard cast don't look that
wrinkled after they've been fired.

George

LOL!

BTW does tin really make the lead harder or just kakes it better for mold fill?

I thought 2% antimony was needed for hardening bullets.

That's too funny. I would say make up a bullet board + 1.Packy I had to add. The three bullets at the top of the forum are beautiful. So perfect. I strive to get mine that pretty but don't always accomplish it.

They look a bit deflated, try inflating them to about 40 PSI, that should do it.