I've found a cheap source of pure lead and I'm considering casting for .45 ACP. Bullets would be driven at 800FPS or less. I've never cast with pure lead, but I've read the softer alloy works better for low velocity loads due to obturation.

I appreciate any input, i.e. does the lack of tin affect mould fill out; is fouling a problem due to softness, etc?

TIA,

Eddie

P.S. I forgotten my password to Shooters.com and the registration page is "Temporarily unavailable." Anyone know the scoop?

[ 05-17-2003, 19:47: Message edited by: Eddie ]

If it were me, I'd add a bit of 95/5 lead free solder to your melt to make casting and mold fill out easier. get a one pound roll, (about $8.50 to $12.00 depending on where you go) add about a three foot piece for each ten pound batch (assuming you're using a ten pound pot) and try casting a few bullets. When you get consistant mold fillout, you're there. If the three foot piece doesn't quite do it, add more in one foot increments. It won't change the hardness much but will make casting easier. Pure lead can sometimes be a bear to cast, depending on the mold.
Get the 95/5 that says 95 % tin./5% silver.
paul B.

I cast a bunch of 45-70 pure lead bullets for a guy awhile back and they were a pain. The molds would produce excellant bullets with wheel weights, but the pure lead had a high rejection count. I ended up turning the temp all the way up and finally got some useable bullets. I would have added tin, but he wanted them as soft as possible.

Eddie
Something to consider also pure lead will give you the smallest diameter bullet from whatever mold you are using.
I cast pure lead bullets to use in my Corbin Swaging setup. None of the slugs are particularely pretty like WW or Lino bullets from the same mold.
The pure lead blended with 25% WW or 2 or 3% soldier will make your casting a whole bunch easier.
Jim

Thanks for the input. WWs are getting difficult to get, but I can get tin and antimony easily enough. I'll just add a bit at a time until I get it right.

Eddie

eddie... as a generial rule 3 or 4 % tin will help. I melt a batch with BIG propane weed burner then pour it into a piece of angle iron of abt 4' length, then cut it into billets with an axe.

Eddie....Some good replies here. Soft lead is good but pure lead is a little too soft. You;ll have to alloy it some.

I occasionally luck onto some pure lead also. I contact one of our BP shooters and they're usually really glad to trade 1 for 1 for WWs or some other harder alloy that they don't like to use.

I recently got about 40 punds of cable sheathing that I figured for pure lead. After melting it down into ingots and testing, it came out a little harder than WWs. Now, I wonder where that came from. Sure wish I had more./beagle

I could be wrong, but I think you will find that "pure" lead is way too soft for the 45 ACP.

Alloy or trade for some wheel weights is my suggestion.

You may want to try the metal you have and see how it works, but when I cast some really soft 45s for a friend the accuracy went "out the window"!

LouisB

The casting temp for pure lead is higher than for alloys, work at about 800f+ for best results. The only problem you might have is that pure lead shrinks more than the usual alloys so before casting up a couple of buckets full I suggest you measure them. Pure lead will cast fine but you will get slightly better fill out and a lower reject rate by adding a very small amount of tin. I save the joints on lead pipe for this purpose.

I tried pure lead in my .45 and they worked perfectly. I only stuck to alloy as I was using range scrap, which was free, and used my pure lead for my black powder guns.