# Pure Lead?



## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Where can I buy Pure Lead for Bullets? I bought 50 pounds but it isn't pure :grump:,so I'm going to use it for Fishing Weights.

Wheel Weights won't work.

big rockpile


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

I always heard linotype was the best. I'm not sure if you can find it anymore. Maybe this will help.

http://www.rotometals.com/product-p/linotypealloy.htm


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## Micheal (Jan 28, 2009)

What about a plumbing supply house? They use to use lead to join cast-iron piping together..........


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## tyusclan (Jan 1, 2005)

Here's one that has free shipping on orders of a hundred dollars or more:

LEAD Ingot Pure 99.9%


Here's another that's a little less per pound, but I didn't check the shipping:

http://www.buffaloarms.com/Bullet_Casting_Lead_it-162038.aspx?CAT=3897


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## acde (Jul 25, 2011)

be careful of lead poisoning.


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## Badger (Jun 11, 2010)

Ace Hardware sells 5 lb ingots of pure lead for $10.00. It's in the plumbing section. Kinda pricey but available if you have an extra $10.00. I found pure lead gasket material at a metal salvage for .50 a lb so I bought 200 lbs. It was very clean and no slag or waste in it. Wheel weights and linotype are both too hard for molding muzzleloader balls or maxi balls. I also pour alot of 1/64th and 1/80th oz jigs that wont pour with anything but pure lead. Good luck


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## tarbe (Apr 7, 2007)

Scrounge old lead pipe. Or lead flashing. 

You must need it for your muzzle loader?

I have about 400 pounds of lead alloy...but it is wheel weights and harder (WW with some linotype added). Too hard for best use in your muzzle loader.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

what kind of bullets are you making


very few bullets work the best in pure lead 

conical and round balls for muzzle loaders being the exception 

lead pipe is about as close to dead soft pure as it gets 

air rifle pellets are also pure or close enough

some times you need a little tin to make a mold fill out 

the scrap yard sells pure, #2 , lino and 20:1 for about 2.40 a pound usually minimum 10 pounds


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

acde said:


> be careful of lead poisoning.


you need to eat it , powder it or get it over 1000 degrees 

you can safely cast lead in a ventilated area at 700-750 degrees with no danger 

your far more likely to get burned than get lead poisoning

if lead in it's natural or metallic state was dangerous everyone in south west Wisconsin would be dead , you can see the streaks of lead in the rock driving down the highway 

my bullets were some body drinking water supply line for the last 75 years 

the danger of lead paint is that kids ingest paint chips , and people sand paint 2 of the 3 ways to make it dangerous 



now vibratory case tumblers are a good source of fine powdered lead , so don't use them or keep them out of the house


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## unioncreek (Jun 18, 2002)

If your going to make non-muzzleloading bullets you don't have to use pure lead. I only use hard lead for modern bullets. For muzzleloading I get pure lead from roof flashing and old plumbing.

Bob


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## OkieDavid (Jan 15, 2007)

Another source my dad used that may be handy for some folks if you live in the right area. Find the location of your nearest General Services Administration and/or Defense Reutilization Management Office. See what the registration procedures are and check out one of their auction sales.

Dad bought two pallets of "load seals". These seals are small round lead disks that are used to seal cargo containers. A small wire is run through a hole and then through the container latch and back into the seal. A set of crimpers then crimps the seal effectively "locking" it.

The seals were packed in plastic bags of about two pounds each. He was able to get a pallet (200lb) for $20.00. He bought several pallets. These are pure lead. I tried using them for fishing jigs but the lead is so soft that the "spur" used to hold the jig on the hook just folds over. They do make perfect round balls and remove able split shot weights.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

GREENCOUNTYPETE said:


> what kind of bullets are you making
> 
> 
> very few bullets work the best in pure lead
> ...


Wanting to Mold Round Ball,Maxi Ball and R.E.A.L. bullets.

I bought about 50 pounds that was suppose to be pure but received it and it wasn't.

big rockpile


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## MichaelK! (Oct 22, 2010)

big rockpile said:


> Wanting to Mold Round Ball,Maxi Ball and R.E.A.L. bullets.
> 
> I bought about 50 pounds that was suppose to be pure but received it and it wasn't.
> 
> big rockpile


In what sense is the lead not meeting your expectations? Did you already cast some and found them too hard to shove down the barrel of your muzzle-loader, or are you basing your conclusion on something else. I don't know how many times I've heard you can't do this or can't do that with some alloy, but when I try them myself it works just fine.

I wouldn't give up till you've cast some and then decide.

BTW, the extra tin and antimony that are used to harden lead can be extracted to a certain degree by fluxing the molten lead with powdered sulfur. Sulfur reacts preferencially with them to form tin and antimony sulfides, which can be skimmed off as dross. This also a way to salvage spoiled alloy that has zinc contamination.

Do this outside only on a windy day so the very dangerous fumes will get carried away.


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## diamondtim (Jun 10, 2005)

You can buy lead shot and melt that. Other have used wheel weights successfully for bullets.


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## Gianni (Dec 9, 2009)

Rotometals will sell certified alloys, I assume that they sell pure also. I have had good luck shooting round balls out of ww alloy, but use dental lead from old x-ray backing for maxiballs.


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## Silvercreek Farmer (Oct 13, 2005)

The lead stick on wheel weights are pretty much pure vs the clip on ones which are a harder alloy. Use a pair of side cutters to test hardness.


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## zant (Dec 1, 2005)

Wheels weights are'nt good for muzzleloaders....Go to scrap yard-ASK to see lead pile-pick out old flashing,trot line weights...it will be pure(+)98 enough and cast it-I do it all the time with same molds-shoot fine..keep it simple.


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## tarbe (Apr 7, 2007)

Silvercreek Farmer said:


> The lead stick on wheel weights are pretty much pure vs the clip on ones which are a harder alloy. Use a pair of side cutters to test hardness.


The stick-ons I have tried had zinc in them. Might want to watch out for that.


Tim


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## SteveO (Apr 14, 2009)

Not real sure but try the lumber yard look for chimney flashing. IT is so soft you can form it by hand


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## pickngrin_b (Dec 22, 2010)

I've been casting for muzzle loaders for more years than I care to remember.
I use anything I can get my hands on from wheel weights to X ray lead.(Dental)

I cast Round Ball and several kinds of bullets. I have many REAL bullets cast from clamp on wheel weights.The difference between them and so called pure lead is around 3%. Clamp on wheel weights are 95% lead with 2.5 antimony and .5% tin.You can easily scratch them with your thumb nail.(Pretty soft)

The stick on wheel weights are around 98% lead. Plumbers lead only 98.3%.
And it's about as good as your going to get other than x ray lead.

Please don't tell my traditional Muzzle loaders they cant fire Round ball made from wheel weights.I've fooled them for about 40 years:happy2:


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## bignugly (Jul 13, 2011)

How about the lead weights they used in old double hung windows?


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## Terry (Jan 6, 2008)

Might try dive stores, divers use it for dive weights, not sure of the purity but it is pretty soft.


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