Where to obtain antimony?

[Quiet Burp]

Where can I get antimony? Like what sort of merchants sell it? Or do you get it in an alloy with lead or tin? Is it a constituant of wheel weights? I want to use it to expand my cast bullets a bit. At what rate should it be used? A lot of questions,huh, but any advice much appreciated.

[Robert]

Just kidding.  I dont really know, with the exception of getting it from linotype.  I would also like to know.

[cukrus]

I get mine from U.S. Antimony Corp, P.O. Box 643, Thompson Falls MT 59873.  Call Mike at tech support for current pricing and shipping  - 406 827 3523.  
You can also try Bill Furgeson at www.theantimonyman.com   Most excellent!
If you can find linotype at a salvage yard it is much easier to use as a source of antimony.  
Antimony gravel can be dissolved in a tin-lead alloy with a flux such as carbon to control oxidation by submerging the floating antimony in the melt.  This can take decades of minutes, but at the start of a new millenium you may have enough time.

[Chief]

Linotype is probably the way to go if you can get your hands on it at a reasonable price and don't have to pay shipping.  When you're in Alaska shipping can get a bit pricey so I bought the granulated antimony that the Antimony Man sells.  Shipping costs are much more tolerable when you’re getting pure antimony.  Bill Ferguson also sells the flux.  Big caution--"don't use very much of his flux!!!"  If you use too much it gets foamy and turns real dark.  Once that gunk forms the antimony doesn't want to dissolve.  A very lite sprinkle is all you want.  You don't want to get the lead to hot either.  Bill says nothing above 635 degrees.  I could barely get my lead to melt with my set up so I didn't have a problem with to hot.

Bottom line though is the antimony alloyed very easily and actually pretty fast for me except when I had to much flux.  I didn't seem to have any problems even with a pretty primitive set up.  I also bought some pure tin from Bill.  It comes in a little bar and was cheaper than buying solder.

BTW:  Saftey first.  The antimony is rather bad for you so don't breath in the little dust cloud when pouring it and wash your hands good...of course washing hands is needed when you handle lead anyway.  Good luck if you decide to give it a try and above all be safe.

[Billy Marr]

I have gotten antimony from both souces(bill and USAC) and had great results. One thing I learned is to preheat the antimony for about 20 min in the pot the add tin to it then lead this may take a little longer but works most excellent.