Lead ?

[longcaribiner]

I think I remember reading somewhere that bullets cast from pure lead shrink when cooling, more than harder lead alloys.  A friend says I have it reversed.  That the harder the lead alloy the more they shrink during cooling.  As I recall, the difference can be a few thousandths of an inch in a .457 mold.  I imagine that it depends on the alloy to some extent.       

Right now I don't have any known alloys to test this out, (just about 300 pounds of very soft pipe lead.)

Does anyone have the straight story on this? 

     

[sharps4590]

Harder alloys shrink more but I don't believe it will be a few thousandths.  .001 to .002 is more in line with my experience.

You can alloy your lead with 50/50 solder to whatever you prefer.

Vic

[Smokin Joe]

A harder lead alloy (more tin) will produce a bullet larger in diameter. Harder=Bigger

If that answers your question

[sharps4590]

Well dagnabbit.....I may have it backwards.  I confess that I didn't check any of my casting books and mulled it over cuz I couldn't remember for certain.  Whichever way it is I've never seen the difference run a few thousandths, 1-2 at most.

Vic

[Smokin Joe]

Same here......about 1 ½ thousandths max.

[SHOOTALL]

you said pipe lead , plumbers have 4 types of lead not including solder , caulking lead , virgin lead , lead pipe and sheet lead . Virgin lead is close to pure , the rest vary in purity , if you look at lead from different companies you can see the difference . Also the lead will be harder from one company vs. another ! some joints we pour when caulked will mark easy  others will not , some 25 lb. ingots will ring when you hold them up and hit them some won't . I have been told the harder lead was for water main , but no hard evidence , although it makes sense . i have collected lead for years , and cast bullets for my black powder gun as long all lead srinks when it cools if it didn't it would be hard to free it from the mould . Some mix 50/50 soder to lead 1 to 10 or 1 to 9 mix , 95 /5 works also , i have tried both along with window weights , 60/40 and 40/60 and wheel weights ! they all fit the gun and shot good ! i did not mesure them ! so if the were differen't it was a small amount !

[longcaribiner]

the pipe lead I have is in 2 to 4 foot lengths about 1 inch in diameter and has a wall thickness of about 5/16.  Yeah very heavy and real soft, I can write my name with a fingernail.   


I have a gun with a choked bore.  Martini Henry Mark IV.  at the Chamber the bore starts at .472, it then funnels down to a .468 about five inches forward of the chamber and then the last few inches at the muzzle squeeze the bullet down to .462.    That's alot of squeeze from start to finish.  For that reason I want to use pure or at least very soft lead.  Hard lead may treat the chokes as a bore obstruction, with the attendant dangers.       I believe that a 400 grain 475 Linebaugh mold may give me the exact soft bullets I am looking for with a proper bore size out of the mold, if they don't shrink too much.  However 1% shrinkage could leave me with a .470/.471 bullet. I guess I'll just have to give it a try.  Obturation upon firing may seal the bore anyway.   

[SHOOTALL]

Sounds like under ground water main , if so and its used , it will have deposits on the inside , if you need it soft and pure flux the pot with a commerical flux or use bees wax ( i use a bowl wax ring ) melt in then skim dross off the top of lead !
good luck , sounds like a great gun to work with !