Author Topic: Lead Shot?? (Read 987 times)

WAH · « **on:** February 07, 2003, 02:34:45 AM »

Can lead shot be harden like w/w dropped in water? Shot is a BHN of about 13 and air cooled w/w of 14.5.
Thanks Walt

Billy Marr · « **Reply #1 on:** February 07, 2003, 03:50:32 AM »

yes the can be hardened by water quenching and they will harden significantly.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #2 on:** February 08, 2003, 02:32:26 AM »

Lead shot contains the magical ingrediant - arsenic - which helps it to harden when quenched. (Often casters of bullets use a little shot in the mix to enhance the hardness.)

Some casting machines for making lead shot pour the moulten lead almost directly into water for quenching.

Awf Hand · « **Reply #3 on:** February 08, 2003, 11:46:41 AM »

Sorry CW the Arsenic used in lead shot is to reduce the surface tension in the alloy to allow the lead to form into nice round balls when produced. Without the Arsenic the shot wouldn't form nicely and wouldn't fly true.

Antimony is used in lead shot as a hardening agent so the lead shot doesn't deform when the shell is fired and the balls want to all mush together. This Antimony is what creates the hardening effect within the cast bullets.

The larger the shot diameter, the more Arsenic is used in the alloy, as it needs more help to form larger balls than smaller ones. As this Arsenic is the In-Organic version it tends to be nasty, so make extra certain to have good ventilation when melting the shot to make bullets.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #4 on:** February 08, 2003, 03:36:10 PM »

AH - I certainly won't argue with one more knowledgable than I. Thanks for the correction. It's a little late in the week to blame it on Monday and bifocals wouldn't apply.