Hardening Bullets

[Tony]

I was wondering if anyone can answer these questions as myself and some friends are wanting to cast our own bullets. A friend told me that you can take pure lead bullets that you have cast and make them hard buy baking them in the oven at 200 degrees for 20 to 40minutes.  Another person I know says he just uses wheelweights and after he cast the bullets he says he just drops them in a bucket of water and by doing this it makes the bullets come out hard. I was wondering if either one of these methods are true. Thanks.

[D Crockett]

you can harden bullets by dropping them in water but I don't think you can use just pure lead to water drop or heat treat your bullets you can mix 50/50 wheel weights with pure lead then you can heat treat or water drop your bullets I  put in a piece of foam rubber with a slit in it so the water does not splash in to you casting pot if that happens BAD THING WILL HAPPENED as far as putting lead into your oven I would not do that (possible lead poisoning and the wife beating the crap out of you) I would get a toaster oven and use it to heat treat your bullets with D Crockett

[bilmac]

Yes you have to have an alloy before water hardening will work. I believe it is the antimony that makes the process work. I just drop my bullets into a bucket of water as they fall from the mold. I float several sponges in the water to keep it from splashing.

[jk3006]

Arsenic, I'm pretty sure.

I believe it is the antimony that makes the process work.

[Badnews Bob]

straight wheel weights are what I use mostly sometomes I water drop them but usally not they work very well as is

Both will work thou but pure lead is still usally to soft for most uses

[Gohon]

Water dropping or heat treating will not work unless there is antimony in the mix.  Small amounts of arsenic will enhance the effect of the antimony to harden or strengthening the lead.   Water dropping or heat treating the alloy mix speeds up the strengthening/hardening process.  This link http://www.lasc.us/HeatTreat.htm pretty much explains everything you need to know.