The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - How soft the lead for a cap n' ball revolver?

zippy13 · August 12, 2010, 10:47 AM

I worry, too.

In the past I've acquired wheel weights for cartridge cast bullets and soft (pure) lead, from an area commercial smelter, for BP balls and bullets. Last week, I got some free soft lead from a new source: my dentist.

Lead is used to shield dental X-ray film. The foil used to be torn off the film and went into the waste-paper basket; but, now it's saved for "proper" disposal. Thin foil the size of a postage stamp doesn't sound like much, but it adds up. The dentist's offering yielded 4-pounds of ingots. That's enough for 350 .375 balls (US$30.63 [19.65 GPS] from Dixie Gun Works)!

August 12, 2010, 10:47 AM	#7
zippy13 Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 6,442	I worry, too. In the past I've acquired wheel weights for cartridge cast bullets and soft (pure) lead, from an area commercial smelter, for BP balls and bullets. Last week, I got some free soft lead from a new source: my dentist. Lead is used to shield dental X-ray film. The foil used to be torn off the film and went into the waste-paper basket; but, now it's saved for "proper" disposal. Thin foil the size of a postage stamp doesn't sound like much, but it adds up. The dentist's offering yielded 4-pounds of ingots. That's enough for 350 .375 balls (US$30.63 [19.65 GPS] from Dixie Gun Works)! Last edited by zippy13; August 12, 2010 at 11:01 AM. Reason: added GPS amount