Casting for black powder?

maillemaker · January 5, 2011, 02:07 PM

I've got a .44 caliber (came with .454 dia balls) CVA "Navy" blackpowder pistol. The cheap one with the brass frame.

I was going to buy a round ball mold for it, Lee 90442, but I was wondering if I can use wheelweight lead for such ammo? I heard that you should only use pure lead for blackpowder?

Also, Lee makes some conical bullet molds for black powder pistols, 90382 and 90382. Would one of these work also?

http://leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/.../blackpow.html

Steve

Stick_man · January 5, 2011, 02:14 PM

If you use the lead stick-on type weights you should be good. They are nearly pure, close enough to work well for the front stuffers. The clip-on type are a bit harder and most consider them to be too hard for this application.

Rifleman1776 · January 5, 2011, 04:42 PM

Stick with pure soft lead. Check with a metal salvaging/recycling yard. Old x-ray lead is very good. Old electrical cable, plumbers, etc.
Takes some work and being resourceful to find but it is out there.
BTW, I use an old dutch oven for refining and recasting my scrounged lead into ingots. Just make sure the pot is never used for cooking.

DiscoRacing · January 5, 2011, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Old x-ray lead is very good

got a door last year... whole thing...

... was aprox 250 lbs.... just the lead sheet.

maillemaker · January 5, 2011, 04:44 PM

I'm using an old dutch oven to melt my wheel weights. Worked great.

What about the lead from old car batteries?

Steve

DiscoRacing · January 5, 2011, 04:47 PM

I was always gonna check out the battery thing too...

... never got around to it yet.

maillemaker · January 5, 2011, 05:06 PM

Holy crap - where do you find x-ray doors???

Steve

DiscoRacing · January 5, 2011, 05:07 PM

I found this one layin in a guys backyard.... he said he wasnt sure what was in it... but it was very heavy...he didnt know it was in fact lead.

maillemaker · January 5, 2011, 05:12 PM

I guess I really need to break down and buy a hardness tester.

Steve

DiscoRacing · January 5, 2011, 05:13 PM

I dont have one either.... A friend a mine has one... so if im unsure I have to take a sample to him.... Guess I should get one also... cept for now I only use straight wheel weights..and I know they are ok for hardness.

maillemaker · January 5, 2011, 05:28 PM

They're supposedly great for standard bullets, but for black powder, you want soft stuff, so I've been told. If you're buying lead from weird sources like batteries or whatnot, you don't know what kind of alloy you have so you don't know if it's good for black powder or not.

AlaskaMike · January 5, 2011, 07:15 PM

Quote:

What about the lead from old car batteries?

Don't mess with battery lead! You might be able to do something with the posts after cleaning them real good with baking soda, but never mess with the plates.

maillemaker · January 5, 2011, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Don't mess with battery lead! You might be able to do something with the posts after cleaning them real good with baking soda, but never mess with the plates.

Why not?

Steve

Stick_man · January 5, 2011, 10:39 PM

Battery plates have nasty chemicals that become very (did I mention VERY?) toxic when melting them down. For the amount of actual usable lead you get, it is just not worth the hassle, even if it wasn't that toxic. Terminal ends are fine after being cleaned up with the baking soda.

The lead stick-on wheelweights are generally considered pure and are easily soft enough for the muzzleloaders. The Fe and Zn ones are not. The clip-on weights contain both tin and antimony and yield a hardness sufficient for even most magnum handgun loads.

maillemaker · January 5, 2011, 11:47 PM

Quote:

Battery plates have nasty chemicals that become very (did I mention VERY?) toxic when melting them down. For the amount of actual usable lead you get, it is just not worth the hassle, even if it wasn't that toxic.

What chemicals are present besides sulfuric acid?

Steve

maillemaker · January 6, 2011, 12:00 AM

Well, it looks like car batteries are straight out.

Here is an excellent article as to why it is dangerous to try and melt down car batteries. Long and short of it: melting them releases arsine and stibine, which can kill at 50 parts per million. 10 parts per million is said to be used to fumigate for mice.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=40769

Steve

January 5, 2011, 02:07 PM	#1
maillemaker Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2010 Posts: 1,635	Casting for black powder? I've got a .44 caliber (came with .454 dia balls) CVA "Navy" blackpowder pistol. The cheap one with the brass frame. I was going to buy a round ball mold for it, Lee 90442, but I was wondering if I can use wheelweight lead for such ammo? I heard that you should only use pure lead for blackpowder? Also, Lee makes some conical bullet molds for black powder pistols, 90382 and 90382. Would one of these work also? http://leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/.../blackpow.html Steve

January 5, 2011, 04:47 PM	#6
DiscoRacing Senior Member Join Date: December 19, 2008 Location: milton, wv Posts: 3,640	I was always gonna check out the battery thing too... ... never got around to it yet. __________________ Desert Eagle Alliance Group Launcher Extraordinaire ______ ----Get Busy Live'n.....Or....Get Busy Die'n......Red -------They call me Dr. Bob,,,, I have a PhD in S&W

January 5, 2011, 05:07 PM	#8
DiscoRacing Senior Member Join Date: December 19, 2008 Location: milton, wv Posts: 3,640	I found this one layin in a guys backyard.... he said he wasnt sure what was in it... but it was very heavy...he didnt know it was in fact lead. __________________ Desert Eagle Alliance Group Launcher Extraordinaire ______ ----Get Busy Live'n.....Or....Get Busy Die'n......Red -------They call me Dr. Bob,,,, I have a PhD in S&W

January 5, 2011, 05:13 PM	#10
DiscoRacing Senior Member Join Date: December 19, 2008 Location: milton, wv Posts: 3,640	I dont have one either.... A friend a mine has one... so if im unsure I have to take a sample to him.... Guess I should get one also... cept for now I only use straight wheel weights..and I know they are ok for hardness. __________________ Desert Eagle Alliance Group Launcher Extraordinaire ______ ----Get Busy Live'n.....Or....Get Busy Die'n......Red -------They call me Dr. Bob,,,, I have a PhD in S&W

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

January 5, 2011, 02:14 PM	#2
Stick_man Senior Member Join Date: October 18, 2008 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah Posts: 241	If you use the lead stick-on type weights you should be good. They are nearly pure, close enough to work well for the front stuffers. The clip-on type are a bit harder and most consider them to be too hard for this application.

January 5, 2011, 04:42 PM	#3
Rifleman1776 Senior Member Join Date: April 25, 2010 Location: Arkansas Posts: 3,309	Stick with pure soft lead. Check with a metal salvaging/recycling yard. Old x-ray lead is very good. Old electrical cable, plumbers, etc. Takes some work and being resourceful to find but it is out there. BTW, I use an old dutch oven for refining and recasting my scrounged lead into ingots. Just make sure the pot is never used for cooking.

January 5, 2011, 04:44 PM	#5
maillemaker Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2010 Posts: 1,635	I'm using an old dutch oven to melt my wheel weights. Worked great. What about the lead from old car batteries? Steve

January 5, 2011, 05:06 PM	#7
maillemaker Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2010 Posts: 1,635	Holy crap - where do you find x-ray doors??? Steve

January 5, 2011, 05:12 PM	#9
maillemaker Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2010 Posts: 1,635	I guess I really need to break down and buy a hardness tester. Steve

January 5, 2011, 05:28 PM	#11
maillemaker Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2010 Posts: 1,635	They're supposedly great for standard bullets, but for black powder, you want soft stuff, so I've been told. If you're buying lead from weird sources like batteries or whatnot, you don't know what kind of alloy you have so you don't know if it's good for black powder or not.

January 5, 2011, 10:39 PM	#14
Stick_man Senior Member Join Date: October 18, 2008 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah Posts: 241	Battery plates have nasty chemicals that become very (did I mention VERY?) toxic when melting them down. For the amount of actual usable lead you get, it is just not worth the hassle, even if it wasn't that toxic. Terminal ends are fine after being cleaned up with the baking soda. The lead stick-on wheelweights are generally considered pure and are easily soft enough for the muzzleloaders. The Fe and Zn ones are not. The clip-on weights contain both tin and antimony and yield a hardness sufficient for even most magnum handgun loads.

January 6, 2011, 12:00 AM	#16
maillemaker Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2010 Posts: 1,635	Well, it looks like car batteries are straight out. Here is an excellent article as to why it is dangerous to try and melt down car batteries. Long and short of it: melting them releases arsine and stibine, which can kill at 50 parts per million. 10 parts per million is said to be used to fumigate for mice. http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=40769 Steve