[reloaderNOOB]

I have a lee 6-cavity 230 gr RN bullet (tumble lube type) mold.. i'm using the 20lb Lee bottom pour melter... i don't yet have any ALOX, but have successfully seated an un-lubed bullet into a case...

Questions
1. is this cartridge with un-lubed lead safe to shoot (using standard lee 45acp LRN loads)? Will it hurt my pistol?

2. I used to only have the pure lead roof flashing sheets... now i have gotten a hookup on WW's (Wheel Weights)... I have some WW's with "Zn" stamped into them, are these pure Zinc, or some alloy? Zn is the atomic symbol for zinc.

3. Do i Have to use a bullet sizer? like the Lyman 4500? If so, what are the particulars about this mechanical animal? Benefits? Pros/cons?

4. Does anybody have a single-stage press for sale for cheap? I need a die station for my Lee hardness tester.

why do we lube the bullets in the first place? for the barrel? or to more easily fit the ball into a brass case? or both?

other than chemist supplie companies, what is a source of pure (or close to pure) tin (Sn=atomic symbol)

zxcvBOB, help me out, please.... what am i doin wrong here? I got a 6-cav Lee 45acp 230 gr RN tumble lube mold... my bullets come out with what looks like cracks in the side of them... one person told me im not letting my mold heat up enough... is there anything else that could cause this problem? What does it take to "get the hang of" a 6-cavity mold?

Is Zinc completely and always harmful to lead casting bullets? Or can it be successfully used to increase hardness to a healthy medium for Higher-Velocity (1100fps+) loads, of course to reduce lead fouling due to HV?

One more thing, I get the cracks whether i drop the newly-cast bullets from the mold into a 5-gallon bucket of water that is half full, or when i drop them straight onto a dry towel.... so i know it isn't heat change stress causing the cracks... about 60% of the bullets turn out cracked, by my count

could a hot-pot cause cracks?