Plumbers Lead For Bullets

Nick B · Post by **Nick B** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 12:27 pm

The local scrap yard has in stock about a ton of plumbers lead from a out of business supply house. It's in bars that consists of 4 or 5 round ingots that are hooked together. About 25 or 30 lbs total per bar. He wants 25 cents per pound. Is this pure enough to cast bullets with? Yes I know I'll have to add tin. TIA, Nick

Omaha Poke · Post by **Omaha Poke** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 12:45 pm

Nick, quite often these bars are stamped. Like 60/40 indicating that they are already an alloy of lead and tin. In any case two bits a pound is a great price

Go for it. Last year I shot up 300 pounds of lead, and I am not able to shoot nearly as often as a lot of guys. Buy as much as you have room to store. You can always sell it later for a profit. Randy

JAGG · Post by **JAGG** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 12:51 pm

N B ! Ask him if he would lower the price/lb if you take the whole lot of lead ! That ususlly works out for everyone ! JAGG

Tasmanian Rebel · Post by **Tasmanian Rebel** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 1:24 pm

Nick B, there has been a recent steep increase in lead prices. This is a great price and you need jump on it and buy as much of this as your budget allows. If it is not pure stuff I'll wager it will still be good enough for offhand practice saving the better alloys for long range practice and matches.

Nick B · Post by **Nick B** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 4:33 pm

I'll go back tomorrow and give it a closer inspection to see if there is any markings on it. If it is marked like 60-40, which number is the lead content? Nick

Omaha Poke · Post by **Omaha Poke** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 4:54 pm

Nick, it is called bar solder, and if I am not mistaken, the first number is the percentage of lead and the second the tin. If it is bar solder, it would be worth far more than .25 per pound what with the cost of tin over $8 per pound.

Buy it. Randy

Kelley O. Roos · Post by **Kelley O. Roos** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 6:23 pm

Nick B.

From your description of the lead, I'd say it's pure lead. I'm a plumbing contractor and for the cost of lead that would be mixed 60-40 would cost a bunch and being cheap we plumbers wouldn't buy it. My cost for lead ingots as you described is $1.20 a pound. So buy the lead.

Kelley O.

Kelley O. Roos · Post by **Kelley O. Roos** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 6:29 pm

Omaha Poke,

Bar solder is about 3/8" in diameter and 18" long. The stuff Nick is talking about are in ingot form and each ingot weights 5lb's and are attached together to form 25lb's of lead. Unsualy one of the end ingot's has a hole in it for a handle.

Kelley O.

Omaha Poke · Post by **Omaha Poke** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 6:43 pm

Kelley, thanks for the good info. I haven't ever bought or had any bar solder, just heard and read about it. I didn't realize that plumbers mixed their own so to speak. Iknow nothing about plumbing other than keeping my water running the way it should for 35 years.

Just had to install a new kitchen faucet last week, and some toilet stuff just before that. No solder or lead involved. Thanks again Kelley for clearing that up. It will make things easier for NIck.

Randy

Lead Pot · Post by **Lead Pot** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 6:57 pm

Nick

60/40 is 60%tin 40%lead.Like 95/5 solder is 95%tin 5%lead.
That stuff you saw is most likley pure lead.I havent seen ingot solder in a long time.We used a bunch back in lead pipe days for whiping lead joints and flashings.
If the ingots are hex shaped and marked JS it is most likly pure lead.I would jump on them.
Like Kelley said lead has jumped in price I just ordered 500 lbs for $1.04/lb.
I must have had a ton when I retired, from lead joints and lead pipe, but it's all gohn

Kurt

Lead Pot · Post by **Lead Pot** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 7:02 pm

I for got to say, if it's solder so much the better.Whiping solder usually 50/50 or 60/40.It melts at a lower temperature so you dont fall through the lead your joining.

Kurt