Zinc contaminated lead

[fiver]

the lower amounts add some BHN numbers without being any sort of problem in the alloy.
I like Popper have intentionally added zinc to some alloys just to give them a little more backbone.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

the lower amounts add some BHN numbers without being any sort of problem in the alloy.
I like Popper have intentionally added zinc to some alloys just to give them a little more backbone.

This was always my thought. But didnt say as I dont know and have t tried. But made sence.


I have friends that are zinkers. They get my zink. Im happy to be rid if it.

 

[Mitty38]

I have discovered that the process I went thru was way to involved for the common caster to fool with. I had equipment that the average Joe would not be able to get his hands on. I still would not go thru again it unless it meant not shooting.
I also had discovered that I had the wrong mindset. What I was doing was removing lead from a Zink alloy not vise versa, leaving me with pretty much pure lead that needed to be alloyed again with a little tin to get it to cast well.
Had a fellow Join here from another sight who who tried to do what I did with a common set up, He got bullets that did not cast well, I am betting he had almost no tin content, also. He threw in the towel, can not blame him.
Of course with a small amount of contamination why not just water it down, as you need to alloy for tin anyway.

I no longer have access to the test equipment I used for my test, as we sold our old spectrometer. We are only running equipment calibrated specifically for aluminum alloys right now. Or I would have had him mail me some to test for him.

I believe, Where Zink bullet casting will find its place, will be in air gun hunting. After being woke to the advances in air guns lately.

Seems the fellows who have made the bullet longer. To get a good weight and more stability. They have been taking the lead in Making zinc work well. This becomes a problem with cartridge, bullet seating, length. Finding the right powder for the smaller space, and so forth.
I am just betting in a few years there will be a Group of fellows dedicated to specifically Alloying, casting and powder coating zinc bullets that will be able to realistically, and efficiently take down large game, out of an air rifle.
The problems eventually, will not be if it can be done correctly. But if hunting regulations will allow it, and if the Feds will leave them alone or start regulating them as a fire arm.

 

[hrpenley]

No fire, smoke, loud explosions, dirty brass, primers case sizing, POWDER!!? ya, sorry but that just doesn't sound like any fun at all, I also suspect it will be a long time before an air gun is nearly as impressive as a large cal hollow point making short work of a few pumpkins and whatever is behind them......

 

[hrpenley]

Of course I guess you could also look at it as a gateway "slug".... did I really say that? I guess its bed time lol

 

[fiver]

thing is zinc got it's run back in the late 50's.
there was loaded ammo and bullets available to the general public.
all you had to do was write the letter and mail in the M.O.

even got some write-up's in the magazines at the time.

 

[2CT199]

I have some bad lead right now and I'm making bullets for muzzle loaders with it. The rifled pistols load with a patch and the Zinc doesn't come in contact with the bore, and the smoothbores can fire anything. If I can fire marbles and ball bearings I can fire Zinc blobs. If I had 50 Lb of contaminated lead I would cast diving belt weights and either sell them on Ebay or give them away to people I know who do Scuba.

 

[2CT199]

I do Airguns a lot too - they can't handle Zinc. Too bad too as the lighter weight would be really good but its too hard.

 

[Ian]

I cast up about 15 pounds of zinked stuff I got in trade from some newbie many years ago on another site. Should have known better but it was just a range brass pickup trade as I recall. Anyway, the alloy made fine 20-gauge round balls, I just won't shoot them at MY range where I trap everything.

 

[Missionary]

Be very careful of your intended target with ball bearings. I can attest that at 1550 fps a .685 ball bearing will penetrate 1" cold rolled steel, bounce off a second plate (which was deeply dented and cracked), penetrate a concrete block wall to continue off across a field on a merry journey.
I have yet to find an aluminum block car engine that would stop one. Pistons removed.

 

[JonB]

I think too many people worry too much about Zinc contamination of a Lead alloy.

Zinc in small percentage in bullet alloy

Background: About 4 years ago, while smelting some COWW, during the first batch of the day, I got distracted and the pot overheated, melting all the non-Iron WW's (I don't hand sort). There was a clear problem and it's when I learned of Zinc contamination and it's oatmeal appearance. I posted...

www.artfulbullet.com

With that said, I do try to avoid Zinc contamination, but if I happen onto a batch, I would just dilute it into some range scrap for plinking pistol bullets.

 

[fiver]

heck once it's in the proper proportions it's not doing anything the rest of the junk in a newer WW isn't already trying to do.

 

[RicinYakima]

heck once it's in the proper proportions it's not doing anything the rest of the junk in a newer WW isn't already trying to do.

My casting buddy and I quit buying/gathering WWs in the late 1990's when our PNW area was filled with Korean and Chinese WWs. We still have about three tons left of the better ones.