lead hardness for bullets

[Papabear97]

i have some lead i want to use for casting. i tested the hardness with a prof machine at work. it gives me an average of 18.3 hardness. is the hard enough for 40 cal bullets?

[mikld]

IMO it would work well when cut 25% with pure lead. I have been casting for my handguns for 14 years and found little need for any lead harder than 10-12 BHN. My bullets I cast for my 7.62x54 run about 16 BHN, but most of my handgun bullets are about 10-12 and when they fit the gun, no leading and good accuracy...

[RBHarter]

Do you know how the metal was cooled?

For a 40 S&W I had to go with water dropped WW at around 18 to stop the tumbling .

I ask about cooling because lino/type metal can be air cooled on a warm day and be 18 bhn while shock cooled ww will also be 18-22 . The really big difference is that lino will break up and ww will deform .

The short answer is that the metal will probably work and be fine but it would be better if you knew how the metal were cooled or had a better idea of what the metal is.

[Papabear97]

The machine told me that it is 100% lead. It's very old lead also. Prob 30 yrs old

[RBHarter]

Well I'm not a metalurgist but I'm very sure that at 18 bhn it isn't pure lead. It has at least antimony or arsenic in it . Pure will be 8 or less,tin will get it up around 10 sometimes. Sounds like the ww that I cooled on cold cement several years ago. The antimony causes controllable hardening (sort of) ,maybe repeatable is more correct. It can range from 12 to 22 bhn when heat treated. (Dropped out of the mould in to a bucket of water will get you 18 pretty regularly ,where heating to 450 degrees in an over for 30 min and dumping in to cold water will hit 22. Slow cooled on a 70 degree day on a towel will get you 12 . The lead you have should be fine in the 40.

[Papabear97]

i will test it again at work for the make up again. thanks

[Ranch Dog]

… it gives me an average of 18.3 hardness. is the hard enough for 40 cal bullets?

Yeah, at 18 BHN it is not pure lead.

[Chickenthief]

More than you ever want to know: http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm

And an actual calculator of BHN: http://www.google.dk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=& ... 7526,d.bGQ