My first post here so a little back ground. Shooting cowboy action, .45LC, both in revolver and rifle. Other then the possible problems that might arise with the perfection of the bullets, is there any concerns in regards to damage to the firearms if zinks is present? As far as shooting goes, we're just trying to hit a car door at 10 yards or so! Minor bulet flaws sould not be a problem as far as accuracy goes. All for now. Appriciate the help.
PG
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Actually, no.
I accidentally contaminated about 40 pounds of alloy with a zinc metal stopper from a bunch of laboratory scrap last fall. When I finally figured out what had happened, I had shot about 100 of the bullets through my Trapdoor Springfield.
The worse that will happen is that the barrel and cylinder will lead from the gas leaking pass the incomplete sides of the bullet.
BUT, if you ever want to make good bullets, i.e. well filled out and accurate, you will have to completely decontaminate all of the casting stuff. That is completely, down to sanding the metal, and lapping the cavities of your moulds. I know that Lee moulds will absorb the zinc into the pores of the cavity as I had to lap a couple of thousandths out to get it to completely fill again.
HTH, Ric
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My main concern was the chance of any damage from the zink. In our game, accuracy takes second place to speed so that is not a concern. As far as lead build up, my guns are cleaned after each shoot so any build up of lead would not be an issue. As I evolve with the casting, I expect that I will become more concerned with such things as the game changes / expands. With only a couple responses, I would still welcome any comments regarding the original question.
Zeke..AKA Pyroguy
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You may want to check that out again. I was thinking that the zinc bullet held together and barely deformed, and would just punch on through. Now you are going to go make me look it up.
"Zinc bullet police loads", ..........."non-expanding bullets."
But with the light weight, the velocity is much higher, so the reaction in the block of clay shows a somewhat larger cavity than a conventional JHP bullet. The decay in velocity over the distance is also just as dramatic. I will let someone else play with that material. Duane
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Ok, I've got a question in regards to zinc and lead! I just picked up my first bucket of wheel weights and was just thinking to my self wondering if it was possible to tell the difference between the zinc and lead visually just by looking at it?
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Sometimes you can tell the difference by looking and sometimes you cannot.
The safest plan is to use a thermometer when smelting WW's and keep the temperature around 650 degrees. Zinc WW's require 780 degrees or so to melt. That will give you a 100+ degree pad to avoid contaminating your alloy. Contaminated alloy will NOT fill out properly. Any WW's that float on top of molten lead should be skimmed out and thrown away.
Just don't let it happen.
FWIW Dale53
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This zink is areal nuisance, I have read of a chap who recognize the different noise they make when dropped on concrete floor,
unfortunately a long process
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Every WW I cannot positively identify as lead I squeeze with a pair of wire cutters. That will tell you immediately. They don't feel anything alike. My .02. enjoy Mike
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This of the wirecutter is the method that “taglia la testa al toro"cuts off the bull's head,as we say in Italy.
It might be a tedious work ,but as I get wheel weights free,and zinc contamination is such a bore,I'll check all the WW before putting them in the pot..
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Not sure if this is true or not but i heard you can remove the zinc from lead alloy buy fluxing with sulphur. The sulphur brought the Zinc up to the surface in dross form which is skimmed off. I have not tried this myself to test the procedure but I do know that burning sulphur has a very nasty smell and can take your breath away or be deadly. CAUTION ADVISED.
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The zink WW seem to just float on top with the clips. If I have a floating WW I just pick it off. I don't know what it takes to melt them, I have never tried. Just get rid of the floating ones.
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In Italy many Zinc weights have ZN written of them.
Many are painted light grey,and make a different sound when hitting them to gether.
Lead ones are duller on their surface and make a dull noise when hit.
What a tedious work to sort them,,but a work to do because the use of lead is outlawed in most old applications by ,idiot EUROPEAN laws. and lead is becoming scarce at junkyards.
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I have used pliers similar to the wire cutter method. I have found many lead wheel weights are also now painted to make them blend in with the rims. I agree it is slow but what can you do. Most zinc ones I ran across were marked “Zn” but not all. I also found iron wheel weights. When will the madness be over. At present it looks like the EPA can do anything it wants as they now make law in violation of the U.S.Constitution which states that only the Congress can do so. I know they are called “regulations".
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The zinc will not damage the barrel. Zinc is a PITA in bullet metal but I have skimmed it as soon as the metal becomes fluid, it will look like oatmeal. Hard to get all of it out, but I've overcome that by running the temp up to 800 degrees and got good fill-out. Years ago, Remington 357 metal piercing ammo was loaded with zinc bullets.:coffee
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lead and zinc, I am a plumber who does a lot of old fashoned lead wiping and we dispose of zinc in our lead by treating it with old fashoned sulphur powder this burns out / fluxzes the lead and brings the zink to surface to be skimmed off. But be warned only do this outside !!!! cause it STINKS ! When wiping lead for sewers and water mains Yes water mains old style the mix I perfer is 68/32 and always burn out before a wipe to get a clean perfect joint.
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lead and zinc, I am a plumber who does a lot of old fashoned lead wiping and we dispose of zinc in our lead by treating it with old fashoned sulphur powder this burns out / fluxzes the lead and brings the zink to surface to be skimmed off. But be warned only do this outside !!!! cause it STINKS ! When wiping lead for sewers and water mains Yes water mains old style the mix I perfer is 68/32 and always burn out before a wipe to get a clean perfect joint.
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BRatigan
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