Basic Bullet Casting

[Christian for Israel]

the press isn't the big cost in swaging...dies can run you a small fortune.

[610Alpha]

@klayton - no it doesn't cost that much to get a swaging kit. http://www.corbins.com/kits.htm This site seemed to have it all, the cost ranges from $600 - $8000 for a press, either hydraulic or hand powered.

Couldn't resist the lmgtfy site, had it done to me by a Server Admin once....lol. Just a little fun.

[Christian for Israel]

@ Christian For Israel - that was me asking about the speed of casting. I asked because the pics you showed were 2 cavity molds. Its nice to know that they make molds with more caivites, otherwise it would just take a person forever with a 2 cavity mold.

i've turned out many hundreds of bullets with single cavity molds also. it just takes a little patience.

[Christian for Israel]

swaging equipment (using great pressure to force the metals into the shape you want) is available and can be used to make jacketed, HP, unusual shapes, etc. but it is fairly expensive. die sets can be hundreds of dollars and presses (hydraulic) thousands. if economy is your basis then stick with casting. if money isn't that big a deal then check out the equipment here: http://www.corbins.com/

[Klayton]

"Sunnen honing machine which costs upwards or 50,000 dollars or so. "

So I am guessing that is a NO?

Cute how to use google link btw... :(

[610Alpha]

Yes. Here is one site I found describing the process: http://camdenrgc.com/bulletmaking/ma...r_jacketed.htm

Here is what I did: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=how+to+make+jacketed+bullets

[Klayton]

nobody answered my question :(

is it possible for the average joe to make jacketed bullets?

[610Alpha]

@ Christian For Israel - that was me asking about the speed of casting. I asked because the pics you showed were 2 cavity molds. Its nice to know that they make molds with more caivites, otherwise it would just take a person forever with a 2 cavity mold.

[Christian for Israel]

use the wheel weights. batteries only use a thin coat of lead oxide on the plates...not enough in one to make even one bullet. most of the lead recovered from batteries is in the terminals. also, wheel weights are an alloy that includes other metals that give a harder bullet. this reduces leading in your gun.

as for casting speed that someone asked about, i can do 3-4 pours a minute. with a 2 cavity mold that means several hours to cast 1000 bullets (you have to add the time to melt additional metal every so often). that said, i usually use 6 cavity molds for large runs which speeds things up considerably.

New to casting and only have four moulds-no sizing dies as yet. The Pb melter is a small Lee electric bottom pour. For larger melts I have a plumbers pot that sits directly onto a Propane tank. People tell me that batteries cannot be used by a bud says he used to pour fishing sinkers with his dad and that was his main source. He used a plastic barrel cut in half. Would toss in the "guts" of the batteries, fill with water, and add baking soda till they stopped bubbling. The soda neutralizes the Sulfuric Acid in the plates. He left the solution covering the plates there for a couple of days to "soak in" and get all the oxidation/etc. neutralized also. I probably have 40-50 batteries and maybe a ton of lead and wheel weights.

[biathlon]

This will be one of the most sought after PAW trades! Good work C for I.

[Ron22]

Great post! Casting my own bullets is something I been wanting to learn how to do and this is a great primer on the whole process. Thanks!!!

[Klayton]

I LOVE IT!!

I do have one question, can the average joe also make copper jacketed bullets? Or does that require expensive equipment?

[610Alpha]

Ok so how long does it take you to do 1000 castings? From your pics it looked like you could only cast 2 at a time. That's 500 pours just to get 1000, do you have a mold that has more in it or what? Thanks for the info.

[Christian for Israel]

yes, ventillation is good, but in the kitchen with the exhaust fan running is fine. lead only produces an appreciable amount of vapor when it boils. the temps used for casting are much lower and really don't pose a danger. of course, a window or exhaust fan makes it better, but i've cast bullets inside for 25 years without a problem.

i've also had my lead levels tested a couple of times over the years and there's barely enough to show up on the test. the last time was 2 years ago and the Dr told me he sees higher levels in most urban dwellers.