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Hardness of .38WC

2K views 8 replies 6 participants last post by  noylj 
#1 ·
In another thread-Alpo said all factory lead bullets are swaged....A retiring gunsmith gave me 5000-.38 HBWC....Zero brand....I'm going to keep 1k for my .38s but wanted to melt rest for casting-what hardness are they now?How much tin would I have to add(per lb)to make them hard enough to cast for 45/70 at about 1400fps?Can I use as they are for a muzzleloader??Thx
 
#2 · (Edited)
Add Linotype to the swaged bullets. 3 lbs bullets and 1 lb. linotype for the 45/70. For the muzzleloader, pure lead is best, but the plain bullet alloy is worth a try. I would guess they have about 2% antimony. A 1 to 1 mix of pure lead & linotype gives a BHN of 15. If only using tin, 10 lead & 1 tin for a BHN of 11.5 Antimony is the cheapest metal to harden, when compared to tin. But all alloy should have 2% tin for high velocity loadings.
 
#3 ·
I think theyd be OK for .45/70 at whatever hardness they are now. especially at that velocity. I find good lube is more important than bullet hardness.
 
#4 ·
For a 45/70, to make the molds fill better, you want between 5 and 10% tin. A 10:1 to a 20:1 mix. If you get a one-pound bar (or spool, but bar solder is cheaper) of 50/50 solder and put it in a ten pound pot, you end up with 9 1/2 pounds of lead and a half pound of tin. 19:1. Oughta work fine.
 
#9 ·
Most current swaged bullets are about #2 Lyman alloy. Years ago they were almost pure lead.
Get a Lee hardness tester and have some idea of what alloy hardness you are using.
Almost all casters nowadays seem to be using excessively hard alloys.
Since leading isn't that hard to deal with, I have always started soft and worked up and found what worked best. 10-12 BHN works well for me in almost all my guns (by the time it is too soft, I am loading with gas checks and the soft bullets are just fine).
 
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