Source of lead in Edmonton area?

Neo

Neo

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Guys,

I'm about to take possession of a Pedersoli Sharps 1874, and intend to be shooting black powder in it. The little I've read so far suggests that most of the serious BPCR guys shoot cast bullets using a 20:1 lead:tin mix.

Does anyone have any suggestions where to find either pure lead or 20:1 alloy in the Edmonton area? I found a foundry in Ontario that will ship out to Alberta, but they want about $5.50/lb in small quanties (or about $3.80/lb for a minimum 100 lb order).

Assuming that the shipping is a good part of the cost, I'm thinking it's got to be cheaper to buy local. The question is where.

Thanks for any leads you might be able to share.

Neo
 
Well I'm all over that $0.30 per pound price.

What is roofing lead in alloy terms -- just straight, soft (unalloyed) lead?

If so, all I need to do now is figure out a reasonably cheap source of tin...

Thanks guys!
 
Hmm... A little Googling now has me a bit confused again...

It seems (according to http://www.key-to-nonferrous.com/Articles/Article10.htm) that "roofing lead" can be any of:

1) pure lead
2) lead:antimony alloy
3) calcium:lead alloy
4) calcium:lead:tin alloy

I think this was what Mike Venturino was getting at in an article in which he simply said: "Do yourself a favour, and just order your lead from a foundry".

Well, maybe on a big-time gun writer's salary :rolleyes: ...

At $0.30/lb, I think some experimentation is in order. If it shoots, it shoots. 'Nuff said. ;)
 
Or you can just go with wheelweights.......
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Not so much any more, alotha crap on those these days, coated etc, a mess to clean up.
Linotype is my favourite(hard bhn 22) , mixed with other sources of lead. Can go straight lino, but its a waste , and hard to find. Anyone in the Halifax area wants some I got a line :D @ 30 cents :eek: was 30 c anyway.
 
Dmay -- I came into this thinking wheelweights as well, but further research led me to discover and endless string of warnings about wheelweights being much to hard for casting bullets for shooting in blackpowder cartridges. Leading, it seems, becomes a real problem because the bullet is too hard to properly obturate at the relatively low pressures involved.

Still, having a bunch of recovered wheelweight metal on hand, I'll probably try some anyway just to see if it works. As goofy as it sounds shooting blackpowder, perhaps using a bullet with a gas check would help keep the leading down.

Already, I'm beginning to appreciate just how much of a "project" this new rifle is going to be :runaway:
 
I bought a pile of pure lead from the scrap yard it was inside rope that fisherman use on there nets!
I got a better price to cause i whined about how hard it would be to get the lead out :D
 
:eek: :eek: :eek:

Well, call it a personal choice, but I'm staying away from all radioactive shielding, depleted fuel rods, heavy water, and nuclear fall-out.

;)

snowshoe said:
Another source for pure lead is a hospital. They use lead containers for thier nuclear medicine, and they are safe to use, and clean.
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Neo - I've heard lots of negatives about WW's as well, but my Pedersoli has been shooting them very accurately for over a dozen years, and I would NEVER violate him with smokeless powder. Never had a leading problem, ever.

Levi - not to argue, in fact I agree, but i melt down all my WWs and pour to ingots before using them, cleans em up. Important have good ventilation tho....get some smelly fumes from paint, silicone, etc. sometimes.
 
Sources for pure lead....

One source that I have used is the lead shielding used by the telephone industry. They are happy to get rid of it. I believe that they are in a transformation from this lead to another less hazardous product. Good old Ma Bell!
 
Dmay said:
Neo - I've heard lots of negatives about WW's as well, but my Pedersoli has been shooting them very accurately for over a dozen years, and I would NEVER violate him with smokeless powder. Never had a leading problem, ever.
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Dmay -- Well, there's no arguing with success. :) I'll certainly be trying some WW cast bullets and seeing how they shoot rather than just assuming that they won't.

Just out of curiosity, what weight and style of bullet is it that your Pedersoli likes? And can I safely assume that the bullet diameter is about 0.001" over bore diameter?
 
I use Lyman #457125.
Not home right now but think they come out about 530 gr.??
And I believe they're about 003 over.
Load em long...top grease groove just outside case....SPG lube,veg fibre wad, double-drop all the FFg I can fit in.
They shoot good.
 
Dmay said:
Neo - I've heard lots of negatives about WW's as well, but my Pedersoli has been shooting them very accurately for over a dozen years, and I would NEVER violate him with smokeless powder. Never had a leading problem, ever.

Levi - not to argue, in fact I agree, but i melt down all my WWs and pour to ingots before using them, cleans em up. Important have good ventilation tho....get some smelly fumes from paint, silicone, etc. sometimes.
Click to expand...

I do the same thing, my buddy and I went and got two 5 gallon pails of wheel weights from the shop here, they are hard to come by because of all the guys making fishing weights.
We then made bars, we got 70 one pound bars each. We the cast a couple hundred rounds each my 50. his 577.
They shoot excellent and were free.
 
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