Dental X-ray Lead

[gooddw]

My neighbor is a dental office. I saw the dentist coming out and asked him about his scrap lead. He gave me a bucket of about 8 lbs of those little dental x-ray sheet backings. I melted some down and man was it dirty. It was worse than wheel weights. I could tell by the appearance that it wasn't pure. Made a couple of .454s for my Colt and tried to load one. It was way to hard and would not seat. I was disappointed. I can still use them in my .490 mould for my 50 cal Bobcat but was hoping to use them in my revolvers. So, if someone tells you dental lead is pure, don't believe it. My question is, why are they cutting corners on lead content that is suppose to be blocking x-rays?

 

[mike alexandre]

Thanks for the warning, I've just been given 10lbs of the stuff. I'll melt it seperatly.

 

[DougMPhoto]

My question is, why are they cutting corners on lead content that is suppose to be blocking x-rays?

So they can put more in the toys for our kids. DUH!!! :nono:


Actually good to know. I was going to ask my neighbor dentist for the same thing...I will pass. Thanks

 

[Bob Gular]

My better half being a dental hygienist, I have had a steady supply of dental lead for years and have not had any of the aforementioned problems with it. It has always worked fine for roundballs, conicals, and minies. If you have a willing supplier take advantage of it, you can always chuck it if you find it unsatisfactory.

 

[2172]

Strange...I've been casting with nothing but dental lead for the past 2 years, and it is the cleanest stuff I've ever used. Before this, I had some lead from xray room lining, and that was dirty...had a paper and membrane backing...still it cast good balls...Hank

 

[gooddw]

Maybe it depends on the film supplier. My sister works in another dental office and has a bucket load for me. I will try hers and see if there is any difference. I can only go by may personal experience and this stuff was awful.

 

[Deadeye]

If what you have is hard, that's what you want for your revolver bullets and what you DON'T want for your muzzleloader. I just melted down a bunch of it and it seems like pure lead to me. I also just melted down some 4'x8' sheets from an x-ray room wall with one side of the sheetrock paper still glued to it, now that was dirty.

 

[flintlock75]

I have been using x-ray wall sheilding for years, it melts very cleanly, no paper attached or glue.
I have 300 lbs of it and even with all the shooting i do my supply should last for several more years. I also have some cable sheathing this is tough stuff, about 1/4" thick hard to cut but makes good RB for my smoothbores. It is very dirty and has to be skimed after melting but mostly pure. I prefer the xray lead.

 

[gooddw]

I'm sorry but you're wrong on this one. Maybe that's true for a centerfire cartridge revolver but not a blackpowder revolver. You have to have soft lead so it will seat in the chamber and shave off a ring of lead to make a good seal. I can use hard lead for my BP rifle because I use a patch and the lead does not have to cut into the rifling.

 

[gooddw]

The lead I'm using is not from the walls. It is the thin paper type sheets about 1" by 1.5". They're used for x-raying teeth.

 

[Russianblood]

I have some of the x-ray film shielding myself and although it's the shiniest metal I've ever cast, it's not pure lead. I think it's more along the lines of wheel weights. I only plan on using it in smoothies.

 

[fw707]

I have been using x-ray wall sheilding for years, it melts very cleanly, no paper attached or glue.

I lucked into 300+ pounds of the wall shielding a while back. I've got over 150 pounds of round balls cast, and 168 pounds of 2-pound ingots I cast in an old muffin pan.
Should last a while.

 

[nchawkeye]

I'm wondering if they have changed it...I have used it for years (about 20) with no problems...I have at least 25 pounds left over from several years ago, so I haven't used any new lately...

 

[Deadeye]

Sorry, Stars, I read .454 for your Colt and thought you meant a .45Colt, your right pure lead for cap and ball revolvers.

 

[paulvallandigham]

All the .45 Colt cartridges have been made with .451 or .452" bullets since the 1950s. Only the old model Colts( original) used the .454. There aren't too many shooters shooting original Colt Peacemakers these days. They are worth too much to collectors.

 

[gooddw]

Let me clear up the confusion my post may have caused. When I said ".454 for my Colt", I meant a .454 round ball for my 1860 Army Colt blackpowder revolver.
Sorry for not being more specific.

 

[paulvallandigham]

THAT does make a difference. Thanks for clarifying the issue. There are lots of different bore sizes for .44 and .45 caliber handguns, ranging from .430, to .457. Colt began with a .450 bore( land diameter) and a .454 Groove diameter in its Cap & Ball guns. When it went with a cartridge gun( 1873 Peacemaker), it used the same barrels and bore diameters, partly, to maintain its customer base. When Colt came out with the rimless, .45 Automatic Cartridge for Pistol( .45 ACP), it changed the bore diameter to .451. After WWII, when it lost all its equipment for making the Peacemaker, new equipement was bought to produce a series of Peacemaker models, and replicas, all using the .451 diameter barrels. If you can find a .454 bore diameter barrel on a .45 made today, it is made someplace other than by Colt. Ruger's Old Army uses the .457 RB.

 

[Deadeye]

Paul, still many shooters use .454 in modern .45 Colts because of large cylinder throats and some S&W .45 Colts have such large throats that .457 bullets are required in spite of the .452 barrel size. Throat size being more important for accuracy than barrel size.

 

[Blizzard of '93]

I've never used dental x-ray lead, I have picked up pure (fingernail soft) lead here&there, scrap. years ago I got 100's of lbs of lead pipeing from a paper plant. it is not pure lead as it is made by casting, so some elements are added to help in making. it's near pure however and I use it for my revolver slugs. works good. I use my dead-soft lead for REAL slugs and RB for my .50's. seems lead is getting some harder to find, I recommend any shooter casting their own to scrounge what's available.

 

[buttonbuck]

did anyone ever test dental lead with one of those saeco hardness testers? I just asked my dentist to save me the lead film protectors. The pieces he gave me was colored like an old bullet but I could scratc them with a fingernail.