Pewter for casting of projectiles

[Old-Duckman]

I work pewter and buy auction lots that have interesting pewter pieces. BTW one who works pewter is called a pewterer, though many (including myself) have referred to such as pewtersmiths.

Anyway I have read that those who cast projectiles for smokeless powder firearms buy old pewter for casting of their projectiles.

I am also aware that many different alloys can be classified as pewter. Pewter’s main element is tin. No modern pewter contains lead.

All that said to ask about the applicability of scrap pewter for BP projectiles. In my case I am more interested in them for revolvers. I suppose pewter would be fine for use as a patched ball in a rifle but is it (In its various alloys) practical for use in wheel guns?

Any FHE?

I just picked up a rather large auction lots of pewter and though I do melt pewter scap and cast small ingots, I have way more than I need for that purpose.

Any thoughts, experiences, or whatever is appreciated .

 

[Flintlock Fellow]

That’s an interesting question! I, too, have heard of people using pewter for casting with smokeless powder firearms, but I haven’t come across much when it comes to black powder revolvers or patched balls. Since pewter is primarily tin, it could work for casting, but it’s pretty light compared to lead and might not carry the same energy downrange. Plus, with pewter’s various alloys, consistency could be an issue—especially if it includes other metals like antimony or copper.

If you’re experimenting with it for revolvers, you might want to test its performance on a small scale first to see how it holds up. I’d guess it would be fine for light loads or just plinking around, but for serious use, the lack of density might be a drawback. Curious to hear what you find out if you give it a go!

 

[morehops52]

Tin is 36% less dense than lead. Unless your intended purpose is to shoot paper or very small critters at close range I wouldn't find the economy worth the questionable reliability. Pure lead, or close to it is always recommended for muzzloaders. I'll stick to lead as it's a great known and has been the go-to metal for centuries for a reason.

 

[Grenadier1758]

All that tin will make the bullet too hard for practical use in a revolver. Maybe for shot or use in a smoothbore where hardness is less harmful and soft lead with only a couple percent of tin is suitable for rifles.

Because the bullets need to be swaged into the chamber of a revolver, the loading levers are often not sturdy enough resulting in damage when loading hard ball.

 

[waksupi]

I would guess it would be too hard for a revolver. The modern pewter is quite a bit harder than lead, due to the antimony that is used. Think hardened shotgun shot. We add about a tablespoon of the hard shot to a pot of alloy when water dropping bullets, to significantly increase the hardness, up to 28+ Brinnel, far beyond what we need or want for muzzle loaders. For smokeless use, only a small amount is used for the tin content to aid in the fluidity of the alloy to more easily fill the molds.