Wheel weight lead question

[Dexis]

I found out the hard way that wheel weight lead was too hard for use in revolvers. It was just too hard to push the balls into the cylinder with a loading rod. I had read that somewhere but did it anyway only to find out it was true.

They will work in rifles and smooth bores. You may have to find a thinner patch. It won’t harm the bore. If it will melt and pour I’ll use it.

Agreed, I tried the revolver thing. Never have I felt so defeated and weak. Not a chance.

I mostly shoot wheel weight lead out of my 58 smooth for two reasons. 1) zero resistance from the harder lead as I’m not using patches or dragging against rifling and 2) it’s what I like to load up hot and shoot things like concrete blocks, or try and split wood rounds with the deep penetration.

But aside from plain old fun I also thinks it’s kinda like an old school armor piercing round. I’ve always thought it might come in handy for a shoulder shot on a big boar hog, it’s basically an armor plate. Those things have been known to soak up modern unmentionable projectiles.

But also as gets said over and over a 1/2”+ hole is going to be pretty effective regardless if shot placement is on point.

 

[J.B. Arthur]

How many laptops or smartphones were usually available at colonial forts compared to quill and parchment?
I wonder who did their HVAC repair, which pharmacy they used, and how far to the nearest international Airport? What about vaccines, insulin, antibiotics?
If you or anyone you cared for ever used ANY of these that pretty much negates your question.
Although some curse it, we DO live in the 21st century.
Otherwise, there'd be no forums other than on the village green

The internet totally sucked back then. Dial up and all...

 

[J.B. Arthur]

Those wonderful old lead/antimony WW are history now. I used to have near 100 lbs of 'em and preferred them to pure lead for smoothbores. I fired WW ball in a couple of my rifles and they worked just fine. Might need a thinner patch but if they seat okay they'll shoot okay.

I have 800 lbs or so of the old clip on wheel weights looking to sale or trade. I got them all like 20 years back from an old dilapidated filling station. The good kind no zinc

 

[nhmoose]

I use WW lead for all my smooth bores ML and unmentionable. I water drop them too. Hard balls penetrate great and from 550 to.72 don't need expansion to work magic.

 

[hanshi]

I'm also a believer in WW in smooth bores. But all my good stuff is gone, WW, linotype, etc.

 

[waksupi]

Some over estimate how much the projectile growth is from wheel weights. Actual growth is around .002, that can be attributed to the antimony in the alloy. .002 ain't nothing.

 

[waksupi]

Yep we no longer produce any virgin lead in this country, all we "produce" is from scrap.

Another attack on America by the black Marxist.

Lead is produced, it is one of the main byproducts of silver smelting.

 

[waksupi]

How many pounds of wheel weights were usually available at colonial forts compared to pure lead?

There was darned little pure lead at the time. Much it was coming from the Mines of Spain at Dubuque and surrounding mines on the Mississippi, and barged to St. Louis for refining. The results was high in sulfur and arsenic content. "Pure" lead today still carries trace amounts of both.

As someone already mentioned, spending some time at Castboolits.com is time well spent to learn from the guys who develop loads for the manuals. You will find no other source anywhere near as complete as you will find there.

 

[French Colonial]

The Southeast Missouri Lead District, commonly called the Lead Belt, is a lead mining district in the southeastern part of Missouri. Counties in the Lead Belt include Saint Francois, Crawford, Dent, Iron, Madison, Reynolds, and Washington. This mining district is the most important and critical lead producer in the United States

The potential for lead mining in Southeast Missouri was first discovered and documented in 1700 by Father James Gravier.[2] Philip Francois Renault of France led a large exploratory mission in 1719 and started mining operations in Old Mines and Mine La Motte in 1720, establishing the first lead mining subdistrict of Mine LaMotte-Fredericktown

The Lead Belt produces about 70% of the US primary supply of lead, and significant amounts of the nation's zinc.[1] In the year 2000, Missouri produced 313,105 tons, with an estimated value of $128,838,880, according to Missouri DNR Data. About 84% of the lead is used for lead–acid batteries, and a secondary smelter in Boss, Missouri recycles lead–acid batteries. Another major consumer of Missouri lead is Winchester Ammunition, located in East Alton, Illinois

 

[Ohio Rusty]

I looked up to see if Ohio had any lead mines, here is what I found out:
Ohio does not currently produce lead, but galena, a lead sulfide mineral, is found in the state:

• Galena: A lead sulfide mineral that is the primary ore of lead. In Ohio, galena is usually found in cavities and fractures of dolostone in northwestern Ohio. It can also be found in veins of ironstone concretions in eastern Ohio, but this is less common.
  
  

The United States is the world's largest producer and consumer of refined lead metal. Other major producers of lead include Australia, Canada, China, Peru, and Kazakhstan.
Galena is a silvery metal and is a shiny silver from the lead content.
Ohio Rusty ><>

 

[Ohio Rusty]

There was darned little pure lead at the time. Much it was coming from the Mines of Spain at Dubuque and surrounding mines on the Mississippi, and barged to St. Louis for refining. The results was high in sulfur and arsenic content. "Pure" lead today still carries trace amounts of both.

As someone already mentioned, spending some time at Castboolits.com is time well spent to learn from the guys who develop loads for the manuals. You will find no other source anywhere near as complete as you will find there.

At the battle of Boonesboro, the defenders ran out of lead ball and the women resorted to melting down their pewter to make ball. After the battle was over, the defenders of the fort dug out of the walls 125 pounds of lead ball that was shot at them.
Ohio Rusty ><>

 

[Whitworth]

At the battle of Boonesboro, the defenders ran out of lead ball and the women resorted to melting down their pewter to make ball. After the battle was over, the defenders of the fort dug out of the walls 125 pounds of lead ball that was shot at them.
Ohio Rusty ><>

That's roughly 1,750 balls for the .75 Brown Bess

 

[springfield art]

Wheel weights aren't pure lead...may be OK for some modern bullets, but not true BP ones.

 

[Eutycus]

But they are heavy like lead and softer than your gun barrel.Can they really do any harm?

 

[flconch53]

But they are heavy like lead and softer than your gun barrel.Can they really do any harm?

Probably no harm. Also no accuracy

 

[waksupi]

But they are heavy like lead and softer than your gun barrel.Can they really do any harm?

The only problems are loading revolvers, leads to bent or broken loading lever, and in long arms shooting conicals it's not so much the hardness, but a limited ability to obdurate and expand the skirt to the bore.

 

[Eutycus]

The only problems are loading revolvers, leads to bent or broken loading lever, and in long arms shooting conicals it's not so much the hardness, but a limited ability to obdurate and expand the skirt to the bore.

I whole heartedly agree on the pressure that is needed to seat wheel weight (or most any) bullets with just the loading lever.Thats why some of us use loading presses.

 

[maillemaker]

When you examine a patched round ball bullet after firing, does it have rifling engraved in it?

 

[R Ellis]

The patch is between the ball and barrel so it should not damage the barrel . I have been using W/W for maxi balls for 30 years with no problems and they are not hard to load

 

[springfield art]

But they are heavy like lead and softer than your gun barrel.Can they really do any harm?

You have a point!