Composition of Jacketed pistol Alloy

[JWFilips]

I tried to do a search here and got nothing...maybe it is hidden somewhere... but would anyone want to venture a guess as to what the average jacketed pistol range lead alloy would be made of.
When I pick range scrap I get crazy and sort out all the cast bullets. The guys on my pistol range pretty much buy commercial hard cast pistol bullets so I have a handle on that composition.
Just trying to get an estimate of the average composition of the 200 lbs of Jacketed pistol range scrap I have.

 

[Brad]

Kinda hard to say but I will venture a guess that you will get close to 1%Sb with the rest essentially lead.
I don't sort my range scrap and mine runs 1.75% Sb and .4% Sn. It heat treats very nicely when needed.

 

[Rick]

Would depend a bunch on what caliber & brand is mostly shot there. Sierra runs high in Sb in some larger calibers, possibly as much as 5%.

Glen Fryxell wrote this reply to me in response to an email I sent him and I used it in my article on cast bullet alloys. Cast Bullet Alloys & Alloy Maintenance

Salvaged range lead can be quite the mix unless you’re familiar with the range and know that a specific type of shooting is mostly done. [1].22 lead is mostly lead, virtually no antimony, and usually about 1-2% tin. Jacketed bullet alloy composition ranges anywhere from pure lead to 5% Sb. As a very general statement, many handgun jacketed bullets have pure lead cores (almost all Noslers, almost all FMJs, and most std. velocity jacketed handgun bullets). Some have hardened cores (e.g. the Sierra 300 grain .44 Mag bullets is 5% Sb). If the range has centerfire rifle bullets, then they are commonly 3% or 5% Sb. So the bottom line is that jacketed bullets can contribute almost any hardness to bullet metal.
.

 

[JWFilips]

Our pistol range on average mostly jacketed 9 MM 40 S&W and 45 auto.
I'm figuring if I average the Sb at about 3% I can't be too far off.
Been working with a new alloy since COWW are near non existent here For my Plain base rife shooting I decided on 2 parts Jacketed pistol range scrap and 1 Part Commercial pistol hard cast range scrap.... on the calculator that puts me at about 12.5 BHN air cooled ant that is just right where I want to be. Can always heat treat for my 243 and 223 loads
Actually if I didn't sort it all out I probably would be at the same place
But then I wouldn't satisfy my "mind"

 

[fiver]

I'd go closer to 2%.
I know John-Z's and another guy that melts down range scrap from an indoor range both average out @2% antimony according to the XRF tests.

 

[abj]

I buy indoor/pistol range lead and they shoot a .22 rf match each week. All other shooting is your avg. factory fodder. I have processed about a ton per year for the last six years. I take it to a lab about once a year and the sb content runs from 1 to 1.2%. Have never seen any Tin in an amount to matter. Hope this helps.
Tony

 

[JWFilips]

Ok There is good info here: I have no 22 RF slugs so I'm reducing my calculation based on fiver's post.

With my alloy mix I'm still good for light rifle shooting with plain base!
You know what? this place is better then GOOGLE!
Jim

 

[JWFilips]

Hey ,
Anyone want to venture a guess on this question?
When I plug the Commercial "hard" cast bullet alloy into the CB alloy calculator I get BHN 15 ....not the 18 bhn that they all promise!


Maybe shipping adds to the BHN?

 

[KHornet]

Maybe they are haunted! I know I have had some commercials that
shot so poorly they were bound to be haunted.

Paul

 

[fiver]

2/6/92 alloy has always been 15 bhn.
you can't cut 4/12/84 alloy from 22 bhn to 18 bhn by adding 50% pure lead.

when I had my little casting business I was sometimes asked why I stated my bhn as only an 11.
when I replied I didn't use 6% antimony in my alloy the look on my customers face was pretty priceless,
they never could understand how a 1/3/96 alloy would perform like it did.
some even said maybe that was why most of my business was with 'cowboy shooters'.
I just shrugged and said oh I have lots of different kinds of customers, I just hang around the guy's with the cool guns more often.
this always left them a little perplexed.

 

[abj]

I build my alloy up with pure tin and superhard to 1.8/3.0/95. This was the most accurate alloy we tested for 45 ACP Bullseye shooters. This alloy in a custom accculock rebuild will hold .7" at 50 yards. The only bullet that did better is Zero 185 JHP but only in Colt barrels, and it would do a 1/2" and a few guns a little better. We have pushed the Magma 45-160 SWC to over 900 with great accuracy and no leading, but it is a stiff load. We also use this alloy in our 30 cal gas checked bullets as well up to about 1800. after that the accuracy starts to fall off. The thing that has always perplexed me is my bullets stay very shiny for years (Tin content I guess) and the internet casters with a supposed 2% Tin will oxidize like lead in a few months. I wonder if anyone has sampled the 2/6 alloy they use to see if it is really 2%.
Tony