1. What are several options for procuring lead, tin, and antimony for casting?
2. Based on your findings, do you think the cost of casting bullets would be reasonable?
3. Why might the skill to cast bullets be a valuable one to have, even if the process is not as cost effective or practical as purchasing factory loads?
There are a ton of options for procuring lead, tin, and antimony for casting your own bullets. With a quick google search one of the first options available is on Amazon. It gives you the option to buy 10lbs of bullet casting alloy for $59.99. It comes in ingot and is cleaned and ready to melt and cast. Another option would be to reclaim the alloy from your local firing range. This is a free and easy option if you work at a range as I do but comes at its own cost still. Anyone who has worked at a range can tell you that the berm, especially rubber berms, will fill up and become dangerous if not cleaned out on occasion. This can be a physically daunting task but allows you to reclaim the alloys free of cost. However, this is not a clean option and will require separating lead from copper jackets and steel core ammunition that had been fired. Also, it includes the cost of the propane used in the crucible to melt the metals and clean out the junk that is not ready to use alloy.
If the user of these metals is only doing a small batch of hand loads than I can see either option as a cost-effective option but if attempting to fill a huge order for a client needing bullets than the actual cost and time needed to achieve this may be too high for some. Nevertheless, being able to cast your own bullets is an extremely valuable skill to have because the market for ammunition can be volatile at times. Every election season or second amendment scare to hit the market creates a run-on ammunition as well as firearms. When this happens things like bullets and primers become hard to find and increasingly expensive. That is when it really may become the cheaper option to cast your own bullets.
Resources
Bullet Casting Alloy (10lb Ingot - Amazon.com. https://www.amazon.com/Bullet-Casting-Alloy-10lb-Ingot/dp/B01F5SBBXQ.
Comments