It's 95% pure tin, and 5% antimony. Cast using a 155 gr Lee swc .45 mold, the bullets drop out weighing 105 grs. The .460 Rowland drives them over 2000 fps in a 5" barrel. I always have a good laugh at guys who claim that 1500 fps is "fast" in a carry pistol.

This load fouls the barrel about like .38 plus P 158 gr lhp's. These bullets are very hard. You can't size them with a normal sizer-luber machine. You have to use Lee Liquid Lube on them, and Lee's Sizer die (in a reloading press).

I've often had the urge to cast a few from chamber casting metal (or Woods Metal) and see if they melt before exiting the barrel...figure that would be a good way to mystify my brother in law and convience him he can't shoot.

LOL. A buddy of mine brought me a really short .44 mold once, 130 gr swc bullet, IIRC, it was 25 years ago. He had me cast up about 100 bullets, and would not tell me what was up.

He was seating a wad (maybe a gascheck, I don't recall) then a charge of #9 birdshot, and then the swc. He'd bet $20 a shot that he could hit tossed up camera flashcubes from the hip, double or nothing until he took all your money.

There was a company making these type of bullets some years ago. I have seen some 130 grain bullets made with a 230 grain RN 45 ACP mould. Could use a hot load of Unique for about 1300 fps. They also had some 65 grain 357 bullets made of pewter from a 158 swc mould that you could get 2500 fps from a 6 inch 357 mag. The bullets dissapeared from the market very shortly. This was in the early 80ties when all the BS about armor piercing bullets came out.

There was a company making these type of bullets some years ago. I have seen some 130 grain bullets made with a 230 grain RN 45 ACP mould. Could use a hot load of Unique for about 1300 fps. They also had some 65 grain 357 bullets made of pewter from a 158 swc mould that you could get 2500 fps from a 6 inch 357 mag. The bullets dissapeared from the market very shortly. This was in the early 80ties when all the BS about armor piercing bullets came out.


Old timers will taell of using a zinc alloy called Kirksite...stuff is rock hard, need dead-clean pot and mold to cast worth a hoot, and the bullets are extramly light.

Have some friends that used to work in a zinc die casting plant and would cast up round balls for their front stuffers they would shoot but not real well with hunting loads. I also gave a friend that needed some alloy to harden up his rifle bullets some ingots of bearing babbit, he made up some bullets out of the babbitt and complained they were real hard to run through his lube sizer. I told him he was lucky to get them through without ruining the sizer. That bearing babbit is harder than woodpecker lips.

95/5 is what I use for my Lyman #2 alloy. (to make 90:5:5)

Bar solder may be more appropriate for folks looking to make 20:1 or 30:1 for BP or slower bullet loads.
(its cheaper too!!!)

Antimony is what you want to make your bullets harder. Magnum Lead shot with a couple of pounds of 95/5 should do the trick and get you over 20BHN.

A friend confided that he'd taken what looked like lead ingots from work, made some really lovely bullets and loaded them. He fired a cylinder full he said, and scored no hits. He was a very proficient shot. He told me that when he inspected his gun he found the bore was badly leaded after six shots. A little detection pointed to the "lead" as the source of the problem. He told me "never cast bullets from cerosafe", it has a melting point lower than tin.