DG Bullets

[Sunfish]

Does anyone have a clue what is really going on? The whole lead situation seems to be on the skids.   

[Dirtshooter]

The last U.S. lead smelter closed in 2013. Now all lead has to be outsourced from other countries. You know that lead which is a natural element causes everything!!

[Darrell]

12 minutes ago, Dirtshooter said:

Now all lead has to be outsourced from other countries

I believe that there are still some secondary (recycling) smelters in operation, but no more primary smelters.  We have a lot of lead in the ground in this country, but I don't know if any is being mined. If it is, then it's being shipped somewhere else (Canada? Mexico?) for smelting.   

[RED333]

The Brits went to Concord and else where to take the Cannon, powder, and shot (lead). The Brits new with out these things The colonial rebels would have nothing left but clubs, this is the birth of the 2nd Amendment. O bummer shut down the lead smelters.

The chicoms are sucking up all the recyclable materials from the world.

[Mowgli Terry]

The people who have been a bullet cast for some years are OK. OK, that is, if they had scrounged all along. I have been doing OK with range scrap. With the way things are there is competition even for range scrap. I don't see this lead situation getting any better. I got a war pension tied up in bullet casting gear, The idea of this  equipment standing idle basically sucks.

[Quavodus]

Have you checked around tire dealers?

[Mowgli Terry]

9 hours ago, Quavodus said:

Have you checked around tire dealers?

The main problem with tire dealers is the use of zinc wheel weights.  Zinc wheel weights are easy to spot. The problem is few and fewer lead weights are in the mix.  The hunt is still on.

[Quavodus]

Oh yeah. They got steel too now.

[Grayfox54]

EPA cracked down on lead wheel weights. They are pretty much all  gone. 

The owner of Tennessee Valley Bullets is a friend of mine. For years when I was working, I'd collect our wheel weights and trade them to him for cast bullets. He's pretty much out of business now. Can't find enough lead. Now its just a side job for him and he only casts for friends and long time customers. 

Edited August 5, 2021 by Grayfox54