Hoarding lead

Mr. Gold

Mr. Gold

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Ahhha lead, the stuff nightmares are made off, one of the EPA's favorite metals and the shooting community's too!

Has anyone looked into it seriously?
I'm thinking about it somewhat, and purchased some basic amount to set aside to "see how it feels".

With all the (relative) craze surrounding lead, it's still available in scrap yards for 10-20 cents over spot - I just passed on a few hundred pounds for 95cents/pound of lead sheets. Mainly because I'm not sure how serious I am at this point of having a few hundred pounds set aside in ingots. (I'd have to melt it into ingots from sheets).

For the number crunching - getting them in ingots from ebay is ~$1.45/pound - considerable difference in price, well justifying doing the melting myself.

The pluses for anyone on NES are obvious, and so is the merchantability both out of and especially in SHTF scenarios, so, no further explaining needed.

If one has the room (which I do), i sincerely don't see a downside of having a few hundred pounds set aside, at least. The smallest USPS flat rate box (~6"x4") holds 12lbs of lead, so the space needed for 100's of lbs is really not much more than 3'x3'x4'.

Would anyone like to share experience/tips ?
 
I have some set aside for the obvious reasons, but as a long term I can't see it being a bad thing. Let's face it if the next administration if its a D or even a Rino what will that do to ammo availability or production.
Now one has de fanged the EPA yet and honestly I don't think they will, lots of hot air not much traction. So if they ( the EPA ) keeps getting its way lead, already in the cross hairs will be a sure next.

I'm certain this current administration already saw how a "gun control scare" worked with major ammo shortages so if they keep putting pressure on its EPA, then buying now and holding onto a metal like lead only wins for you in the end.

Jason.
 
todd c said:
Car batteries are and will be everywhere. I would choose brass over lead
Click to expand...

You do not want to even try to extract the lead from batteries. It is hyper toxic and not worth the risk for such a small yield.
 
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todd c said:
I would choose brass over lead
Click to expand...

If you mean brass as in casings - that can get pretty expensive to hoard.

If you are referring to the alloy -
Issue with brass is that your cannot as easily obtain it in "raw" firm and process it at home to actual selling/trading form (ingots) or actual usable from (bullets).

Brass melting point is 900F-1800F, I can only assume that ammo grade brass is not on the lower end of that scale. These are not the temps' you can easily work with at home.

Lead will melt at 700-750F and is still available for < $1 a pound.

One more point to consider, after a cartridge is being used, the one thing you are left with "in your hand" to reuse is actually - the brass/hull, all other items are gone or done with (primer).

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Jason m said:
I'm certain this current administration already saw how a "gun control scare" worked with major ammo shortages so if they keep putting pressure on its EPA, then buying now and holding onto a metal like lead only wins for you in the end.

Jason.
Click to expand...

When I called one of the scrap yards looking for lead, the dude goes over the phone "Are you of them doomsday prepping people ?" [laugh]

So, I must not be the only calling them...
 
A cubic foot of lead weighs about 700 pounds and melts at about 625 degrees. When using the term for brass as a worthy metal to store one usually means empty cases. I'll sell you all the cartridge brass you want for a reasonable price. It is hardly "expensive". Mr. Gold, you need to get out more.
 
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Steve Marshall said:
A cubic foot of lead weighs about 700 pounds and melts at about 625 degrees. When using the term for brass as a worthy metal to store one usually means empty cases. I'll sell you all the cartridge brass you want for a reasonable price. It is hardly "expensive". Mr. Gold, you need to get out more.
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Deal !

Expensive is a relative term for anyone, .45acp, 1000 cases at Midway would run up to $150 - not a negligible sum for me.

Once fired .45acp at midway are $67+shipping for 500 cases (would add up to $78 with shipping) , what's your price for 1000 ?

(posting public in case anyone else would be interested) .
 
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Well I guess I better become an NES Member. Mods, the check will be mailed today. I should've done this a long time ago.

45 ACP unsorted 51/2 cents each. Primer size sorted .06 each. Headstamp sorted as well as primer size .07 each.
Everything I ship goes USPS Flat Rate. Just for an example, I can fit 275 30-06 cases in a $6 Flat Rate Envelope.

Go into the classifieds for reloading components. You'll find quite a few selling for comparable prices.
 
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Waher said:
You do not want to even try to extract the lead from batteries. It is hyper toxic and not worth the risk for such a small yield.
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hypertoxic, all the better for the guy on the receiving end of the bullet.

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Waher said:
You do not want to even try to extract the lead from batteries. It is hyper toxic and not worth the risk for such a small yield.
Click to expand...
hypertoxic, all the better for the guy on the receiving end of the bullet.

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if the shtf, i would break into the local tire place for lead.
 
CTpatriot said:
hypertoxic, all the better for the guy on the receiving end of the bullet.

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hypertoxic, all the better for the guy on the receiving end of the bullet.

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if the shtf, i would break into the local tire place for lead.
Click to expand...

Dude! tell me this is not a real plan .
wouldn't it be easy to just set aside some 200lbs (roughly $120) and not risk getting shot either by owner or by similar criminal minds ?[laugh]
 
Steve Marshall said:
Well I guess I better become an NES Member. Mods, the check will be mailed today. I should've done this a long time ago.

45 ACP unsorted 51/2 cents each. Primer size sorted .06 each. Headstamp sorted as well as primer size .07 each.
Everything I ship goes USPS Flat Rate. Just for an example, I can fit 275 30-06 cases in a $6 Flat Rate Envelope.

Go into the classifieds for reloading components. You'll find quite a few selling for comparable prices.
Click to expand...

PM sent. You may get to earn back your membership fee pretty quick :)
 
CTpatriot said:
hypertoxic, all the better for the guy on the receiving end of the bullet.

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hypertoxic, all the better for the guy on the receiving end of the bullet.

- - - Updated - - -

if the shtf, i would break into the local tire place for lead.
Click to expand...

THe problem is that fewer and fewer wheelweights are lead. THe last few years all the weights I have gotten on tires have been zinc or iron. Last bucket of WW I bought was at best 50-50 lead to the others and that was a couple years ago.

To the OP if you are already a caster then go for it. It doesnt take up much space. But do you have all the other stuff as well? Extra primers and powder, lube, tin etc to alloy. That is where it can get costly.
 
I have read that there are no more mines for lead in the USA and if there is a demand it will have to come from another country. Price of lead will go up. Stockpiles of lead may end up getting the area it is piled condemned for pollution by the epa, government will find a way. If you buy it store it in containers they can't condem.
 
Hvymax said:
What makes anyone think that once the crap hits the fan that they will be firing up their reloaders? How much lead are you going to pack in your bug out bag???
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NOt everyone is bugging out if TSHTF but it goes way beyond that. Look at what happened after Sandy Hook. No ammo anywhere. If you didnt have it you couldnt get it unless you were going to pay outrageous prices. What about Seattle passing taxes on ammo? If that goes through the courts and survives it will happen in a lot of places. During WW2 it was almost impossible to purchase manufactured ammo. The only way to get any was to reload. With a few basic tools and a couple hundred pounds of bullet alloy I can keep right on casting and never miss a beat.
 
Hvymax said:
What makes anyone think that once the crap hits the fan that they will be firing up their reloaders? How much lead are you going to pack in your bug out bag???
Click to expand...

Thank you coastie and I'll add:

With two small kids, my only option is hunker down. There are 1000's of SHTF scenarios and no one can be ready for all of them, literal : no one. (Well, maybe POTUS, but he has 1000's of people serving him and an endless budget, I could only wish..)

Lead is one of the only usable metals you can anything with in a home setting. having a 2500 degree furnace is not something anyone can just come up with. Meh, i won't just double repeat myself, my view has been explained earlier anyways.
 
Guys you have it all wrong.

Get lead to cast for shooting at low cost now (or shooting odd calibers or old guns), so the hollow points and FMJ can be set aside for SHTF and hunting season.
 
You could also buy lead flashing, most lumberyards stock 6", 8", 10" & 12" in 50lb rolls. I know we do. We usually have about 2,000 lbs in stock. When the SHTF that's coming with me. Most lumberyards cut flashing to length and they are always stuck with short remnants. You could inquire about them at your local yard. Chance's are they'll give them to you or sell them at a very reduced rate.
I'm told you have to add tin to lead flashing to make bullets. I've also been told that wheel weights have the right amount of tin and make perfect bullets.
 
Wheel weights alone will make a good boolit for velocities under 1,000fps. Anything faster requires added tin and a gas check.
In a pinch, WW are no problem if you don't mind scraping lead from the barrel. Don't use them in has guns.

A friend has well over a ton of alloy ready to go. Lots of type metal as well as 600 lbs. pure lead ballast donated by a sailor he knows.
 
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Fixxah said:
Wheel weights alone will make a good boolit for velocities under 1,000fps. Anything faster requires added tin and a gas check.
In a pinch, WW are no problem if you don't mind scraping lead from the barrel. Don't use them in has guns.

A friend has well over a ton of alloy ready to go. Lots of type metal as well as 600 lbs. pure lead ballast donated by a sailor he knows.
Click to expand...

was the bold part supposed to be "don't used them in hand guns ?
 
rudiewhitebwoy said:
You could also buy lead flashing, most lumberyards stock 6", 8", 10" & 12" in 50lb rolls. I know we do. We usually have about 2,000 lbs in stock. When the SHTF that's coming with me. Most lumberyards cut flashing to length and they are always stuck with short remnants. You could inquire about them at your local yard. Chance's are they'll give them to you or sell them at a very reduced rate.
I'm told you have to add tin to lead flashing to make bullets. I've also been told that wheel weights have the right amount of tin and make perfect bullets.
Click to expand...

The lumber yard tip is a very good one, i'll keep that in mind.

Do you happen to know what is the chemical make up of lead flashing ? is it close to pure lead or mixed in as alloy ?
 

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