While it may seem like people have moved away from traditional types of processes such as making their own bullets, there is a significant resurgence in the interest of either making or loading bullets for personal use.
To get started in this area, it is important to take a closer look at the terminology and history behind hard cast lead bullets and what is correctly called lead bullets. While some people may interchange the two terms, they are really very different in both production methods as well as in performance.
The Basics
Originally, lead bullets may have been the only ammunition available, but the pure lead posed significant problems. As most people know, lead is relatively soft in its pure form, which means a lead bullet fired down a gun barrel is going to leave considerable residue or fouling that will quickly build up and create a safety issue in using the weapon.
The addition of different alloys, most commonly tin, antimony, and silver, turns the pure aluminum into a much harder substance. This eliminates the fouling on the interior of the barrel, increasing safety and allowing for extensive firing between cleanings. These alloyed types of ammunition are what is correctly known as hard cast lead bullets.
From here, ammunition manufacturers went on to create jacketed bullets as well, providing, even more, durability for automatic and semi-automatic types of weapons as well as standard guns.
An Interesting Fact
In the early days of gun sales, many of the weapons were sold in a kit that contained both the weapon as well as the equipment needed for casting bullets. At the very least the mold was included, allowing the gun owner to create lead or hard cast lead bullets that would perfectly fit the weapon.
Some of the more expensive weapons, including pistols and long guns, included casting ladles as well as the molds, providing everything needed for the owner to create bullets that were unique and customized for the gun.
Mayco Industries offers hard cast lead bullets manufactured by Lawrence Brand Ammunition. To learn more or to place an order, see us at www.maycoindustries.com.
