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Posted: 10/17/2009 4:39:57 PM EDT
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OK, I just scored about 70 lbs of recovered, shot bullets. My club cleaned out the berm, and hey, I got some.
My question is, about 1/2 of the bullets are jacketed, and of these, 1/3 are fully jacketed on the base. The others are open. OK, can I melt these jacketed bullets? Am I correct in assuming the fully jacketed ones are hopeless cases? thanks for the help. Cast bullets shoot super in my 38 spl!! thanks billyboy |
| You can definitely do it; cut cut them open with strong pliers or bolt cutters two or three ways and then it's a matter of melting the lead left inside the jacket, or pressing the tops and bottoms of the split pieces with pliers to "pry" hte lead out. And you do know all of the safety precautions, right? Gloves, no eating or smoking, toxic dust mask, melting it outdoors, etc etc... |
| If you have any TMJ bullets you need to ensure the jacket is damaged or holed before you melt them. If not, the jacket will pressurize as the lead inside melts and when it ruptures, it can squirt a thin stream of lead a long way. Alternately, you can melt in a pot with a lid on, but you are taking a chance that a hold out might split when you skim and spit on you. |
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Quoted:
If you have any TMJ bullets you need to ensure the jacket is damaged or holed before you melt them. If not, the jacket will pressurize as the lead inside melts and when it ruptures, it can squirt a thin stream of lead a long way. Alternately, you can melt in a pot with a lid on, but you are taking a chance that a hold out might split when you skim and spit on you. +1 If you do find some bullets that have not been damaged you can use tin snips to split the copper jacket (its so thin it won't take much) so the lead will leak out. |
) Exercise the bolt cutters.
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A hammer splits a jacketed bullet open much easier and faster than pliers or bolt cutters. One good whack on a hard surface will do it. This is my method. A 3 pound hammer and an anvil makes short work of the problem. hes not worried about the jacketeds. Its the TMJd ones from Speer or the other Electroplateds that will squirt hot lead at you from inside the pot or just explode (some people have a problem with hot lead like that). Hitting them with a hammer just deforms them. Use a set of dykes or snips instead. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
A hammer splits a jacketed bullet open much easier and faster than pliers or bolt cutters. One good whack on a hard surface will do it. This is my method. A 3 pound hammer and an anvil makes short work of the problem. hes not worried about the jacketeds. Its the TMJd ones from Speer or the other Electroplateds that will squirt hot lead at you from inside the pot or just explode (some people have a problem with hot lead like that). Hitting them with a hammer just deforms them. Use a set of dykes or snips instead. You must not be hitting them hard enough. |
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