Karl Townsend wrote:

On Sun, 30 Sep 2012 15:52:34 -0500, Tim Wescott
wrote:

On Sun, 30 Sep 2012 05:58:43 -0500, Karl Townsend wrote:

I thought about just emailing the RCM premier expert on bullet casting,
but maybe somebody else has something to add.

Ammo prices are climbing outa sight. So i want to get into casting my
own 9mm and .308. My interest peaked when I learned my 1919 and MG42
will eat unplated bullets. I always knew the Uzis and Suomis would eat
anything.

What all equipment will I need? What should i expect to spend to make
10K of each bullet? (If i can't break even at 10K, I'll keep buying from
Berry and Pats)

You've probably already thought about this, but figure out the total
weight of your 10K worth of bullets, figure out how much you'll need to
spend on the lead, decide on what seems to be a reasonable wastage figure
(10%? 5%?), then figure out if you're saving anything right there. If
not, then you know why prices are high, and you know the value of
proceeding.

Figure out how much you want/don't want the EPA breathing down your neck
because you're using Oh So Terrible Toxic Lead while you're at it.

thaought I'd get way more interest in this topic. guess i should've
said I'm doing this because bamma is runing everything and has to be
stoppedVBG

Seriously, I'm hoping to use an old forklift battery for the lead.
from what little i've read looks like (expensive) linotype is the
preferred source.

Karl

The forklift battery will certainly give you a good deal of basic lead,
but I think you will need to find a source for the proper alloying
metals to get the hardness and whatnot for basic lead bullets. If you
perhaps get fancy and make jacketed bullets the lead alloy is probably
less important. I hear soft copper tubing works well for jackets.

As for commercial ammo prices, as far as I've seen they have been pretty
stable for the past year or two after the shortage ended. Everyone likes
to hype up Obummer as the reason for higher ammo prices, but in reality
the brass, copper and lead metals markets have much more to do with it.