BHN 18 is too hard for 9mm, in my opinion.
I like BHN 10-ish, but most people consider 12-13 to be more appropriate. It's just personal preference and differences in lube/sizing/etc...
$1/lb is a great price, whether it's foundry type, monotype, or linotype headers and spacers (otherwise, it should be 60%+ full lines of text).
If looking for linotype, specifically, and you don't have the ability to test the alloy.... the only way to buy it is in full lines of text. Any other form leaves significant doubt about the alloy.
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Next week, my father is looking for pure lead (or near to it) at a scrap yard that had over 70k lbs of monotype and linotype in drums last year. I asked him to see if they still have any, and ask about the price. I'm hoping for the usual, "we get $0.76/lb for it - match that, so we don't have to ship it, and it's yours." I'll load my truck until it's sitting on the overload springs.