To lead or not to lead..this is my question.

R

Rome

New member
I'd like to fire "lighter" loads at the range in my 45 and plan on using lead bullets. I've checked with the manufacturer and they confirm that I can use lead in my Para Ordnance. When I asked a number of other fellow shooters about lead,however, I get two completely different stories. One group confidently tells me to never shoot lead through any SA, the other says absolutely no problem. Now I know some gun manufacturers clearly say no lead, but obviously many others don't have a problem with it. Can anyone explain this simply or have I stumbled on a conundrum? I religiously and regularly clean my guns so that won't be the problem and, frankly, copper can leave very hard stains in the barrels. So, is there a difinitive answer or are there two sides to this issue?
Rome
 
If not billions, at least millions of lead bullets have been fired through 1911s with no ill effects. Hotter loads will cause excessive leading but if you're going to use midrange or light loads, no problemo. My favorite midrange load is 230gr. cast over 4.0grs. of Bullseye. Shot many thousands of these over the last 25 years with out a hitch.
What do your buddies who caution against lead bullets say will happen? :rolleyes:

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Join the NRA.
 
Ive reloaded and fired tens of thousands of .45 acp ammo using lead and almost all where through my para`s Iv`e got one that has over 15,000 rounds through it and is just as accurate today as the day i bought it!
The reason the manufacture claim that on some guns is simply because they know that most lead bullets in an auto are reloads and ,in some cases if not properly loaded can cause problems.The lead is much better on the life of a barrel ,I`ve yet to shoot out a barrel using lead bullets ,and Ithink that would be a hard one to do .you cannot say that for copper jacketed bullets .I1ve seen them go in as little as 5,000 rounds using FMJ bullets.Another great advantage is you can tailor the load to your gun and load them up a lot lighter than the factory fodder,which is a good thing cause that will help the life of a gun a lot.One more usefull thing about the lead is when using a good wadcutter they are very accurate compared to the factory stuff,but it will take time to learn the inn`s and out`s to accuracy.
Finally if you are thinking of reloading I`d onlr go with the DILLON PRECISION reloading equipment,its outstanding.I`ve had a dillon 1050 running for 4 years and have not had a problem with it at all ,cept for when i broke the decapping pin,one quick call to Dillon and they sent a replacement free of charge .I can`t say enough about the Dillon stuff,It`s that good and well worth every penny and the Lifetime warranty is second to none ,period!!!!!!

KILLER45AUTO
 
Thanks, fellas, I'm confident that I'll be happy with lead. As for the reloader, Dillon is the one for us. My local gun shop strongly suggested one particular model which makes ammo manufuring a very straight forward process with little chance of error.
I like shooting for accuracy as opposed to simply blowing through 100 rounds just to see the gun work. I've shot loads my brother-in- law has made and loved the fact that my arm isn't sore after a whole morning at the range. So, I'll be gearing up very soon. Now the only thing I'll have to do is explain to my wife what's going to happen to her sewing room....hummm.
 
Rome, there are a lot of IPSC shooters who shoot more than a thousand rounds a week. I know several who use lead bullets, exclusively. In my own IPSC days, I shot 200-grain SWCs in practice and in matches; all my own reloads...

The only pistol I've ever heard of where one can find problems in using lead bullets is the Glock--but that seems to be a function of bullet alloy and the particular loading.

In general, don't sweat it.

FWIW, Art
 
Art, you bring another bit of information to the table. "Lead" bullets aren't really 100% lead, are they? Aren't they really an alloy of some type like antimony?
Rome
 
About the only time I've heard warnings about the use of lead had to do with pistols (not revolvers) with polygonal barrels, as you find in Glocks and H&Ks. The design of those barrels have more barrel surface exposed to the bullet and more lead tends to scrub off -- with leading and increased pressure a possible problem.

This is NOT the case with non-polygonal barrels.

(There is also, I think, a problem with using lead in some guns with retarded gas recoil systems, like the H&K P7... lead fouls the system quickly.)

[This message has been edited by Walt Sherrill (edited February 22, 2000).]
 
Rome,

There are two types of lead bullets: cast bullets, made by pouring molten lead into a mould, and swaged bullets, made by forcing a piece of lead into a die.

Cast bullets such as those made by Bull-X, NBC, and Oregon Trail are the most common type. Their hardness varies with the amount of elements such as tin and antimony alloyed with the lead.

Swaged bullets such as those made by Hornady, Speer, and Star are less common. They're usually made of a very soft, near 100% lead alloy and used only at velocities under 900 feet per second.

Either type of lead bullet will work fine in a conventionally-rifled .45 pistol. The biggest hazard from shooting plain lead bullets is the risk of heavy metal poisoning from the accumulation of inhaled and/or ingested lead in the body.

My advice: shoot with lead in well-ventilated areas, wash your hands afterwards, and be happy. :)
 
Lead has always been good for target loads, but with the proliferation of polygonal barrels(e.g. Glock and H&K) lead has not been recommended because of rapid leading of the barrel leading to increased pressure. I own 2 H&Ks in 40 and 45 and a Glock in 40. I shoot lead through all of them and clean them thoroughly afterwards. I typically do not exceed around 100 rounds of lead without cleaning the barrel thoroughly. In the 45 I have landed on a nice target load using a Carroll's 255 gr LSWC with 4.2 gr of Hi-Skor 700X. I haven't chrono'd these yet, because there's too much snow on the outdoor range, but they are accurate and fairly soft recoiling.

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Rome: I'm gonna jump in here on the comment "...with little chance of error." made by the guy at your gunshop. Well, yes, if you know what you're doing and if you pay attention to what your doing. I highly recommend buying a couple of re-loading manuals, reading them and following the data. It's really not all that complicated but there are certain things you must watch out for. Lead is fine for your .45ACP. I too have fired about a gazillion hard cast bullets thru my various old Colts and Springfields. Anyway, have fun and welcome to the world of handloading!

[This message has been edited by nwgunman (edited February 22, 2000).]
 
Lead bullets are fine. Just remember to load lighter and get a lighter recoil spring for perfect functioning.
 
Thanks to all of you for your messages and information. I just got back from the S&W 100yd indoor rifle range where I discussed your suggestions with a couple of other shooters who reload. Both use Dillon reloaders. We're making plans to visit them and their equipment and, yes, they all use lead:not fmj. FYI, we were shooting AR-15 Bushmaster and and Egyptian AK-47 and getting ready for a match two weeks from now. What a blast!

Lead is what it will be for my 45 and we'll be experimenting with different loads until we find the one that works the best. I'll also probably change the spring for lower pressure.

Thanks, all, again.

Rome
 
Hi, guys,

Ol' Jim Spoilsport is going to wade in here with a note of caution. Lead is poisonous. If you are casting lead bullets, make sure you are in a well ventilated area with a hood type fan to draw off fumes.

In loading lead bullets, use those cheap disposable latex gloves you can buy by the box in any drugstore. Toss them after each loading session.

If you shoot lead bullets indoors, make sure the range has a good ventilation system and conforms to lead handling standards. Outdoors, try to shoot into an area where the lead will not leach into a water supply.

Sorry about that, but needed said. I know one bullet caster and reloader who is just about on his last legs in his late 50s due to lead poisoning.

Jim
 
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