[Ky Larry]

I have access to the lead on a trap range. In places it's 1"-3" deep on top the ground. Can this be cleaned,melted, and cast into pistol bullets? Thanks.

[Chevelle SS]

Yes

[ReloaderFred]

You bet it can. It will average about 3% antimony, which will work fine for handgun bullets, but you might want to put about 1% tin in it to make the molds fill in a little better.

They really need to mine that range, too.......

Hope this helps.

Fred

[blarby]

Whats the address of this range ? :D

[rcmodel]

3" deep shot?
Yikes!! :eek:

They better hope to heck the EPA doesn't find out where that is!!

And what tributary stream the water run-off goes into!
Double yikes! :what:



rc

[kelbro]

You can melt it down but it is messy. The graphite is a pain to remove from the melt. Works good though when you mix a little tin with it. Lead is getting harder and harder to pick up on the cheap so I would snag it if at all possible.

I wouldn't mention the EPA to them. If they start checking, they could be advised that they can't give it to you since you are not an official hazardous waste recycler.

[ReloaderFred]

Don't worry about the "hazardous waste recycler" issue. The EPA considers lead on a range as being used for it's intended purpose, and considers it a "recyclable material", as long as the range is open to use. It only becomes a hazmat issue if the range is closed to use and is no longer a shooting range. Then, and only then, does it become a "hazardous material", unless there are Clean Water Act issues. If that occured, then they'd have bigger issues to address.

What that range needs to do is adopt the "Best Management Practices", as outlined in the [B]Environmental Aspects of Construction and Management of Outdoor Shooting Ranges[B] manual published by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), which was written with input from the EPA's Ed Guster III. They would become better stewards of their land, and wouldn't have to worry about regulatory agencies finding fault with their management of the facility. They would also reap profits from the mining of the lead, either in cash, or recycled shot, which can be sold. Either way, they need to address the issue of shot buildup on their range.

Hope this helps.

Fred