Kentucky Rifleman said:
Did I read where someone was hoarding wheel weights? Really?
Yep, that's one of the things I'm hoarding.
Here's why:
Wheel weights are a great source of antimonious lead which is great for cast pistol bullets.
California banned lead wheel weights effective this year.
Car makers are eliminating lead weights, because why bother stocking two part numbers and tracking to make sure they don't put lead on cars going to California.
Large tire shops are eliminating lead weights, for the very same reasons.
Suppliers are eliminating carrying lead weights, because many customers are not wanting them anymore (thanks to California).
I forsee very soon that the lead weight ban from California will spread eventually to the whole USA, either by legislation, or by the fact that the industry will move away from them because of California.
A few years ago, a bucket of used weights was 99% lead.
Nowadays, I get a higher and higher percentage of iron, plastic, and zinc weights.
Most of the large tire shops, big chain stores, etc. no longer allow their used weights to be sold to the public- they are under contract to send their used weights back with the vendor who handles their batteries (Johnson Controls, Exide, Interstate, etc). The battery companies are doing this to help get more lead for their operations at a cheap price. The big chain stores do this so that their lead gets disposed of in an "environmentally friendly" way.
Don't think that anti-gun folks don't know what we do with wheel weights...
Lead wheel weights, stored in 5-gallon lidded buckets, can be kept anywhere without fear of degrading.
I would rather buy a few thousand pounds NOW at ten cents a pound, then in 5 years, can't find ANY, and have to buy foundry ingots for $3 a pound.
The price of recycled lead and used weights has trended steadily up for the past year or two. I don't see myself losing any money by stocking up now while they can still be found, and for a reasonable price.
Ingotized wheel weight lead is fetching $1 a pound plus freight on ebay every day. Linotype and print metal is getting over $1.50 a pound.
Buy cheap, stack deep.