Ok, just how bad WOULD it be?

[armoredman]

I have the 454 round ball mold and bullet lead of unknown parentage...part of a huge reloading bonnza I got a few years ago. All I know is it was used by a bullet caster so i will assume at least weel weight garbage.
So, lacking PURE lead, how bad is it for a muzzle loader to ue alloyed lead? I know we aren't supposed to, but I was never really 100% clear on why. I can probably get some pure lead at Seafab, right around the corner from me, if need be.

 

[troy fairweather]

All about how easy it is to load, up to you to find out.

 

[skeeterfogger]

In a patch as long as it doesn't contact the bore is just ok. Would not use in revolver or anything it would contact bore or have to go through a forcing cone.

 

[Armored farmer]

I know we aren't supposed to, but I was never really 100% clear on why. I

You need to conform the ball to your rifling.
In the case of bp revolvers, you need to shave a ring of lead from the circumference of the ball to seal the chambers etc. If your lead is too hard you will bend the rammer components of your revolver. (Ask me how i know)
Soft lead, sir.
Plumbers lead.
Roofing lead.

 

[armoredman]

Ah, now it makes sense, thank you. Off to the plumbing store...

 

[DocRock]

Revolver or rifle?

Revolver, it's a big problem. The lead needs to be highly elastic to obturate and fill the rifling. Since you specify .454" mold, I take it we are on about revolvers?

Less of a problem in a rifle, but you will need to experiment with patching once you determine the cooled diameter of the alloy. Generally speaking, harder alloy has more antimony and shrinks less. So, patches that worked with pure lead may not work with a wheel weight to Linotype sort of alloy.

Having said all that, you have a lot of lead. Yay! Ideally, you test a bunch to see if there is an average. Then if it's BHN 10 or more, you trade some for pure lead or otherwise acquire some and get your alloy down to BHN 8, at which point, I would call it great. Perfect should not be the enemy of great.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

The real problem with a revolver comes when you try to ram the ball into the chamber. If the lead is too hard you can put so much pressure on the loading lever that you can bend or break the pin it pivots on.

 

[45 Dragoon]

Or even worse, the revolver (Remington pattern to be exact).

Mike

 

[Malachi Leviticus Blue]

in a patch or a sabot not really a problem.
Even in a revolver, you could run a patched round ball.
There are plenty of folks who will say you can't or shouldn't and I never have (yet) but there are several folks who have, and even a few who swear the performance is improved with a patched ball in a revolver (including some competitive shooters)
The topic of utilizing a patched round ball in a revolver has been discussed here before with some passionate opinions against it, however it has been done and there is a Hickok45 YouTube vid of him doing just that in a Walker if I recall correctly.
So, my point is, if you have a bunch of lead alloy, you don't necessarily need to let it go to waste if you don't want to and there is a way to utilize it with your 1851.
If you do decide to try out patched round balls you will need to cast them small enough to fit with a patch.

 

[SlowFuse]

If the ball is grossly over-sized for the chamber this will put more stress on the lever as well. If a ball from a 451 mold fits and seals the chamber you may be able to get away with a harder alloy than with the .454.

As already suggested get some pure lead. Mix small amounts of what you have with it (if you really want to use up your supply) but the bhn needs to stay under 8 or so. Use the harder lead for modern bullets or you may even be able to trade for softer lead, but most people would want to know the relative composition/hardness of what you have.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

....so i will assume at least weel weight garbage.
So, lacking PURE lead, how bad is it for a muzzle loader to ue alloyed lead?..., Ah, now it makes sense, thank you. Off to the plumbing store..

So..., what to do with the lead alloy now?
You could check with a local club or range and see if anybody wants to swap you plain lead, pound for pound

You could sell it on one of the auction sites to somebody who wants to cast for a modern handgun, a CAS shooter or these days just somebody who is casting and swaging to simply have practice ammo. They need that stuff to reduce leading in their modern barrels. Or maybe it will be bought by a person with one of those "shot maker" machines, again who simply needs shot.

LD

 

[rodwha]

If I’m not mistaken Kaido would cast his revolver bullets to 10-12 BHN and those seem to work just fine in repros (I’ve only used them in my ROA).