Page 223 - The Lost Ways

remove every last bit of these impurities before pouring into a mold. The final product
should be a bright silver color.

The Casting Process

It is important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions completely when using a bullet
mold. Some will recommend heating the mold, while some will recommend using a
release agent beforehand.

Whether the caster is filling the mold from a bottom spout or using a ladle, the molten
lead needs to be poured directly into the hole on the top of the mold’s sprue plate until
there is a slight overflow (which is called sprue and is how the plate gets its name). This
will allow the mold cavity to fill properly as the lead cools.

The bullet will take its shape in about five to seven seconds. The caster can then rotate
the sprue plate by tapping on it with a wooden dowel or a rubber or wooden mallet. The

sprue plate should cut the excess lead from the top, and the open mold should release
the bullet. The bullet may need to be tapped free of the mold by using the mallet again.

Your first bullets may have a crackled or wrinkled appearance due to the mold being too
cool. Eventually the mold will achieve the proper temperature and the bullets will look
fine. If they take on a frosted appearance, it means the mold is getting too hot.

These newly formed bullets should be dropped into a towel, a wooden box, or, in some

instances, a pan of water to quench the bullets. The excess lead sprues can be added to
the melting pot along with any flawed bullets and melted again to make new ones.

The bullets should be allowed to cool down and set for at least 24 hours before hand
loading. In most cases, the bullets will be ready to go at this point. If the bullets prove to
be inaccurate, they may need to be resized to fit the firearm’s bore. There are specialized
motorized tools that can be bought for this purpose for under $1,000, or the bullet caster
can purchase a bullet sizing die of the appropriate diameter and mount it in a single-stage

reloading press in order to process several batches of properly sized bullets.

If you wish to size and lubricate the bullets, there is a specialized tool for this, or the
bullets may be lubricated individually. Spray lubricants can be applied, or the caster may
want to take another step and apply a coating.

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