Shot that is Grey

Discussion in 'Reloading Bench' started by Pat Savage, Jul 24, 2020.

  1. Pat Savage

    Pat Savage Well-Known Member

    I have 5 bags of Lawrence Magnum Shot that is very Grey. I does not go through my drop tube very well. Size is 8 1/2 and 8. I am loading in 28 gauge. I cleaned all drop tube parts and it works for about 10 shell then bridges. I tried spraying Graphite and that helped. Any suggestions.
    Thanks for the help.
     
  2. Roger Coveleskie

    Roger Coveleskie State HOF Founding Member Member State Hall of Fame

    The shot is corroded. Put it in something you can add a little graphite in and roll it around this should help. Roger C.
     
    Ken Cerney likes this.
  3. jet setter

    jet setter Active Member

    The lead is heavily oxidized at this stage. I have friends that wash it off in a colander, dry, then add graphite.

    Be careful of the lead dust from this. Not good.
     
    Roger Coveleskie likes this.
  4. 28ga guy

    28ga guy Well-Known Member

    I just make sinkers out of it. Buy the time it gets that bad it seldom patterns any good even after new graphite. Been there/done that.
     
  5. Old1Eye

    Old1Eye Old 1 Eye

    I would put it in a shell tumbler and polish it then add graphite if needed. I also have a bridging problem with my PW in 28 gauge switched to # 9 shot and runs smooth now.
     
    diverdick likes this.
  6. diverdick

    diverdick Member

    I would do as Old1Eye suggests, picked up 5 bags of shot that had gotten wet when sump pump went out and did as suggested. Shot looks like new and loads fine in my Mec 9000.
     
  7. Macdaddy

    Macdaddy Mega Poster

    Tumble it in your clean, metal cement mixer. Or use your vibratory case tumbler. Probably don’t need any graphite, just some time going round and round......it’ll be like new again.
     
    Ken Cerney likes this.
  8. JD Esparza

    JD Esparza Member

    Good advice!
     
  9. Ken Cerney

    Ken Cerney HOF Muscoda Gun Club Past Wisconsin Director Founding Member HOF Muscoda Gun Club

    Tumble it and add a little of graphite like Roger C stated. It will look like new. I just got done with 1000 ponds of reclaimed by washing it and drying then add a little graphite good enough for 16 yard.
     
  10. david j burke

    david j burke Active Member

    Harbor Freight has a little rock tumbler I have used. Add a spoonful of powdered graphite. It's a lot of work but with the availability of shot these days, maybe worth it.
     
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  12. don't shoot it lead oxide is real bad for your health, look it up.
     
    rrisum and Roger Coveleskie like this.
  13. settersit

    settersit Active Member

    I to bought a couple of bags of shot that a widow lady sold me. Opened the bags, and it was chalky, dumped in to a old kettle and added some graphite, then stirred it up with a old wooden soup spoon. Looked good when I was done, but boy, a little graphite goes a long way. Shot it up for 16's no problem, moral is add it slowly as your stirring , doesn't take as much as you think to make it serviceable.
     
  14. rrisum

    rrisum Mega Poster

    Got 10 bags of 10 year old gray Lawence shot --Tumbling took too much time - my tumbler would only allow 1/3 of a bag at a time -- Dumped two bag at a time in a five-gallon bucket and use Star San - a acid sanitizer -filled the bucket half full with water and blasted it with my pressure washer -Shot stayed in the bucket --gray mud rolled out the top --Layed wet shot in the driveway to dry and rebaged.