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Copper in a New Army 44?

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Joined
Sep 24, 2023
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I’m unfortunately living in California wherein you must carry only non lead in the guns you carry while hunting. I do not see copper .451 balls for sale, so that leaves me wondering if there are any other options? Suggestions anybody?

PS…moving is not a options unless I want to sleep with one eye open every night!
 
Well copper, even in a .451 or .454 diameter I'd think might be a bit light and a bit too hard.
You might try tin and silver, or just tin.
Get a .451 mold, preferably with round ball and conical so you can try both shapes. Get some "lead free solder" at the hardware store, and see if the bullet will load, and how well they shoot. The conical, being of more volume will give you more weight in the projectile, but the round ball will let you tell if the alloy is soft enough to load into the Remington.
Bismuth is brittle, and bismuth/tin alloy has bismuth added to add weight..., and if it was to work, I'd look for 40/60 bismuth and tin.
The advantage of the tin or tin/silver would be you're going to be at such a close range hunting with a handgun, that the velocity should be still quite high at impact, while if you were using a rifle and going say 50 or more yards, the lack of mass would cause such an alloy ball to significantly shed velocity.

LD
 
California is a lost cause, if you can't get out I have no ideas.
The no lead rule is just smart don't ya know. A single lead roundball could contaminate the entire state leaving the next 20 generation of children acting like they all ate lead paint chips. Every wild animal in the area will be poisoned beyond help and they would have to chelate the entire state.
:doh:
 
California is a lost cause, if you can't get out I have no ideas.
The no lead rule is just smart don't ya know. A single lead roundball could contaminate the entire state leaving the next 20 generation of children acting like they all ate lead paint chips. Every wild animal in the area will be poisoned beyond help and they would have to chelate the entire state.
:doh:
Love me some Sunday Snark.
 
I’m unfortunately living in California wherein you must carry only non lead in the guns you carry while hunting. I do not see copper .451 balls for sale, so that leaves me wondering if there are any other options? Suggestions anybody?

PS…moving is not a options unless I want to sleep with one eye open every night!

Conversions.
You still can shoot your favorite revolvers . . . but with different ammo.

Mike
 

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Californians are too busy acquiescing and looking for copper projectile alternatives.

No time to fight.

They act like there's a state lead nazi hiding under every shooting bench and hiding behind every tree.

Waiting to be black bagged and tossed into solitary for using a lead ball.

Sad.
 
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I’m unfortunately living in California wherein you must carry only non lead in the guns you carry while hunting. I do not see copper .451 balls for sale, so that leaves me wondering if there are any other options? Suggestions anybody?

PS…moving is not a options unless I want to sleep with one eye open every night!
There really isn't a viable alternative.
 
Paint 6 lead balls with copper paint. If a ranger asks tell him you cant take them out the chamber without firing but he is welcome to search for them if you have to.
Or just cover the chamber with hard opaque white beeswax. You cant see the ball.
 
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I would join the modernmuzzloader "stepsister" site and ask there (so I can reply with suggestions that will have the purists here taking extra blood pressure meds)
 
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