Quote Originally Posted by JiriK View Post
I made a hardness comparator.
a 62gram center punch, tip sharpened to ca. 100deg. Dropped on lead ball from 180mm high using a brass tube as guide.
Leaves same size indentation on both balls, cast and H&N.

Just for sake of curiosity did the test on my revolver balls too.
Scrap lead from airgun range is the softest of those.
Lead I bought at during one competition this summer (selected the softest ingots for casting) is in the middle
Wheelweights (or .22 range scrap, not sure which one as I got these from another clubmate) is the hardest.
Punch left clearly different size indentation on each of those balls.
If your scrap airgun pellets are from H&N then they are about 99.9% pure lead by test, according to DIN. Wheelweights in Finland probably still have antimony in them to harden them in the harsh conditions of driving that you have there. Here in the southern parts of Europe they are banned, and a form of zinc alloy has been in use for many years instead. This stuff will only be of used if you reload for a nitro revolver or handgun, like a .357Mag or .44something or other.

tac