Casting bullets from beer cans? Can it be done?

**Awesome** · 09-15-2009, 11:57 AM

I've never done any bullet molding but I was thinking/wondering if you had a situation where you were almost completely out of supplies. Could you melt and cast bullets from soda/ beer cans and expect them to hold up as a bullet?
Or is this a completely crazy idea?

And I was just wondering for those of you who mold your own bullets can you make bullets for an AR? I can't say that I have ever seen an AR load that was mostly lead. Would you need to use an alloy that has a lot of tin in it or something? Pure lead wouldn’t work would it?

**Skyowl's Wife** · 09-16-2009, 07:17 PM

Since no one is answering this, I'll relate a story.

We went to visit an aluminum plant where several of my family worked.

Working the aluminum took HUGELY high heat and electricity. I had very long hair and used long bobby pins to hold it up. There was so much magnetism caused by the electricity in the "pot room", that it pulled out my bobby pins and they danced upright on the floor.

Suspect you would not be able to do this without a VERY large amount of electricity.

Now, tire weights... you can make bullets out of those!

**prkchp76** · 09-16-2009, 08:41 PM

theoretically yes but it would not be feasable because aluminium is so light it would be a really super light weight bullet but it could be done as a mixture with some lead or other heavy metal

**cwconnertx** · 09-16-2009, 11:32 PM

Aluminum has limited applications for casting bullets. The things would lake the density to hold a large amount of energy.

There are very few rounds I can think of that have aluminum in them. The only ones that come to mind are certain rounds for the FN 5.7 applications liek the FiveSeveN pistol and the P90 or PS90. There bullets are in the 27 grain range.

I think you would have problems and would need to be very careful in your loadings not to create pressure too high. Even then the performance would be noticiable inferior to lead.

**ryantx23** · 09-18-2009, 03:07 PM

You can use several malleable metals to create alloys for bullets. When casting, I prefer to use tire weights. They make nice bullets and most tire stores throw away hundreds of pounds of these weights a month. Can't beat free lead....

**prkchp76** · 09-19-2009, 07:17 PM

yes true but he was asking of aluminum

**rsanders** · 09-20-2009, 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by ryantx23

You can use several malleable metals to create alloys for bullets. When casting, I prefer to use tire weights. They make nice bullets and most tire stores throw away hundreds of pounds of these weights a month. Can't beat free lead....

I cast alot of fishing jigs,and use wheel weights to do so,but as for tire stores throwing them away , not around here. Since the price of all scrap metals have skyrocketed the past year, every tire shop I talk to tells me that they actually load up every month or so and make the trip down to the recycling yard. Having said that , I now turn my attention to batteries, the store charges a $5.00 core charge when buying a new battery if you don't turn in the lod one , OK, where else can you buy 25 - 40 pounds of lead for $5.00 , depending on the size of the battery ? Lead has a melting point of 621.43 degrees fahrenheite, aluminum melts at 1220.666, about double the temp. but it could be melted over an open fire.

**g211** · 05-04-2011, 10:50 PM

Originally Posted by Awesome

Could you melt and cast bullets from soda/ beer cans

1200 degree melting point -- forget casting.

OTOH, with a swaging setup, you could draw jackets out of out of aluminum, I think. Once you had a jacket it'd be pretty easy to grind the rest into powder and make a powdered core -- might need a little corn starch or something as a binder . . . .

They'd be light for their length, but I'm inclined to believe it'd work at handgun velocities. Don't know how well they'd hold up at rifle velocities. I suspect that such a jacket would be too brittle to hold the bullet together if you spun them that fast.

I can't say that I have ever seen an AR load that was mostly lead.

Most people stick to jacketed bullets for gas-operated guns. Lead can get deposited inside the gas system and it's a PITA to remove.

**Echo2** · 05-05-2011, 06:15 AM

no.....No.....NO....

Aluminums density is wrong.

Even wheel weights should be cut with pure lead and maybe even a little tin.

Grab a copy of the reloaders bible....Lee, RCBS, Lyman....what have ya....you don't have to be incrediably exact....but there are things you shouldn't do....otherwise you run risk to the gun or yourself.

We have a Corbin mega mite....that we use to swage spent 22lr brass into .223 jackets.....then drop cores....and swage the backs.

I'm not the reloading guy from our group...but I'm learning....and there is a lot to it.

Be careful.....remember....you are essentially holding a explosion about an inch away from your face....