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How to Enlarge Cast Bullets

While many people participate in various hobby activities relating to firearms, it is relatively rare for such hobbyists to cast bullets. However, there may be no alternative for enthusiasts who own firearms with unusual calibers. Additionally, many owners of muzzle-loading firearms cast musket-balls as an affordable alternative. If the acquisition of a new gun has left you with a stock of cast bullets in the wrong size, resizing them is as simple as making them from scratch: the old bullets form lead feed-stock for the new bullets.

Things You'll Need

Electric lead melting furnace
Bullet mold
Bullet mold skimmer(s)
Bullet mold ladle
Bullet(s) to be resized
Lead
Butane lighter
Casting mallet
Cloth

Instructions

- 1
  Apply a thin layer of soot to the inside of the bullet mold, making sure it is completely clean and dry before you do so. Lubricate the joint and sprue-cutter of the mold so that they operate smoothly.
- 2
  Plug in the electric furnace and turn it on. Follow the instructions that came with the furnace to determine how long you must wait for it to reach operating temperature.
- 3
  Place the bullets to be resized in the furnace. Fill the furnace cavity the rest of the way with lead. and allow the lead to melt. Preheat your ladle and mold by placing them atop the furnace for while the lead melts. Once the lead and bullets have melted fully, a slag of impurities will form on top. Use the skimmer to remove this layer until only silvery molten lead remains.
- 4
  Dip the ladle into the molten lead and scoop out a quantity sufficient to fill the mold. Pour the molten lead into the mold until it reaches the top of the pour spout. Wait for this to assume the color of solid lead before striking the sprue-cutter head with the casting mallet.
- 5
  Open the mold over a folded piece of cloth, as the bullets will still be slightly soft and falling on a hard surface could deform them. If the bullet doesn't fall out easily, gently strike the mold at the hinge with the mallet until it does. It may take several tries to get a perfectly formed bullet, but once the liquid lead is at the proper temperature they should start to come out with no identifiable flaws. The less than-perfect ones can always be fed back into the furnace.

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