Casting silver bullets from coins?

[ZigZagZeke]

you are correct, that is why I said "of the higher copper content", that would be before 1982

The copper in pennies older than 1982 is worth more than a penny. It is, however, illegal to melt them down.

 

[Medic!]

Coins can be shot. Melted. Or anything else you want to do with them. They are yours. Don't belive me? Ask the Dept. of the treasury.
As for silver bullits. Can't You just dip some in molten silver?









I hope nobody follows the advise of some guy on the internet.

 

[wabbithunter]

Can't you just get it "Crome" plated?, dip it?
I have some 20" crome wheels for sale.....

 

[cyclesurvival]

I got the bright idea to cast some for x-mas presents a long time ago when it was like $3.50 an oz, turned out to be a lot more work than its worth. I had to heat the bullet mold to around 600 deg and then melt the silver in my ladle with a torch. I would not recommend firing them though they are too hard and could damage the barrel that is if the pressure does go to high.

 

[Unka-Boo]

+



=

easier and just as useless.

 

[hondakilla98]

What a great thread.

 

[MrNiceGuy]

Coins can be shot. Melted. Or anything else you want to do with them.

Pretty much. They make good targets with the ar15 and you can use them as keychains when you're done.




It's legal for the same reason that those machines that flatten penny's at tourist attractions are legal.

Section 331 of Title 18 of the United States code provides criminal penalties for anyone who fraudulently alters, defaces, mutilates impairs, diminishes, falsifies, scales, or lightens any of the coins coined at the Mints of the United States. This statute means that you may be violating the law if you change the appearance of the coin and fraudulently represent it to be other than the altered coin that it is. As a matter of policy, the Mint does not promote coloring, plating or altering U.S. coinage: however, there are no sanctions against such activity absent fraudulent intent.

Is it Illegal to Melt U.S. Coins? - Coinflation

 

[Gunner3456]

This would be fairly simple for a jeweler to make. They use the lost wax system.

This. I took a class in jewelry making and made a 2 oz gold ring with a diamond. I had to carve it out of a hard block of wax, use the wax to pour mold material around it, and make sprues in the mold. Then the gold and the mold were heated in a kiln. When all was fully heated and the gold melted, it came out and the wax had burned away leaving a hollow. The gold was poured in though a sprue into that. Then it was quenched which shattered the mold (something like plaster of paris.) and the ring was ready to cut off the sprues, sand and polish.

A jeweler, or hobbyist would get a head start by making a mold from real bullets to make the wax pieces.

Oops. I forgot to mention that as soon as the gold was poured into the mold, it was spun in a centrifuge to assure no air bubbles. Then it was allowed to cool just enough to solidify before being quenched.

 

[Sun195]

Bullet Forge | "Silver Bullet Calibers available"

 

[Navvet]

Cannot melt down nor deface any American coinage, nor export more than 10,000 pennies per trip.

 

[Gunner3456]

Bullet Forge | "Silver Bullet Calibers available"

They don't seem to be accepting orders. ??

 

[PlayboyPenguin]

They don't seem to be accepting orders. ??

And they only make "inert" bullets. What good are those?

 

[A.I.P.]

you can buy .999 fine silver as un minted rounds and melt that down, cheaper than actual coins. You can also buy silver wire.
Personaly if your going to that much trouble, turn them on a lathe from silver rod or go copper

 

[Gunner3456]

The lathe is actually a good idea. Even after my ring was cast, I had to saw off the sprues, file them smooth, and block sand and polish the ring. It turned out beautiful but it really had to be worked. The wax block was cut to rough size with a band saw, and then the hole for my ring size and the one on top for the diamond were drilled on a drill press. Then the wax ring was carved, filed and sanded before sprues were attached and a mold poured around it.

So, even after turning on a lathe, you could still sand and polish the bullets. I simply polished with the equivalent of buffing wheels on a bench grinder and different grits of blocks of rouge. The suckers get really hot fast, so you need a bucket of cold water handy. Silver and gold are great heat conductors, LOL.

 

[MinnesotaORnewbie]

This. I took a class in jewelry making and made a 2 oz gold ring with a diamond. I had to carve it out of a hard block of wax, use the wax to pour mold material around it, and make sprues in the mold. Then the gold and the mold were heated in a kiln. When all was fully heated and the gold melted, it came out and the wax had burned away leaving a hollow. The gold was poured in though a sprue into that. Then it was quenched which shattered the mold (something like plaster of paris.) and the ring was ready to cut off the sprues, sand and polish.

A jeweler, or hobbyist would get a head start by making a mold from real bullets to make the wax pieces.
Oops. I forgot to mention that as soon as the gold was poured into the mold, it was spun in a centrifuge to assure no air bubbles. Then it was allowed to cool just enough to solidify before being quenched.

That would be a pretty cool class to take. I dont think I will be signing up with the price of gold being so high, but would be a really neat class to take and enjoy, probably better than any other "make your own class" I have taken. just curious, where or who did you take this jewelry class at or from if I may ask? Thanks.

 

[MinnesotaORnewbie]

Cannot melt down nor deface any American coinage, nor export more than 10,000 pennies per trip.

That would be odd, getting thee old Rubber glove and lube treatment at the airport because you were trying to smuggle out 10,000 pennies. uuhhggg!

lol, Stinken Lincolns

 

[Spitpatch]

i like to keep it simple

That is the "Premier Grade" version, complete with handcrafted display case and accompanying cutlery. I have never had the privelege of seeing one! For those not "in the know", we are gazing at a true rarity in weaponry. Mine is the "Field Grade" version. I can only aspire to such greatness. Collectors will instantly recognize the provenance documentation in the display case, carrying authentic Transylvania postage on that rare item of correspondence.

As to Playboy Penguin's chagrin toward only being able to obtain "inert bullets", I have cabinets full of inert bullets. You have to put stuff behind them to render them no longer inert.

 

[Gunner3456]

That would be a pretty cool class to take. I dont think I will be signing up with the price of gold being so high, but would be a really neat class to take and enjoy, probably better than any other "make your own class" I have taken. just curious, where or who did you take this jewelry class at or from if I may ask? Thanks.

It was a number of years ago, and offered as an evening "adult education class" at a local high school. They had all of the equipment and a good teacher.

As for gold, I had scrap gold - old rings and such. It tested at 18 carat when finished. The instructor rubbed one of the sprues on some kind of black, rectangular stone, making a long mark, and applied some liquid chemicals and pronounced the carat.

I'm no photographer, but this will give you an idea. The gold is 2 ounces from scrap, and the diamond is 2 carat. Remember, gold was pretty cheap by comparison then, and I don't think I hurt it any by turning it into a ring. ??

Yes, you could make bullets this way, but I like the lathe idea followed by hand finishing. The ring is long overdue for polishing, and silver bullets would polish to a high shine as would this.

 

[Gunner3456]

 

[Blitzkrieg]

not sure if anyone will do it for you, as long as it is american currency, last I heard it was still illegal to melt coinage down, other wise, anyone know of someone who will melt down 200 pounds of the higher copper content pennies

I can't believe it took this may posts before someone said this. It is now a federal crime to melt down federal reserve coins

It's a goofy idea but if you want a few just as a gag then why not use pewter? It's cheap and melts and pours a lot like lead. Here's a Scot Highlander great kilt brooch I made of pewter. You can use a hi temp plastic mold material to make your mold, or even a drilled piece of hardwood split to make the mold