Home Forums Reloading Bullet Casting lead hardness tester

i found a saeco lead hardness tester which gives instructions on a vernier scale. i wonder if any of you guys have figured out to extrapulate the reading as to brinnel hardness? cranky72

Call the Redding people. I am betting they have a conversion chart.

From their website:



A SAECO Lead Hardness Tester will pay for itself many times over by allowing you to convert inexpensive scrap lead of unknown composition into casting alloy of known and reproduceable hardness. It provides a standard by which you can check the quality of purchased cast bullets.

The SAECO Lead Hardness Tester measures alloy hardness by determining the depth of penetration of a hardened steel indenter into a bullet. Relative hardness of the bullet is read off a vernier scale.

Relative Hardness
SAECO Brinell
(Approx.)
Pure lead . . . . . . . . . . . 0-1 5
1:20 tin: lead . . . . . . . . 6-7 10
5:5:90 tin:
antimony: lead . . . . . 7-8 15
2:6:92 (taracorp) . . . . . 8-9 16-17
(magnum alloy)
5:10:85 (linotype) . . . . 9-10 22
The vernier scale is calibrated in arbitrary units from 0 for pure lead up to a SAECO hardness of 10. We have found that a SAECO hardness of at least 6 is required for medium velocities in handguns and a SAECO hardness of over 8 for Magnum handgun and gas check rifle bullets. As a point of reference, wheelweights vary in composition and hardness but usually test between 7 and 9, while linotype registers approx. 10.

42000 SEACO Lead Hardness Tester $239.00

There's no direct correlation between SAECO hardness and bhn. SAECO does supply a chart to allow you to approximately convert the two. I had one of these testers for years and was really happy when I finally sold it off and bought an LBT tester with the proceeds. It is terribly unhandy to have to case a plain base bullet of your sample alloy just to do a hardness test. Gascheck bullets never did fit any of the steps in the tester to my satisfaction, and if the fit isn't right, the results aren't right either. Anyway, ask and ye shall receive...
http://www.lasc.us/brennan_saeco_table.htm

thanks guys, i just want to be able to drive my cast 357 at 950 to 1000 & my 451s at 900 w/o leading.--cranky72

I have a Cabine Tree tester and am very happy with it. http://www.castingstuff.com/

I also understand the LBT is a fine piece of equipment although I have never used one.

For that velocity range you could almost use pure lead, but unhardened wheel weights should work fine. I push the latter at nearly 1700 from a rifle. They are plain based to boot and I got virtually no leading after nearly 1400 rounds of shooting without cleaning. If you get leading in revolvers at the lower speed you have other problems like lube failure, chamber throat size or inadequate bullet size, etc.

wheel weights i have ;just need cooler days to start casting. i really do appreciate all this info--have'nt cast since the 70s--cranky72

Wheelweights plus 2% tin should be everything you need as long as you have a decent lube, and of course bullet fit is king.