As far as the bullet goes without a copper jacket, no there is no difference. I am one of the guys who has mastered the art of casting his own lead bullets for most of the calibers I shoot. I have thousands of rounds laid up to use in hunting, plinking and self defense.

There are some calibers that are not ever shot in a raw lead form due to physics and chemistry. Any round in the .25 caliber and smaller are just bad choices for shooting a raw lead bullet. the velocity of the projectile is such that they will quickly clog the barrel and will most likely not be in one piece at the target due to the centrificile force tearing the spinning bullet apart.

Still don't see the relevance to my comments. I never mentioned Obama and new processes don't replace lost lead or recoup the added costs of importation. As to your reference to a new process, looks like it's too costly today. Means that when the commodities cost increases enough due to shortages and import costs, then that process may be justifiable.

But it's still a cost forced on the US population and looting of their wealth.

>>"Sheesh guys, why don't you get all the facts before you go with your false informational circle jerk?"<<

I fail to see what your reply has to do with the post I offer on this thread, nor the reason for the comment you added, quoted above. If you'd like to reply to my comments on a subject, please try to do so in a more cogent and relevant manner.

>>"Primary smelting isn't their only business. Most of the lead in America comes from recycling batteries and the like. They are in that business too."<<

Where do you think the lead for the batteries to be recycled came from in the first place, and how do you intend to replace the lead lost in the recycling process or from batteries not turned in for recycling or the increased battery needs as population increases? China, I suppose.

Sounds like more government force and looting applied to the US population to me.

This needs to be shouted from the roof tops. Sadly few will even notice.

Back in the mid - late 90's I did a bunch of contracting at P&H. Most of my time was spent at the main facility on National Ave where at that time they were making the world largest walking drag lines. But, I also spent a day or two every week at the P&H institute. Back then they were doing a lot of mine consulting, and teaching folks to maintain and manages the equipment. Thing is, all of their consulting trips were either to Africa or Australia. The folks coming to the institute were from all over the place, but going back to work after training meant going back to Africa or Australia.

Fast forward to today, I recently had a talk with a recruiter about signing on at Planetary Resources. My career will really have come full circle as I would be working back in the mining industry. Just the big difference this time would be that they will be mining asteroids. I think partially thanks to the fools at the EPA asteroid mining will be a reality in our lifetimes. Their are a few good things coming out of it. First, we wont need to ship water into space. Oddly I see that one as the biggest one. Second, there are some rocks out there that are loaded with stuff that we could make very good use of in a fairly big way. And finally the best part, the EPA cannot stop it..

Hooray! Brilliant progress.

:) Good. Humor is much needed in today's crazy world. A little digging into Doe Run was fruitful. Stand by for my next posting.

Somewhere in the article it said the company has a recycled lead smelter and that's where they're going to put their efforts.

Somewhere in the article it said that ammo is already made from recycled lead.

Though I've never worked directly in lead mining or smelting, I grew up near and around the old lead mining districts of NE Oklahoma, SW Mo, and SE Ks, and obtained my under graduate studies at the Univ. of Mo. - Rolla. As a design and project engineer and construction manager, I've worked in hard-rock copper mining and smelting which is fairly similar, in Aluminum smelting and production, oil shale mining and processing, molybdenum mining and refining, uranium mining and refining, gold and silver mining and refining, and have familiarity with all other mining and metals production.

There are several metals not mined in the US including aluminum, nickel, and rare earths, and others have been drastically reduced by EPA and state environmental regulation including copper, cobalt, and of course coal (though not a metal). The impact on that industry (mining, smelting, refining, and production) in general over the last 30 years or so has been so drastic, as in reducing to near extinction levels in many, if not most areas of the US.

Someone asked the question of primary vs. secondary (or recovered) lead for bullets. There is no significant impact on the quality of ammo, whether lead or jacketed. Though I can't quote the numbers, I think that the most lead used in hunting ammo was that for shot for bird hunting which has essentially all been changed to steel for a number of years now, again through EPA because of accumulations in lake and river areas. A significant portion of rifle ammo is expended at ranges, where it is recovered and re-used. Of note is a recent change in the law in California to totally eliminate lead ammo in that state.

Of course there will be cost increases resulting from the need to import primary lead, since recovered lead pricing follows the costs set by primary lead.

Hope this adds some to the discussion.

I was putting an edge on my machete, myself...when I 'stumbled' over the Blaze article!

That and he is anti-gun as the day is long.

Given that Obama gets to pick his 'winners', and 'losers', my guess is that this plant is not unionized...and the owners have not given any money to promote Obama's agenda.