Nothing wrong with lead bullets, properly loaded and used
I have been casting and loading lead bullets for about 35 years, and have fired lead bullets in .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .41 Magnum, .44 Magnum, .44 Special, .45 Colt, .45ACP, .40 S&W, 9mm Parabellum, .30 Carbine, .300 Savage, .30-30 Winchester, .30/40 Krag, .30.06, .45-70, and probably a few that I have forgotten.
Anytime I add a handgun in a new caliber I make it a point to buy a set of dies and a bullet mould for that caliber. I have several firearms that are 20 to 30 years old and have never been fired with factory ammunition.
General notes on the subject:
1. Lead bullets must be of the appropriate hardness for the task required. Swaged bullets are nearly 100% lead (Brinell Hardness Number 7 approx.), therefore cannot be driven beyond about 900 FPS or so without leading issues. Lead for bullet casting is hardened by alloying with other metals (tin, antimony, and arsenic are the most common). The range of hardened lead alloys available to the general public runs from wheel weights (BHN 11-12) to Linotype alloy (BHN 22-24 approx.).
Wheel weights are an excellent source of metal for casting bullets for handgun calibers, and can be driven up to around 1200 FPS with little or no difficulties. Linotype alloy is an excellent source for extreme applications, and can be driven up to around 2100 to 2200 FPS with few reported problems.
2. Powder selection is critical for many applications. Faster burning powders tend to have higher peak flame temperatures which can melt the lead at the bullet base (assuming no gas check); this splatters into the barrel and forcing cone and can streak down the barrel. For most handgun applications, powders in the medium-burning speed range give best results.
3. A good bullet lubricant and proper sizing to the bore (lands and grooves diameters need to be taken into account) are critical to correct functioning, accuracy, and reduced leading.
4. Gas checks (gilding metal cups enclosing the bullet base, applied during the sizing/lubrication process) are essential above about 1200 FPS, and can extend the velocity range considerably by eliminating the issues discussed at #2 above.
5. In my experience, lead bullets should never be used in any gas-operated semi-auto weapon (M1 Garand, M1 Carbine, etc). Small particles of lead are always driven through the gas port, resulting in lead deposits building up in the gas tube, which can disable the weapon in time and is very difficult to remove.
6. Hard cast lead bullets are very effective on game animals. I have killed several deer with .30 caliber cast bullet loads (which nearly duplicate factory .30-30 velocities), as well as with handguns in .357 and .44 Magnum. Hard cast bullets hold together very well, even when impacting bone; they always expand somewhat but retain 85%-plus of original weight, so penetration is very good.
7. My Model 19-2 S&W 6-inch was used for several years in PPC shooting. I know that it has been fired at least 30,000 rounds of handloads with cast lead bullets. It retains very tight lock-up and timing, and there is no detectable wear in any critical area.
8. It can be very useful for the beginner to lead a pistol badly, requiring significant effort to clean it. From that point onward, the user will exercise the necessary discretion and restraint so as to avoid that experience in the future.
For those interested in cast lead bullets, Lyman has published a number of editions of their excellent manuals on casting, loading, and shooting these bullets.
Until the fairly recent escalation of powder and primer prices, I regularly loaded .38 Special, 9mm Luger, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP ammunition for little more than the price of new .22 LR ammunition. With moderate loads, good brass cases can be reloaded at least 10 to 12 times with no problems. At today's prices for powder and primers, I estimate my normal practice ammunition costs me about $4 per 50 rounds.
That is economy!
I use factory ammunition for defensive handgun purposes. For just about everything else I use my own reloads.
