Herculaneum Smelter Closing

[6pt-sika]

I just recieved an email from a friend telling me that the last major smelter in the US will be closing it's doors this coming December . The smelter is in Herculaneum Missouri and owned by the "Doe Run Company" .

The email also said this is the last smelter/refinery in the US that could produce lead bullion from raw lead ore . Hence it will effect ammunition production of any type in the USA as long as one is using lead core bullets etc .

The email said NEW EPA regs were the reason for the closing !

[FatJackDurham]

Shoot. There goes the price of lead.....

Better start tearing apart older batteries....

[Canuck Bob]

The old battery idea might work but I've heard some horror stories of the alloys as dangerous. Anyone know anything about this?

[TedH]

DO NOT melt lead from inside old batteries! Very dangerous vapors can result, can even be fatal.


http://www.levergunscommunity.com/viewt ... &sk=t&sd=a

[6pt-sika]

Since making the original post a Lawyer/Shooter friend came in the shop . He told me all major US ammo manufacturers have been using out of country vendors for their lead needs . Well he said the majority of the lead they use comes from outside the country .

[Hagler]

...please, see:

"Another reason for ammo shortages"


http://www.levergunscommunity.com/viewt ... 4&p=637401

Shawn

[Chuck 100 yd]

Another item that will come up from south of the border.

[El Chivo]

the ammo from Brazil or Italy has not been expensive.

[Hobie]

If you search the forum you'll see this was addressed and that Sierra has made a statement and that all will be well. Yes, EPA started this, back during the Bush administration. Lead prices will likely rise and it will run on down the chain to shooters.

[msmith1228]

That place was an environmental disaster and needed to go.
Mack

[Malamute]

I've seen similar comments to Macks from people that lived and worked in the area.

Again guys, dont jump the gun, this place had very little to do with ammo manufacturing. Read the Sierra announcment in the linked thread. The world market metals prices have more bearing on ammo prices than this place has or will.

[6pt-sika]

That place was an environmental disaster and needed to go.
Mack

Kinda like Detroit

[Mescalero]

Not sure I should admit to this.
But I have smuggled a lot of stuff across that border.
Not the stuff you conjer up in your minds.
The trick is to use burros and horses.
Do not worry about lead, Mexico will make it; it WILL be smuggled.

[piller]

I don't know anything about the Herculaneum Smelter, and it could be that it is an environmental disaster. Maybe, maybe not. I just know that the EPA has a lot of power and there is very little that can be done about them. I do find it hard to believe that the Herculaneum smelter would provide enough lead for the U.S.'s needs. Lead is in most solder, light bulbs, used for anchors in concrete, in bullets, and a whole bunch of uses that I can't even think of right now. That is a lot of lead use in a country the size of ours, and one smelter would have to be a giant in order to keep up with that kind of demand.

[Old Ironsights]

DO NOT melt lead from inside old batteries! Very dangerous vapors can result, can even be fatal.

Quite true.

OTOH, Anything "unsafe"/"unhealthy" can usually be done in a (mostly) Safe manner with proper preparation/planning.

Besides, if I'm hard up enough to try to salvage Lead from Batteries, it's probably because I need the lead for Return Fire anyway...

[FatJackDurham]

Really? I thought it was common to salvage battery lead, provided you clean it and melt it outside first before making ingots.....

Must have been some other idioten.....

[Tycer]

Really? I thought it was common to salvage battery lead, provided you clean it and melt it outside first before making ingots.....

Must have been some other idioten.....

It's the dross. One drop of water and a little whiff