How To Make A Silver Bullet (We May Need This Info Soon)

[Wiley50]

http://www.popsci.com/popsci/how20/9d2a9aa138b84010vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html

Like darning socks, making bullets is a dying art. Used to be just about everyone with a need for ammo poured their own, using iron or even wooden molds. These days only a few diehard hobbyists still do it, and they use aluminum molds. But even fewer people still make silver bullets.

Actually, not many people ever made silver bullets. It’s a difficult process, and their efficacy against werewolves has never been scientifically proven. I suppose their renown came from the perception that silver was a distinguished metal, often spoken of in connection with its higher-class cousin, gold. But today silver is far more common, and it tarnishes over time, primarily because of sulfur pollution from power plants. (By and large, it didn’t tarnish before the Industrial Age.)

I couldn’t find any references describing real historical silver-bullet-crafting techniques. At 1,764°F, molten silver would ruin traditional and modern bullet molds. They could have been fashioned using jewelers’ methods, but that would require a new plaster mold for every bullet. Frankly, I think people spent a lot more time talking about silver bullets than they did turning them out. I don’t like legends that are all talk, so I decided to see what it takes to produce a real silver bullet: not plated, not sterling—pure silver.

To create the mold, I first had to construct a bit. I used a lathe to turn a steel rod into a bulletlike shape, then used a milling machine to cut away a quarter-circle wedge of the rod, leaving a sharp cutting edge. Basically I had built a router bit shaped like a bullet. (I’ve fabricated bits like this freehand with a file; which works fine, it just takes longer. Much longer.) After using the bit to machine the graphite bullet mold, I used an electrically heated graphite crucible to pour in 0.999 fine liquid silver at about 2,000°F, which is 230°F above its melting point. The mold must be preheated with a blowtorch to keep the silver from solidifying before it fills the whole cavity. One of the benefits of using graphite is that it keeps the silver from oxidizing, so bullets come out bright and shiny.

Would a silver bullet really fire? Probably. (Though, not being an experienced gunsmith, I would never be foolish enough to try my bullets in a real gun.) Bullets need to be fairly soft so that they can take on the shape of spiral grooves in the gun’s barrel, and pure silver is moderately soft. It’s also similar in density to lead, so it should have similar aerodynamics and muzzle velocity. I’d guess silver would make a very nice nontoxic substitute for lead in bullets. Too bad about the cost: These one-ounce, large-caliber rifle bullets use about $7 worth of silver per shot—best reserved for only the most severe werewolf infestations.

[originalpckelly]

1. Leslie been acting up or something?

:shrug:

[Manifestor_of_Light]

2. Casting silver w/the lost wax method is fun!!

Using plaster, as mentioned above. It's called "slingin' metal"!!!

[AndyTiedye]

3. You Need Wooden Stakes for Vampires. Silver Bullets are for Werewolves

When Dick Cheney finally was convicted and sentenced, extraordinary measures were required.

[Wiley50]

4. Not Nescessarily, Silver Works Too

http://www.popsci.com/popsci/how20/9d2a9aa138b84010vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html

Silver: When most people think of silver weapons killing monsters they think of silver bullets and werewolves, however, silver stakes, spears and daggers have also been known to slow down and kill vampires. Silver is considered to be a metal of purity and has been used for protection against evil in almost every world culture throughout history. Silver can be melted down to form amulets, jewelry, bullets, daggers and religious symbols such as crucifixes. Silver amulets and daggers can be put into the ground above the grave to prevent evil spirits from escaping. Silver nails drove into coffin lids are said to help prevent evil spirits from rising from the grave.

[razors edge]

5. I'll stick with my

200 grain spitzer boat tail 300 remington ultra mags in front of 90 grains of H-100 loaded in my basement. $1.50 per vs $3.50 for factory loads.

Real crowd pleaser's that push 3000+ ft/sec through my chrono.