Tesla stole my bullets...?

cloverleaf · Mar 4, 2023

So if I read correctly, there is no more lead being mined in this country. Got me to wondering... I know all these electric cars are not run on led-acid batteries (are they?). But is some portion of my ammo being appropriated for all these batteries? Whatever- the politics are all wrong, not expecting the real answers. But it just occurs to me..... CL

DrMike · Mar 5, 2023

Leaf lickers and granola crunchers have determined that lead is deadly. Perhaps the reason for their speculation is that when a small mass is launched at a high velocity, things can die.

ShadeTree · Mar 5, 2023

Well, not lead, but you're not wrong in wondering if it strains the bullet industry. If you look up the metal composition of batteries in EV vehicles some batteries have up to 57 lbs of copper in them.

Also the nickel amount. Can run around 100 lbs in 1 battery. I don't know the amount of nickel used in bullets but I believe jacketed bullets are often a nickel/copper alloy. Obviously not including FMJ bullets in that.

Firebird · Mar 5, 2023

Aren’t bullets frequently made from old batteries-part of the recycle process? I don’t know, I’m just asking

noslerpartition · Mar 5, 2023

ShadeTree said:
Well, not lead, but you're not wrong in wondering if it strains the bullet industry. If you look up the metal composition of batteries in EV vehicles some batteries have up to 57 lbs of copper in them.

Also the nickel amount. Can run around 100 lbs in 1 battery. I don't know the amount of nickel used in bullets but I believe jacketed bullets are often a nickel/copper alloy. Obviously not including FMJ bullets in that.

As far as I know there is hardly any Nickel in jackets.
Usually 90-95% copper and the rest ist Zinc. Unless you go for the Nickel-plated bullets.

Aren't car batteries (for EVs) mostly Lithium?

Normal batteries for combustion cars are lead, though

JD338 · Mar 5, 2023

EV's are powered by lithium batteries, not lead.
EPA is the concerning factor...

JD338

Ridge_Runner · Mar 5, 2023

What I heard was covid shut down the lead mines in utah, and the copper mines in south america. but the US is paying folks not to work so the supply is interupted, if that is truly the case, why can you still get Hornady and Hammer bullets but the others are scarce?

ShadeTree · Mar 5, 2023

noslerpartition said:
As far as I know there is hardly any Nickel in jackets.
Usually 90-95% copper and the rest ist Zinc. Unless you go for the Nickel-plated bullets.

Aren't car batteries (for EVs) mostly Lithium?

Normal batteries for combustion cars are lead, though

Not according to what I looked at. Mostly NMC batteries, like 3/4 of them. But whether those or the Lithium, they all have substantial weights of copper in them. Lithium EV batteries were actually listed as having the most copper.