not sure the original purpose, bought it a while ago with the intent of making bullets. was cleaned when they made ingot out of it. i probably actually have twice that or close, 1lb bars . cant see the return on my investment from here without buying a progressive reloader. the single pump press i have just isnt productive enough to be profitable. midway has it at about $4 a pound, so i figured about $3.50 a pound is fair. however , make me an offer