The Making of the Silver Slugs

The Making of the Silver Slugs is the pivotal act of preparation in which the Losers' Club, led by Ben Hanscom's practical ingenuity and Bill Denbrough's strategic vision, transforms one of Ben's inherited silver dollars into two small silver slugs, intended as ammunition for Bill's Bullseye slingshot against the shape-shifting entity terrorizing Derry. This act, carried out in Zack Denbrough's workshop on the night of July 23rd, 1958, marks the transition from fearful discussion to concrete, weaponized action, and it is Beverly Marsh who is ultimately chosen to wield the slingshot, a decision that will prove decisive in the first confrontation at 29 Neibolt Street.

Origin and Purpose

The idea of using silver ammunition originated with Bill Denbrough, who, after the terrifying encounter with the werewolf at 29 Neibolt Street, reasoned that if a monster could be stopped by a silver bullet in the movies, the same principle might apply to the entity they faced. Bill, Richie Tozier, and Ben Hanscom spent considerable time at the Derry Public Library researching how to make silver bullets, but Bill grew increasingly nervous about the potential for a misfire during a life-or-death confrontation. The plan shifted when they discovered Beverly Marsh's exceptional marksmanship with Bill's Bullseye slingshot; during a test at the dump, she hit nine out of ten cans from twenty feet away, proving she was the most reliable shot among them. This led to the decision to create two small silver slugs, simpler to manufacture than bullets, which Beverly would fire from the slingshot.

The Workshop and Materials

The operation took place in Zack Denbrough's workshop, with Bill's parents away at a double feature at the Aladdin Theater. Ben Hanscom, who had inherited four silver dollars from his father, contributed one of them for the ammunition. Bill provided a cut-down mortar shell, a war souvenir from his father's service in World War II, which served as a makeshift crucible. The molds for the slugs were two-inch steel bearing molds purchased for fifty cents each from Carl Kitchener at Kitchener Precision Tool & Die, a descendant of the family that owned the ill-fated Kitchener Ironworks. Bill also supplied a blowtorch from his father's workshop, and the group pooled their money for any additional supplies.

The Casting Process

Under Ben's direction, the Losers gathered in the workshop as dusk fell. Ben clamped the mortar shell into a vise and heated it with the blowtorch until the silver dollar inside melted. Beverly Marsh, whose steady hands were crucial, held a homemade funnel over one of the bearing molds while wearing one of Zack's work gloves to protect against the heat. Ben carefully poured the molten silver through the funnel, not spilling a single drop, and the process was repeated for the second slug. After the silver had cooled and hardened in the molds, Ben used a chisel and hammer to open them along the cut-lines, revealing two small, perfectly round silver balls. The remnants of the date "925" and faint traces of Lady Liberty's hair were still visible on their surfaces, a testament to their origin.

The Decision and the Weapon

When the slugs were finished, Bill handed them to Beverly, who was to be the shooter. She initially protested, but Bill insisted, and the others supported the decision based on her demonstrated skill. Beverly, however, refused to take the slugs home, fearing her father might find them. Bill agreed to keep them until the time came. The group then played Monopoly to maintain their cover until Bill's parents returned. The silver slugs, along with the Bullseye slingshot, represented the Losers' only tangible weapon against the entity, a physical manifestation of their belief that they could fight back. The act of making them, from the research to the casting, solidified their resolve and marked the point of no return in their summer-long confrontation with the horror in Derry.