Leaded steel bar free of lead macroinclusions

An as-rolled, free machining steel bar having ingredients consisting essentially of, in wt. %:

• ______________________________________ carbon .03 - 1.03 manganese .25 - 1.65 sulfur .01 - .50 phosphorus .005 - .20 silicon .01 - .05 nitrogen .03 max. lead .40 - .50 iron essentially the balance;
• ______________________________________
• the entire lead content of said bar being uniformly dispersed throughout said bar, with substantially all of said dispersed lead being contained in microinclusions;
• said bar being substantially free of lead macroinclusions;
• said steel bar having an immediate sub-surface region which comprises about 5-15% of the depth from the surface to the center of said bar;
• said immediate sub-surface region being substantially free of complex macroinclusions comprising oxides of manganese, silicon and iron with metallic lead interspersed therein;
• the form-tool machinability of said immediate sub-surface region, expressed in terms of cubic inches of metal removed until tool failure, being greater than 50% of the form-tool machinability of the bar's interior.