The free-cutting copper alloy according to the present invention contains a greatly reduced amount of lead in comparison with conventional free-cutting copper alloys, but provides industrially satisfactory machinability. The free-cutting alloys comprise 69 to 79 percent, by weight, of copper, 2.0 to 4.0 percent, by weight, of silicon, 0.02 to 0.4, by weight, of lead, and the remaining percent, by weight, of zinc.