Rye Miles #13621 Posted January 26, 2015 Posted January 26, 2015 I have never slugged a barrel to find out it's bore size. Does anyone know what average size is in a Colt .44-40? I know the Uberti's are around .429-.430. I've heard and read that Colts are generally .427. I buy bullets from a local guy at a great price ( $60.00 for 1000, .44's) but they're .430's. I'm skeptical about using .430's in my Colts, in my Uberti's they work fine. Also how do I go about slugging a barrel, I'm a virgin at this!! Thanks, Rye
Guest Kid Sopris, Regulator, #3290 Posted January 26, 2015 Posted January 26, 2015 My 3rd Gen. Colts, (3 of them) measure .4275, .4275 and .428 respectively. I use Laser Cast 200 Gr. .428 RNFP Bullets. No Problems with Smokeless Powder.
Fairshake Posted January 26, 2015 Posted January 26, 2015 Rye, all you have to do is find some Speer .430 lead balls and oil them up real good and push one down the bore. You did not say what caliber gun but I know you shoot the 44WCF like I do. You just need any piece of soft lead that is at least .430 and do the push. I usually use a piece of brass rod and a small hammer to get mine down the barrel. Colts were all over the place at one time, with no guns alike. It's my understanding that has changed. They had a mold maker, LBT IIRC that sold the lead slugs for different bore sizes. I purchased a bunch from him about 5 years ago as I slug every gun before I purchase it. If you can't come up with anything, let me know and I will send you a few. Later Fairshake
Rye Miles #13621 Posted January 26, 2015 Author Posted January 26, 2015 Rye, all you have to do is find some Speer .430 lead balls and oil them up real good and push one down the bore. You did not say what caliber gun but I know you shoot the 44WCF like I do. You just need any piece of soft lead that is at least .430 and do the push. I usually use a piece of brass rod and a small hammer to get mine down the barrel. Colts were all over the place at one time, with no guns alike. It's my understanding that has changed. They had a mold maker, LBT IIRC that sold the lead slugs for different bore sizes. I purchased a bunch from him about 5 years ago as I slug every gun before I purchase it. If you can't come up with anything, let me know and I will send you a few. Later Fairshake Okay so if it goes through fairly easily that's the bore? Or if it gets stuck I assume it's a little too big right?? (BTW Yes they are .44-40's) Thanks, Rye
Guest Hoss Carpenter, SASS Life 7843 Posted January 26, 2015 Posted January 26, 2015 Hey Rye, Go to Bing or Google and just enter "Slugging a gun barrel" you will get a ton of info and pics! Cheers, Hoss
Goody, SASS #26190 Posted January 26, 2015 Posted January 26, 2015 I would start with something bigger than .430. I have used .454 round ball in the past with no trouble. You do have to pound it through the bore, but using care and a brass rod you will not hurt anything. Then use calipers to measure across the widest part of the slug you just drove through. This will be the part that fills the grooves down the barrel, thereby telling you what that measurement is.
Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 Posted January 26, 2015 Posted January 26, 2015 I have four .44-40 Colt SAAs as well as a .44-40 Lightning. They all have .427 bores. If I load .430 bullets most of the rounds won't chamber.
Dick Dastardly SASS #45219 Posted January 26, 2015 Posted January 26, 2015 Goody got it right. Use a dead soft slug of pure lead, tap it thru the bore with a brass rod and mike the slug. Your cast bullets should be lube/sized to 1/1000" over bore size. If you're loading Black Powder, lots of lube is a plus. Choose a design that hauls lots of lube and your cleaning chores will be very easy, your guns will keep on running and accuracy won't fall off. DD-MDA
Yellowhouse Sam # 25171 Posted January 26, 2015 Posted January 26, 2015 Use pure lead balls, lubed with oil, and tap through. Avoid jacketed and very hard bullets for this and you'll have an easier time.
Lefty Dude, SASS # 51223 Posted January 26, 2015 Posted January 26, 2015 My Custom Colts, from the Custom shop are 44WCF and have Colt fitted 44 Special cylinders & bushings. Both bores slug .4285". I have a Navy Arms Carbine 73 44WCF Uberti,(early model). This piece slugs .4255". I use .427" in the piece. it is a tack driver. For best performance with the 44WCF in Revolvers slug both the Barrel & Cylinder throats. Then shoot bullets sized to the cylinder throat diameter. Cylinder throats is where you get the best accuracy.
Echeconnee Drifter Posted January 26, 2015 Posted January 26, 2015 Use the softest lead you can find. If the bullets you're using are relatively hard, you'll really have to pound them through. One trick is to carefully drill a hole through the center of the bullet before tapping it through. This seems to make it a lot easier to push through the bore, as the bullet can compress inward on itself some rather than having to stretch. In other words, as the bullet is squeezed down, the lead has to have somewhere to flow. If the bullet is solid, then the bullet has to stretch out slightly. Another great trick is to just stop by a bait and tackle store and buy some of those large lead weights with the hole already pre-drilled in the center. These are almost always pure lead and as soft as you'll ever find. With no tin or antimony to harden them, and the hole in the middle, they slug very easily. I use a wooden dowel to tap mine through but a brass rod should work as well.
Rye Miles #13621 Posted January 26, 2015 Author Posted January 26, 2015 I just ordered a barrel slugging kit from Meister bullets. I'm gonna slug all my .44-40's. I have 10, including 2 rifles. http://www.meisterbullets.com/asccustompages/products.asp?AffID=&categoryid=24&navParent=0
Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 Posted January 26, 2015 Posted January 26, 2015 Be sure when you examine your slug that it shows drag marks on both the high spots (rifling grooves) and the low spots (lands) of the slug. If you don't see drag marks on the high spots (rifling grooves) the slug did not fully fill the rifling and the measurement may be suspect.
Rye Miles #13621 Posted January 27, 2015 Author Posted January 27, 2015 Be sure when you examine your slug that it shows drag marks on both the high spots (rifling grooves) and the low spots (lands) of the slug. If you don't see drag marks on the high spots (rifling grooves) the slug did not fully fill the rifling and the measurement may be suspect. Okeedokee, much obliged
Noz Posted January 27, 2015 Posted January 27, 2015 I'll bet you will wind up with a compromise of .428.
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