Slag the barrel

[Jamesconn]

How do you do this I looked at micrometers for sale and I don't have a couple hundred bucks to go get one

[RobS]

http://www.harborfreight.com/0-to-1-inch-range-digital-micrometer-895.html

Using a soft slug (preferably straight lead) is best so there isn't any springback. If you only have some cast boolits then a person can use a freshly cast boolit and by fresh I mean as soon as it's cool enough to touch. Put the boolit on a hard flat surface such as an anvil or top of the back of a vice then take a hammer and wrap the nose of it until the boolit is .003 or so over your predicted bore groove diameter. I would go .454 for a projected .451 45 auto groove.

[fatnhappy]

Connor, don't you have an IA teacher or shop class in your high school? If you check with the shop teacher he could help you measure a lead slug. Make sure you check with the teacher first about bringing a slug into school. No need to run afoul of some zero tolerance halfwit Nazi.

Failing that a NAPA auotparts store probably has a micrometer behind the counter they can measure it with.

dean

[bowfishn]

You can pick up micrometers fairly cheap from Midway to measure the slugs , you may also want to pick up some verniers as well for other measurements that don't have to be as precise. Make sure the Micrometer measures in .0001"

http://www.midwayusa.com/browse/BrowseProducts.aspx?tabid=8&categoryid=10225&categorystring=649***10398***

I could not find any pure lead egg sinkers locally so I bought some hornady 44 round balls, they worked just fine for my 44 mag

[BABore]

Use the search function for "Slugging a barrel" . You'll find tons of info. Do use a hollow egg fishing sinker that's pure or soft lead. DO NOT use a wood rod to pound it through.

You do not have to spend a couple hundred dollars on a Mitutoyo micrometer. I bought one locally for $25 at http://www.reidsupply.com . Mine's a Fowler or STM brand and it's a ching-ching mic. It reads to the same accuracy as our more expensive Mitutoyo mics. It is graduated to 0.0001"

[Doby45]

I just got one of the micrometers that RobS linked to from Harbor and let me tell you it is dead nuts on. I removed the "digital" workings because that is the part that is made like **** and the tiny little brass cogs will start grinding in no time, but once you remove all those inner works the mic works as advertised and I am very pleased with it.

Prior to getting the mic I was using the below method to measure my slugs..

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b327/Doby45/3b8743c9.jpg

I kid, I kid... ;)

[MT Gianni]

PM me your address. I will be home around the end of the week and I'll send you an older one.

[Doby45]

*gasp* Are you joking? That is AWESOME, and now we know why you are uber mod. Helping the youth like Jamesconn will help us all in the future.

[youngda9]

WOW, MT Gianni is good people !

[mdi]

I just got one of the micrometers that RobS linked to from Harbor and let me tell you it is dead nuts on. I removed the "digital" workings because that is the part that is made like **** and the tiny little brass cogs will start grinding in no time, but once you remove all those inner works the mic works as advertised and I am very pleased with it.

Prior to getting the mic I was using the below method to measure my slugs..

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b327/Doby45/3b8743c9.jpg

I kid, I kid... ;)
WHOA! Trying to get anybody to learn to use a vernier caliper today would be impossible (you have to think and it's not instant)...

[GaryN]

I bought a used vernier Mitutoyo Micrometer that measures to .0001 for twenty-five bucks on ebay. There were several to pick from. Gary

[MT Gianni]

It isn't that I am rich. I yard saled this one from a neighbor for $10.

[williamwaco]

I own a top quality ( Name brand ) ( Vernier ) micrometer. It is incredibly accurate and repeatable. I bought it because I thought ( read it in the magazines ) it was absolutely necessary to get good barrel slug measurements so I could achieve good accuracy and reduce leading.

Long story short, It hasn't been out of the box in 20 years. There is absolutely no need for anything more than a good digital or vernier caliper. (That measures in inches.)

Although I can use it, I would NOT recommend the lively looking metric job shown above.