Group Buy 429421 (fat) range report

[MtGun44]

I cast up about 50 from the brand new 429421 6-holer, and
polished out a .431 sizer die to .433, and using some of the
test lube graciously supplied by 357 Maximum, I was ready
to test.

I used three of my "known good" loads that have worked well
in multiple .44 mag platforms in the past. 10.0 Unique, 9.0
Power Pistol and the granddaddy of all .44 loads, Elmer's
load - 20.0 2400. All sparked with CCI-300s and in used
R-P nickel brass (what was clean and I found first!).

Two of three were excellent for my Super BH, which has
.431" throats and has never been a serious shooter with
.430 and .429 cast bullets (DUH!).

Much thanks to 45 2.1 (we met at the NRA show and shared
lunch and an interesting hour of fellowship!) and to Catshooter
who honchoed the GB. I was worried when the dropped at
.437, but it seems just fine. :-D

I apologize for the fuzzy images, but some idiot forgot to select
the close focus option when taking these pix. :roll:

Great mold, great old design re-implimented. :drinks:

Bill

[Catshooter]

You are welcome! :)


Cat

[targetshootr]

Nice shootin. Mine were big so I got a .430 sizer but it still leaves cups on the bottom. By using .433s, does it cause an increase in pressure?

[MtGun44]

I'm sure that it must take some more pressure to push a bigger
bullet down the throat, but in my gun the throats were such that
I'm just 'sizing' the bullet about .002" or less in the throats. Think of
it this way, my Blackhawk in .45 Colt/ACP convertible had .449" and
.450" throats as it came from the factory, and a .452" bbl groove diam.
.452" bullets were therefore sized to .449 (.003") or .450 (.002") in
the cylinder when fired, and that is factory sizes for a .452" bullet.

I imagine that at least some, or maybe most factory .45 Colt ammo
uses .454" bullets (some are jacketed, too) which works safely.

Basically, yes the pressure must be higher, but not out of line with
normal dimensional ranges.

By the way, it took about 40 minutes to hone out the .431" sizer to
.433" with 240 grit emery cloth on a split dowel, and BOY does that
die get HOT in the process. Those dies are harder than the hinges
of hell.

Bill

[felix]

The only time too tight is too tight is when the case cannot expand enough to let the boolit out of the case. In other words, if the boolit starts to move, and it must be allowed to by being hard enough, all is fine because the moving boolit will size down when it finds another hole to go through. Static friction is always more than dynamic friction. Balancing static friction with the powder speed and associated boolit hardness is the key to getting cast boolits to shoot well. Now, go back and read the first sentence. The very most important sentence in handloading. ... felix

[Phil]

Well said Felix!

Phil

[targetshootr]

Yesterday I ordered a new .431 die and I may go bigger until there are no more wings on the bottom. I guess at some point I may need to use them only in certain guns but it sure does cut down on casting time.

[Possum]

Yesterday I ordered a new .431 die and I may go bigger until there are no more wings on the bottom. I guess at some point I may need to use them only in certain guns but it sure does cut down on casting time.

Did the .431 work out for you?