Bad leading, need some help

[johnho]

If there is any for this that is. I just recieved my Seaco 043 mold for 40 S&W barrel. Barrel slugged at .401. Bullets cast at just barely over .401. Got sizing die from Magma at .401 as i didn't see much point in going over even knowing this is probably going to be a problem with leading.

Final bullets sized at .400. Now strongly suspect this is going to be a problem. And it was. so I decided to not size at all. This meant I couldn't lube either but read some articles that some people don't do either.

Well, as some of you giggle-really successful at leading this time. had it all through barrel. Figure maybe to try a .403 die and hope bullet stays put enough to at least lube but still suspect this is not going to be solved with this bullet size and barrel diameter. Bullet velocity at these tests was about 850 fps.

Suspect that i may have to shoot some 30 rounds and then run 10 jacketed through it in USDPSA matches. The jacketed did a decent job of cleaning it but not perfect.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. A good laugh would be nice too.

John

[Bass Ackward]

Yep. Looks to me like you got a handle on it. We all been there. But how is a .403 sizer going to help you if mold diameter is just .401?

Onliest thing that bothers me is about some of the lead NOT shooting out. I hope you didn't buldge your barrel. Always a risk if lead gets heavy enough.

[Bret4207]

You can lube the boolit with Lee Liquid Alox (aka-Frog Snot) or try "Beagling" your mould for a bit more diameter, or try an alloy with more Antimony for more size. On the die- it may be a .401, but what is the boolit saying after sizing? It may throw them even smaller. One other alternative is to try the .402 or 3 die and lean on the sizer handle at the end of the stroke. This used to be called "bumping" a few years back and with a good fitting top punch it'll work.

[Junior1942]

+1 on Lee liquid Alox.

[jonk]

Ditto on the Lee goop. It is a mess, and the resulting bullet ain't pretty, but I find it works as well as anything else 90% of the time; though I do have a .45 that for some reason leads with LLA, but doesn't with RCBS, Felix, etc.... gotta love it, the sport is an art more than a science.

[1Shirt]

Just "beagle it", and get a 403 sizing die, and I would bet your problems would go away! Agree with Bass, shooting out lead with jacketed on a very badly leaded bbl. can result in a buldged bbl. I bought a Blackhawk in a pawn shop one time that the bbl was so baddly leaded that it looked like a dark smooth bore. Got a real deal on it however, so figured if the bbl was that bad, could rebbl the thing. Got it home and ran bronze brushes with 0000 steel wool and Hoppies No 9, and the lead started coming out in mass. Changed the steel wool a couple of times, and within a half hour had a pristine, clean bbl. Doubt who ever had it had ever cleaned it, and figured it wouldn't shoot straight and pawned it off. Probably it was shot with swaged wadcutters to lead it up that bad.
1Shirt!:coffeecom

[Lloyd Smale]

Id take the suggestion of running a higher tin antinmony alloy casting them. It not only will make a slightly bigger bullet but most autos tend to do better with harder alloys then revolvers. I think alot of it is due to shallow rifleing and the bullet deforming on the feed ramp.

[Halfbreed]

John, try some of these (20) or so unsized bullets with Johnson paste wax, just like doing the LLA, let em dry a day or two. then shoot em and see how it does for you. Then try beagling the mold, and see how that works, I beagled a Saeco 465rfn gc, out to .461 it works wonders.
John

[johnho]

Guys, thanks a lot. I have some better feelings now about possibly fixing this. I will try the wax and the beageling. Never thought of that one. I will search and see how to do it. Thanks again.

John

[leftiye]

JHo, You can also polish out the cavities of that mold with a boolit on a long screw, and some scouring powder or other appropriate abrasive.