Adventures in casting...

[Ragnarok]

I've had a reliable plinking load up and running for my .45-70 for some time. Nothing fancy..just a Trail Boss/405gr Lee hollow-base LFP bullet greased up with SPG. My old trapdoor rifle plinks just fabulous with this round!

I tried some of these loads in my cool newly aquired Browning 1886 carbine...and they've proved ridiculously fun in it too!!

So then I decided to throw the old factory back into .45-70 production. I have 21 bullets left from last spring's production....I fix up some Star Line brass and load-em up.

Out of bullets...must cast more. I get my gear set up and check-out my Lee mold...pot heating up...all good.

That's when I decided to add more alloy into the pot...a rather crudely smelted chunk of wheel-weight alloy with some plumbing-pipe blended in. Must have been wet at some point and retained some moisture in a crevice..'cause as soon as it hit the pot and heated-up...it was like a 'mini depthcharge' went off in the lead-pot!! "CRACK"...molten lead alloy splooshed at least two and a half feet up the garage wall...all over my little bench...and on ME!!

Fortunately...I was wearing a heavy insulated button-up shirt over a T-shirt and a pair of safety glasses...got a couple 'hot-spots'...but no burns. I was lucky...wasn't going to wear safety glasses...but thought "what the heck?"...The glasses were right there on the table so I put them on. They stopped some lead for sure!!

I added more alloy with the pot off and part-cooled after that...then plugged it in and got away from it!!

Anyhow...other than that casting was a struggle...my pot mysteriously quit regulating temperature...and gradually gets too hot....Lee 405gr hollow-base mold I've used twice is going to have to have some work on the sprue-plate and a work-over.

I did cast enough good bullets to get my .45-70 'cowboy load' production rolling for a bit though.

No moral to the story other than safety pays and might save you some grief if your being an idiot!!...(not sure that makes sense?)

[tward]

Glad you're OK have a good Christmas! Tim

[Ragnarok]

Right back atcha..Happy holidays.

For my next magic trick..I shall now produce loaded .45-70 plinking cartridges!

[btroj]

Cold ingots can do that too. I always use extreme caution when adding ingots to the pot in the winter, even ou my lead is always stored in the garage. Lead off the floor is the worst offender.

[**oneshot**]

The pot and the mold are replaceable. Glad to hear that your OK!

[Ragnarok]

Cold ingots can do that too. I always use extreme caution when adding ingots to the pot in the winter, even ou my lead is always stored in the garage. Lead off the floor is the worst offender.

I've been casting bullets since the 1970's..and never ever had a lead-pot explosion before.

Yeh..probably going to have to get a new lead pot...though I think my Lee mold is ok.

I inspected the mold..and took it apart. Would seem the hollow-base plug had slightly battered it's spot in the mold blocks...raising a burr which was causing problems. I cleaned things up a bit with a small file...I think it's ok.

[41 mag fan]

Ragnarok......I'm jealous....A Browning 1886!!! :bigsmyl2: I'm wanting one, hopefully the fella at my local gunshow will have the NIB there again next month for sale.

[Ragnarok]

I actually wanted a repro Sharps at first....but then...then..I wanted one of the newer Winchester 1886 short rifles..however I didn't want the tang-safety...but they have Chiappa 1886, cannot find any...that's when a friend suggested the out of production Brownings.

If you look online..there are quite a few Browning 1886 saddle-ring carbines floating around for sale. Some supposidly new in box...some not. Mine was slightly used in box...purchased from the Cabela's gun library in Roger's Minnesota. Cost about as much as a new 1886 would cost...and quite a bit less than any Sharps..Italian or otherwise.

I've had the Browning a couple weeks now...it's a keeper.

[runfiverun]

i have the browning 86 rifle too and really like it except for the weight.
i'm used to the big hooking buttstock as all my 92 rifles have it too so it's no big deal.
a big ol shotgun type recoil pad would be a plus if i want to step things up.
i'll probably stick to the 435 at 14-1650 ish though.
or just have mike [whyte leather works vendor sponsor here] make me another leather wrap around stock pad.

i keep a lid on top of my pots where i can set the mold and some extra ingots.
one has a 1/2" thick chunk of steel and one is just made from some sheet metal i bent into a square u-chanell.
the other two have pieces of 1/8th in steel on them.
i leave a little cut out on the edge to drop ingots/sprues through.
if i do have a bubble-up the lid confines the mess to that one area.