.44 caliber 185gr LRNFP

[Scrounger]

In looking over loading data for my soon to arrive Charter Arms Pug, I saw data for a bullet I've never seen before. It is called .44-185Gr-LRNFP.
Does anyone have a mold for that? Better yet, can anyone cast me 2 or 3 hundred for suitable remuneration?

[Bass Ackward]

Nope. Never heard of it. I would think that the base band would weight 185 grains alone.

Since the other thread kicked off and the problem of large throats, I was looking at NEI #246 HB. 222 grains and not a lot of meppy for problems. You could mold these as hard as you needed, but ACWW should handle 44 pressures and the nose was made to feed.

[Scrounger]

Nope. Never heard of it. I would think that the base band would weight 185 grains alone.

Since the other thread kicked off and the problem of large throats, I was looking at NEI #246 HB. 222 grains and not a lot of meppy for problems. You could mold these as hard as you needed, but ACWW should handle 44 pressures and the nose was made to feed.

This is intended for a Charter Arms Bulldog so I want it as light as possible. Feeding not a problem, pressure not a problem. And I sure wouldn't be shooting it much. I may have to go with 180gr jacketed...

[Bass Ackward]

This is intended for a Charter Arms Bulldog so I want it as light as possible. Feeding not a problem, pressure not a problem. And I sure wouldn't be shooting it much. I may have to go with 180gr jacketed...


Yep. Exactly what I thought. But if you aren't going to be shooting it much to pay for the mold, then jacketed should be the best option as it eliminates all potential problems.

[Scrounger]

I take it I wouldn't need work done on the forcing cone if I use jacketed. Which is a good thing because I'm back-pedaling on buying yet. Looking it up in the Brownell catalog, I can buy the tool itself for $31 but I'd also have to buy some other parts like pilots, handle, extender, etc, so I can see having $50 or $60 in this tool you would use one time, and it would have little or no resale value. Add in the fact(s) that I'm not too handy with tools, I could fail to do the job or worse yet break something, tool or gun, and having someone else do it doesn't seem like a bad option. I think I'd try to find a gunsmith within driving distance though.
Dealers really hate to ship guns for customers. The dealer I use here are the nicest people imaginable, we have a very friendly relationship. Still they won't ship a handgun USPS for me; They stop short of flat out refusing and I stop short of making them say that. They have a lot of good reasons for not wanting to do it.
1. They have to log the gun into their book.
It has to be on their books while in shop for ATF.
2. They have to log it out to the gunsmith.
They have to show where it went for ATF.
3. They have to re-log it in when it returns.
For ATF.
4. They have to log it out to me.
For ATF.
5. They could be held legally liable for loss or damage from the minute they log it in from me to the time they log it out to me. It is even possible that someone would blame them for the work done if it was unsafe or unsuccessful. Unless they charge a substantial amount of money for shipping it for you, there is little incentive for them to do it.

[felix]

Art, you need to find a new dealer, seriously. Either they should fix the problem, or ship it to someone who can. Naturally, it is up to you to pick the dealer and price for completed work, no matter what he has to do for performance acceptable to you. And, I realize that selection is not an easy one. ... felix

[stubert]

I have owned a .44 Bulldog Pug for 15 years. If you are using it for personal defence, I would buy factory ammo. I keep mine stoked with Corbon 160 grain +P JHPs. For plinking I use the 240 gr. swc.

[fecmech]

This may work for you. If you can find someone to cast and lube the Lyman 452389 or the saeco .45 cal 185 swc out of acww and run them thru a lee .44 cal sizer. Both of those bullets have deep lube grooves and if the lube grooves were full would not distort going thru the .431 sizer. Commercial .45 cal swc's would probably not work as they are usually cast too hard, although I think one of the commercial guys, (don't remember which one) does cast softer on order.

[Bass Ackward]

1. I take it I wouldn't need work done on the forcing cone if I use jacketed. Which is a good thing because I'm back-pedaling on buying yet.

2. Looking it up in the Brownell catalog, I can buy the tool itself for $31 but I'd also have to buy some other parts like pilots, handle, extender, etc, so I can see having $50 or $60 in this tool you would use one time, and it would have little or no resale value.

3. Add in the fact(s) that I'm not too handy with tools, I could fail to do the job or worse yet break something, tool or gun, and having someone else do it doesn't seem like a bad option.


Art,

1. You are assuming that you will need work done right off. Judging from how you want to use this, jacketed would eliminate possible issues anyway.

2. I'll bet you could rent that out for more money than selling it. It was a very accurate method for doing this using a bore guide to have it cut true. Which means the better fit your guide, the better and smoother the results. Some bores run .418 to .421 that I have seen. So it would be important to get good measurements first " IF " this even is an issue. I have one here that I could use it on too.

3. An absolute moron can do the set-up and cutting. That is not even a consideration to me. The real question is how deep do you go? This is because the deeper you go, the thinner you make the steel at the end of the barrel / beginning of the cone. How big the frame size is, limits the size of the barrel, so I would bet against a BIG honkin cone anyway.

So after it was all said and done, you may still not be able to shoot sharp shouldered bullets in it without spitting a little anyway. Bottom line: You need to see what you got first off and whether you have any issues or not. Don't let this discourage you.

[Bret4207]

I agree with Bass, see what you've got first. FWIW- For my BD I'm leaning towards the Lee 200fp or maybe even my Lee 200wc. Either would work. The recoil of the BD even with 240-250 gr boolits isn't horrible even at 850fps IMHO. It's more twist than recoil for me. YMMV.

Also FWIW- Buy the reamer and rent it out to the guys here when you're done.

[Scrounger]

I have an RCBS 44-200-CB I've never used. It is a plain base bullet.

[leftiye]

Scrounger, get the forcing cone reamer and etc. if it turns out that you need to work on the forcing cone, then sell it to me when you're done with it. Whatever else happens, fix the forcing cone, and make your boolits (if you cast) fit your chamber mouths.

I've got the old bulldog. I made some 160 gr swaged HP bullets for it. Ran 21 grains of 630 in shortened .44 Mag cases. Was back when I was an idiot, WAY TOO HOT for the gun!