BigLube bullet shape concern.

[gilgsn]

Hello,

I am looking for a good bullet mold for the .38-40, to use with BP. The best one I have found, on paper, is the Big-Lube DD 38-40 190gr. I am no bullet expert, but I wonder about the huge lube groove... It's great for lubrication, no doubt... However, with soft lead, wouldn't the bullet compress upon firing and could the base expand before passing the forcing cone and increase pressure?
Has anyone here shot this bullet in old (pre-1900) revolvers?

Thanks,

Gil.

[prs]

I, PigeonRoost Slim (aka prs) am guilty most likely. I did the original design in 45 Colt and Dick carried on in transferring the idea to other calibers and applications. The original concept was to be used with wheel weight metal because that is generally what we had available at best price. Even with WW metal the concept is that there would be some minor compression to help force lube to be pressurized (probably folly). I have used WW alloy, Lyman 2 and Lyman 2 cut with lead to get half of Lyman 2. All wonderful in revolver and rifle (rifle being the actual mother of invention). I have cast pure lead in the version for the Ruger cap and ball revolver and no problem with accuracy, but you sure have to gentle in reloading and handling of the boolits -- way soft. Dick has probably shot the 38/40 or knows customers who have and who could advise you..

prs

[runfiverun]

a revolver doesn't need a half quart of lube.
look at a cap and ball all they get is some grease swiped over the cylinder and that's generally more than necessary.

[MT Chambers]

I believe that the extra lube capacity is a real bonus when loading with black powder, my 405 grain for the 45/70 is big lube and excellent with BP loads.

[gilgsn]

I believe that the extra lube capacity is a real bonus when loading with black powder, my 405 grain for the 45/70 is big lube and excellent with BP loads.I ordered the mold, we'll see...
Gil

Sent from my SM-G928F using Tapatalk

[Victor N TN]

Please let us know what you find out about it. Thanks.

[Baja_Traveler]

While I can't offer you any reassurance on the 38-40, I have been using the DD 38-55 Big Lube for years with excellent results. I also have the ROA big lube mold, and find it works great in my Old Army.

[Wayne Smith]

I have been the big lube .44 in the 44-40 BP loads for years. No leading in the rifle (20" Uberti Short Rifle) and a good lube star.

[Bent Ramrod]

I got a NOE copy of the Big Lube design in .44-40. When I cast my then-standard black powder alloy, jacketed bullet cores melted out of range scrap, it didn’t shoot as well as the standard Ideal 42798, although the barrel was much cleaner with black powder. When I switched to my other selection of range scrap, cast boolits made of wheel weights and Linotype, they shot just as well or better than the 42798, with more shots between cleanings. I think there is some potential with this design for slumping or other distortion upon firing, if the boolit is too soft.

If you get the BHN up to 9 or so, you should do fine.

[gilgsn]

Thanks guys. I'll just have to find some tin. I have pure lead scrap, that's it..
Gil

Sent from my SM-G928F using Tapatalk

[prs]

Pure lead scrap is Heaven! Runfiverun mentioned to what I alluded about rifle being the mother of invention. I did the HUGE lube canyon because we had crappy black powder back then (early lots of Elephant and Goex; both shot very dry). Revolvers got by well with old pistol bullets from black powder era. The 45 Colt really had no original era bullet really suitable for level rifle as the great 454190 was bit on the pointy side for tube magazine. Swiss and Shuetzen maybe some forms of more recent Goex seem to shoot with softer/moister fouling, but the big lube design still shoots cooler and longer (infinitely so far as I know) at fast paces. They are messy in single action six shooters like my Rugers, but the pistols shoot so cool that I put up with it and simply wipe the grips now and then. There have been some rehashing of the designs to get better long range function, but not by me, Jack Christian and John Boy got into that. A pard by the name of Snakebite did the .357 version and it is a honey for function in 357mag chambered lever guns using 38SPL brass. Mav Dutchman had Lee do the 44/40 version. Dick Dastardly went plumb nuts doing other versions. There is a shorter .452" version too, done by a couple of fellows; Johnston and Peterson IIRC. It is good to have choices! I have never sold molds, so I have no fiscal tie to any of it.

prs

[gilgsn]

Pure lead scrap is Heaven! Runfiverun mentioned to what I alluded about rifle being the mother of invention. I did the HUGE lube canyon because we had crappy black powder back then (early lots of Elephant and Goex; both shot very dry). Revolvers got by well with old pistol bullets from black powder era. The 45 Colt really had no original era bullet really suitable for level rifle as the great 454190 was bit on the pointy side for tube magazine. Swiss and Shuetzen maybe some forms of more recent Goex seem to shoot with softer/moister fouling, but the big lube design still shoots cooler and longer (infinitely so far as I know) at fast paces. They are messy in single action six shooters like my Rugers, but the pistols shoot so cool that I put up with it and simply wipe the grips now and then. There have been some rehashing of the designs to get better long range function, but not by me, Jack Christian and John Boy got into that. A pard by the name of Snakebite did the .357 version and it is a honey for function in 357mag chambered lever guns using 38SPL brass. Mav Dutchman had Lee do the 44/40 version. Dick Dastardly went plumb nuts doing other versions. There is a shorter .452" version too, done by a couple of fellows; Johnston and Peterson IIRC. It is good to have choices! I have never sold molds, so I have no fiscal tie to any of it.

prsDick told me to use a 20:1 mix. I hope my scrap is pure, it's mostly old water pipes. I also have some old bullets from 25 years ago but I can't remember what they were made of.

Now I need to find a good lube recipe to fill those huge lube grooves, something that will stay there and not leak in the powder long term. Beeswax and something else I guess. I don't think we have Crisco here in France, some equivalent maybe.. We sure have bees though!

If only lead hardness testing gizmos weren't so expensive!

I can't wait to get that .38-40 SAA next week!

Gil

Sent from my SM-G928F using Tapatalk

[Wayne Smith]

Go to the lube stikie and look up Emmerts lube or the improved Emmerts lube. I use it for all my pistol shooting, BP and smokeless.

[Bama]

I have not tried that bullet design but I have swaged a number of bullets. In younger days I would take a 38 gr wad cutter and swage to a 38 HB wad cutter. I would also swage a 45 RN to the same nose shape as HG 68. I quickly learned tat if I did not lube before swagging the grease groves would almost disapear but if I lubed before swagging the worse that would happen is I might get a little smear of lead in grease grove occasionally. Hydraulics works. It is very doubtful if the grease grove will be an issue as long as it has been filled with lube.

[gilgsn]

Go to the lube stikie and look up Emmerts lube or the improved Emmerts lube. I use it for all my pistol shooting, BP and smokeless.Thanks. All the ingredients are available here on EBay. I'll try the improved formula with 5% lanolin.

Next step is slugging the barrel and chambers. I'll make a few pure lead bullets for that. Then I can order the correct sizing die.

Gil

Sent from my SM-G928F using Tapatalk

[Wayne Smith]

I get my waxes from RandyRat a vendor here. Much better pricing. Four lbs of beeswax will last me a long time, and the half lb of Carnuba tossed into the box to fill it will last longer, most likely.