Another barrel slugging question

[lwknight]

I slugged my 38-55 with a .380 cast soft lead 255 gr boolit. It started into the bore normally and required tapping for about 6 inches then loosened up so that I could just push it through. It came out @ .376

So my question is: Is this normal for rifles? I'm a pistolero and never had a boolit just turn loose in the bore. I'm wondering if I actually got an accurate reading.

I'm thinking of trying a primer only charge to lodge the boolit into the bore then driving back out. If that does not push it far enough , then maybe a couple grains bullseye. I don't want it to shoot through if the muzzle end is tighter than the breech.

[mooman76]

Not un common but it also depends on how loose you mean. At some point the slug will take the shape of the bore and become easy to push through and in an rifle the breach end will show a little more wear. You should have got an accurate reading at least for the tightest part of the barrel. What would be wores would be to push the lug in and find a spot that tightens up. Some like to slug both ends. Push a slug in from the breach end also about half way through and then push it back out the breach that way you will know the difference. Take not of tight or loose spots as you go.

[markinalpine]

If you pushed it from the breech, and it loosened up after 6 inches, what happens if you slug it from the muzzle, and push it until before it reaches the 6 inch from the breech point?

But more important, how does it shoot?

Mark :coffeecom

[lwknight]

I did slug from the muzzle end. I want to slug from the breech but only part way. It is a lever action Marlin so I'm not looking forward to disassembly. Thats why I thought about a prmer only load to lodge the boolit part way in the barrel. Then I can reverse it without squeezing it in the tighter part of the barrel end.

As far as how loose, well I could push the last 16-18 inches with only a few pounds pressure. And that is what I was wondering if was common.

[mooman76]

It's common to loosen up that much. Once you get your slug sized down to your bore size it will move fairly easy because it is no longer being sized. I didn't know it was a lever action. I personally would just go ahead with the size you got because you should be shooting a boolit like .002 over anyway. If you have problems with leading then you can go from there but you may be struggling with a problem that doesn't exhist at this point.

[markinalpine]

I slugged my Winchester 1894 .30 WCF from the breech using a soft lead .320 ball, and a 1/4 inch plastic rod I bought at a hobby shop. I waxed the bore with a generous amount of Johnsons Paste Wax on a patch before tapping the ball through. I did take several light blows to get the ball started, and the ball moved a little easier after the first few inches. The exact same thing happenned when I slugged it from the muzzle, and the groove diameter was the same both ways.
Mark :coffeecom

[jbc]

lever action marlin only takes one screw to remove the lever and bolt so why not try from the breech? am I missing something?

[rob45]

I did slug from the muzzle end. I want to slug from the breech but only part way. It is a lever action Marlin so I'm not looking forward to disassembly.

Compared to the Winchesters, the Marlins are very simple to strip down. One screw to remove the lever and bolt. Be careful not to lose the ejector when removing the bolt.

This allows you to clean from the breech (no need for muzzle cleaning), and will also allow you to start your slug from the breech end.

Here's a sticky on it:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=12471

[lwknight]

Thanks Guys, I will look into removing the bolt. I have had this Marlin 1903 for 20 years and just now got the bug to actually shoot it because of the paper patching threads that I read.
I must be kinda weired cause I have only fired 4 or 5 rounds through the Marlin 38-55 in 20 years. It was always a display queen till now.

I have always spent my time with pistols and revolvers except for my 30-06 deer rifle.

[MtGun44]

If the 1903 Marlin is like the 336 and 1895 modern Marlins (and I have no idea if it is),
make sure you watch out for the ejector. In the modern Marlins you can see a hole in
the receiver at the level of the center of the bolt (top to bottom) about 2/3 back from the
front of the reciever in the left side. This has a pin from the inside, which is a leg on the
ejector. Once you remove the bolt, the ejector is free to pop out. Shake it out and
keep track of it, put it back in just as you push the bolt back in. Other than that part to
keep track of, removing the Marlin bolts (at least on the modern ones) is very easy.

Bill

[Philngruvy]

I slugged my 38-55 with a .380 cast soft lead 255 gr boolit. It started into the bore normally and required tapping for about 6 inches then loosened up so that I could just push it through. It came out @ .376

So my question is: Is this normal for rifles? I'm a pistolero and never had a boolit just turn loose in the bore. I'm wondering if I actually got an accurate reading.

I'm thinking of trying a primer only charge to lodge the boolit into the bore then driving back out. If that does not push it far enough , then maybe a couple grains bullseye. I don't want it to shoot through if the muzzle end is tighter than the breech.


It's common to loosen up that much. Once you get your slug sized down to your bore size it will move fairly easy because it is no longer being sized. I didn't know it was a lever action. I personally would just go ahead with the size you got because you should be shooting a boolit like .002 over anyway. If you have problems with leading then you can go from there but you may be struggling with a problem that doesn't exhist at this point.


OK, I am new to slugging barrels and have ??? about these posts. Barrel is slugged with a .380, measures .376 after slugging (clearly .004 difference) and the reply is this is good since you want to be over by .002. Do you mean that the boolit should be over size .002 times 2, since there are two sides of a bullet affected by the rifling?

[lwknight]

Philngruvy, The total boolit diameter should be about 1 to 2 thousandths over the slug size.
In my case I will use a .378 sizer on the .380 boolits before loading into the cases.
It was coincidence that the math worked out that way.

Everyone else, that bolt removal was easy. One screw in the lever fulcrum and thats about it.
Thanks for the warnings about the ejector too.