I need to check for thread choke on my 45 Colt and verify my bullet sizer is correct at .452 bullets. I am thinking .451, .452, and .453. What about half thousands?
Thanks, Tom
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I need to check for thread choke on my 45 Colt and verify my bullet sizer is correct at .452 bullets. I am thinking .451, .452, and .453. What about half thousands?
Thanks, Tom
Half thou pins are nearly mandatory. .001" increments are too coarse for cylinder work. Your sizer will likely pin out at .4515" if it is Lee, they compensate for boolit springback so the sized boolit is supposed to be .452" if it is cast in pretty much the same alloy they used to develop the die. Whatever that alloy was, likely Lyman #2 as it is an accepted standard.
You could just buy single pins from Meyer Gauge Co. they run around $2.40 per pin in the ranges you need. They have a $25 minimum order, there are other sources for singles but I haven't found any as affordable as Meyer.
I would buy Z minus (-.0002") pins in half thou increments from .450" to .454" this will give you enough to make minimum order, and also pin out the majority of 45 caliber cylinders.
I use RCBS sizer dies. It seems like my .452 RCBS swc mold bullets are sizing small ( .452 sizer)
and bullets from a NOE 454 mold are sizing slightly larger, due to 'spring back? I wanted to use the swc's because they have a larger meplate. Thanks, hc18flyer
Of course pin gauges are only accurate if your holes are truly round. Which isn't always the case. Most people wouldn't think that possible, but they'd be wrong. ;)
get a setoff small hole ball gages them and a good mic. and you can measure any hole. that is qhat we used when I was a tool maker.
A LOT of cylinders come to me with egged or oval throats. I put them on the Sunnen hone and they jump around like crazy, until they start rounding out and then they settle down for the most part. If you were to measure with pin gages and the throats are really really clean, you can see crescents of light on the sides of the pin where the elliptical part is. I still think the pin gage is the best reference, because it's round, and the boolit is round, or it is assumed to be round, so we want to see what size the largest ROUND standard will go through the hole, and it is assumed that if the pin will go through, the boolit will go through without being distorted to squeeze through the throat.
I have split ball hole gages, I have two different dial bore gauges that read in .0001" increments, one is a split ball dial bore gauge. You can put it in a throat and turn it, and watch the needle change as the ball finds the elliptical portion of the throat. Again, this information is irrelevant to what size the throat actually is, it matters what ROUND standard will go through the hole. That is the minimum round measurement that should be used to decree the size of the throat because the same size boolit will then go through the throat.
I have honed some S&W titanium cylinders that were SO egged, that even after honing, there are still dark spots which are too elliptical to hone out without making the throat grossly oversized. I would say of the Ruger cylinders I have honed with the Sunnen hone, probably 3/4 of them are actually fairly round. The worst ones? 9mm BH cylinders. These are horribly egged for the most part. I have yet to hone one that didn't want to fly off the mandrel when I start honing.
But wasn't my Webley MkVI the worst one you ever did? It certainly showed the most improvement after your magic touch!
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I’ll use any excuse to buy new tools.
I just ordered a 250 piece set of pin gauges off Amazon for $99. Sure they are Chinese, but it’s not for my profession and will only be used a few times. I mic’d the commonly ones to be used and they were right on.
I bought a made in USA set off ebay pretty cheap as it was viewed as a deficient item: missing a few in a range I'll never use . Revolver shooters aren't going to notice a half dozen missing between 0.250-0.300". Can always buy a few singles if they were really needed.
LOL! I have a workshop upstairs where I build computers and do other electronic work, and the machine shop downstairs. I ended up constantly having to go upstairs or downstairs to fetch a tool and it got old quick! I needed one of those 4 way or 6 way screwdrivers, you know the one that you always lose one of the tips out of? Yeah that one.. Had to buy 3. One for upstairs, one for the machine shop, and one to carry in whatever vehicle I used it in last so I wouldn't have to "borrow" one out of the house and then be right back to going upstairs or downstairs to hunt one up.Quote:
Originally Posted by LUBEDUDE
And those Carson clip on magnifiers for reading glasses? Yep, buy 3 or 4 at a time and "distribute" them in various locations so I can usually find one rather quickly. If you hate long red lights, and time wasted looking for stuff constantly, I am sure you will relate!
Haha, I do the same!Quote:
Originally Posted by DougGuy
I have duplicates and triplicates as well. One for the shop, house, garage, and even other room sometimes.
When my girls have to take the arduous task of liquifying my estate, folks will think I had Alzheimer’s or OCD!
Ball gauges will work, but they can be tricky to use if your not familiar with them. I also suggest several measurements with them rather than a one and done approach.
Pin gauge sets can be pretty handy for finding a tight spot in a barrel also.
I have no idea why I keep buying revolvers. Seems as all of them but a select few will need some cylinder work. I have contacted you several times Doug, but have yet to send package and funds your way. My apologies sir.
Though the amount of work is getting bigger,lol.
Jeff
Well I'm not ready to buy a set of pin gauges. I did have a second RCBS .452 sizer. I picked out a few sized and unsized bullets and started honing. I didn't seem to be gaining rolling it on my leg ala- Buckshot, so I moved to the drill press. I finally figured out that a slightly smaller drill bit, upside down, with 320 grit sandpaper was the way to go. When I got close, I moved to 600 and some Flitz, polished up nicely. I am thinking I gained .0005- .001, based on bullet fit. It is deer season now, but I might cast some, size them, and see if they are a little tighter in my cylinder? Hopefully it will reduce or eliminate my leading? Still need to see if it is worse with swc vs rnfp. Hope I get a Chance at a deer this week. hc18flyer