What direction would you go?

[12DMAX]

I have almost got my BH lead free! I would like some input on what I should be looking at next. I have a NMBH in 45 colt, cylinders all measure a uniform .4525, I am shooting 255 RNFP ACWW sized to .4533, TL with 45/45/10. Loading these with 8gr unique and 10.5 gr HS-6 I am getting some throat leading, cylinder face leading and a nice uniform doughnut ring in the forcing cone.

[Frank]

Slower powder, water dropped boolits.

[12DMAX]

Frank, could you give me your explanation as to what's going on here? Appreciate it!

[2ndAmendmentNut]

You might need to slug your barrel, and check the cylinder gap. If the barrel slugs bigger then the chambers your gun will have leading and accuracy issues. Excessive cylinder gap can do this as well. Is the gun "spitting" lead to the either side when fired? If so the revolver could be out of time.

Another thing to check would be the diameter of the Boolit from a pulled round.

[12DMAX]

Groove is .451

cyl gap is .008

pulled bullet measures .453

[Frank]

120MAX:

Frank, could you give me your explanation as to what's going on here? Appreciate it!

I would prefer a powerful and accurate Ruger-only load. I'd go with an LBT WLN or WFN, H110 & Win LP primers and Starline brass. I would drill it and tap it for a scope mount for load development. Then take the scope off and carry it on a belt holster (4-5.5") or shoulder rig (7.5").

12DMAX:

cyl gap is .008

That's too much. You should probably send it back to Ruger, unless someone else has a better idea.

[newton]

I'm going to be interested in how this turns out. I hope you keep us updated on your progress and such. I have a NMBH 45convertable. Before I sent it back to Ruger(hammer issue), I put 24 rounds through it. I got some real bad leading.

I cleaned and slugged it before I shipped it off and the measurements seem right in line with yours. Except I am sizing my boolits at .452", which they barely go through the throats when given a good push.

My thoughts seem to lean more toward a softer boolit for starters. I am using 50/50 pure lead/ww, and air cooling them. They are soft for sure. Then I did a soft lube that I filled the grooves with, where as before I was just using a tumble lube.

I am also using a 255 rnfp, lee mold. And, once again, I used 8 grains Unique for most rounds, except 6 with 8 grains of Herco(should have been a touch slower), and then I ran 6 with 6 grains of Unique. Those 6, with the 6 grains Unique, gave me the best group but cannot say much about the leading as I did not notice how much was there before they were shot.

I am not an expert, and seeing how I am almost in the same boat as you, I would try a different lube, different boolit size, and different alloy.

Are the boolits hard to chamber? It seems if the boolit is sized over that of the throat then it would be hard to chamber. I know you dont want an excessively undersized boolit, but I thought it needs to be a tad smaller if not the same size of the throat.

One guy on here is using .451" out of his reamed out .4525 throats, and if I am not mistaken a .451" bore. And his groups are phenomenal with little to no leading. I forget what alloy or lube he uses, I think he is buying his actually, but non the less its interesting.

[newton]

Come to think of it, I know he was using a stouter charge in his rounds. I think somewhere in the neighborhood of 9 grains of Unique.

[Larry Gibson]

+1 on 8.5 - 9 gr Unique. Add 2% tin to the WWs as it alloys better with the antimony and makes better over all alloy. I would then add 40 - 50% lead to the WW + tin alloy. I would switch back to straight LLA and apply and size as per the instructions.

Larry Gibson

[12DMAX]

I hope you keep us updated on your progress and such

I will do that.

Are the boolits hard to chamber? It seems if the boolit is sized over that of the throat then it would be hard to chamber. I know you dont want an excessively undersized boolit, but I thought it needs to be a tad smaller if not the same size of the throat.

No, that bullet style wont enter the throats when chambered so no fit issue.

+1 on 8.5 - 9 gr Unique. Add 2% tin to the WWs as it alloys better with the antimony and makes better over all alloy. I would then add 40 - 50% lead to the WW + tin alloy. I would switch back to straight LLA and apply and size as per the instructions.

Larry im trying to follow all this so bear with me guys. What is going on with my charges of powder that need changed?

[MtGun44]

Not sure, but know that 8-9 gr is very often very successful. I would not
go harder as a general rule.

Fit is #1, then design and lube must be right, then powder, usually.

Bill

[Larry Gibson]

With the case capacity/expansion ratio of the 45 Colt Unique does not really start burning efficiently until 8.5 gr under 250 - 260 gr cast bullets in my revolvers. The 2% tin will make the WW alloy a much better alloy and adding the 40-50% lead will soften it and stretch out the WW.s At standard .45 Colt psi's and velocities the BHN does not need to be what it is with WWs alone. LLA, if that's what you want to use (I don't have a problem with using LLA for such loads) is best used as directed and straight. Attempting to "improve" or "fix" it many times leads to leading.

Larry Gibson

[Wolfer]

When you slugged your barrel did you notice thread restriction?

[12DMAX]

With the case capacity/expansion ratio of the 45 Colt Unique does not really start burning efficiently until 8.5 gr under 250 - 260 gr cast bullets in my revolvers. The 2% tin will make the WW alloy a much better alloy and adding the 40-50% lead will soften it and stretch out the WW.s At standard .45 Colt psi's and velocities the BHN does not need to be what it is with WWs alone. LLA, if that's what you want to use (I don't have a problem with using LLA for such loads) is best used as directed and straight. Attempting to "improve" or "fix" it many times leads to leading.

Gotcha. Will stick-on's suffice for the lead?

When you slugged your barrel did you notice thread restriction?

Yes there was a 5/10000 restriction that I was able to lap out. Bore is a nice .451 now.

Is the gun "spitting" lead to the either side when fired? If so the revolver could be out of time.

Yes, it does spit some lead. I too thought a timing issue ( it may be) looking down the barrel with gun in full lock up it sure looks good ( in time ) to me.

[44man]

I have almost got my BH lead free! I would like some input on what I should be looking at next. I have a NMBH in 45 colt, cylinders all measure a uniform .4525, I am shooting 255 RNFP ACWW sized to .4533, TL with 45/45/10. Loading these with 8gr unique and 10.5 gr HS-6 I am getting some throat leading, cylinder face leading and a nice uniform doughnut ring in the forcing cone.

Boolits are too large! It does no good at all to make the throats into size dies.
Shoot .452" boolits.

[12DMAX]

I wish I had a GOOD camera to snap a pic of the forcing cone. Picture looking in the cone, the circle of lead starts right at the 90 degree shoulder and moves forward 1/16" if you could get it out in one piece it would be a 1/16 wide ring you could put on your finger.

[12DMAX]

Boolits are too large! It does no good at all to make the throats into size dies.
Shoot .452" boolits.

I was also thinking this, wanted to hear more about this before I bought another die.

[12DMAX]

Ok, ACWW sized to .452 and lubed with alox charged with 8, 8.5 and 9 grains of unique all leaded up the cylinder face and cone. So far the least amount of leading has been the 10.5 charge of HS-6 with bullets sized to .453 and the worst was the .452 and 9 gr unique.

[44man]

Ok, ACWW sized to .452 and lubed with alox charged with 8, 8.5 and 9 grains of unique all leaded up the cylinder face and cone. So far the least amount of leading has been the 10.5 charge of HS-6 with bullets sized to .453 and the worst was the .452 and 9 gr unique.

ALOX!!!!! I can NOT use the stuff without leading.
Water drop your boolits to withstand the thump of fast powders. Notice HS-6 was best because it is slower.
What are your WW's made of? Did you melt stick on weights with them? Some stick on weights are ZINC.
A good water dropped WW boolit will be 22 BHN.
Leading on the cylinder face means total slump of the boolit with lead squirting from the gap. Total loss of lube at the gap too.
Soft boolits and fast powders! Something is wrong with your alloy.

[lbaize3]

Had the same problem with a RBH 45 Colt. Cut barrel throat to 11 degrees and problem solved. Cutter set available at Brownells... not really expensive.