Paper Patching a R.O.A.?

[Aaron871]

I'm using the Lee 456-220 sized down to .454, it fits nice into the cylinder and shoots great.
Problem is the barrel lead fouling. I have to clean it out after 12-18 shots because it's so lead fouled that it has no accuracy.

Can I paper patch a round at a correct diameter, or will the paper come off when the boolit is pressed into the chamber?

[Don McDowell]

Probably won't matter much what type of bullet you use, the paper isn't likely to make the jump from the cylinder to the forcing cone.

[Aaron871]

Thanks, you may have just saved me hours of enlightening frustration. :beer:

[Dan Cash]

I am with Don in that it is doubtful that the paper wrap would make the jump. I have an Old Army that works well with a soft (20:1) .452 bullet from a Lyman SWC mould and a .452 from an Accurate mould. The bullets are lubricated with a home made beeswax/canola lube. They seat easily in the chambers but when the powder is compressed, I put a good deal of pressure on the bullet to swell it tight to the chamber wall. By eliminating any blowby before the bullet gets into the barrel, leading is eliminated or at least reduced to inconcequential levels. A wad under the bullet only takes up powder space and grease over the bullet reduces accuracy, won't reduce leading from a poor fitting bullet and makes a heck of a mess.
Good luck to you.

[Aaron871]

I am with Don in that it is doubtful that the paper wrap would make the jump. I have an Old Army that works well with a soft (20:1) .452 bullet from a Lyman SWC mould and a .452 from an Accurate mould. The bullets are lubricated with a home made beeswax/canola lube. They seat easily in the chambers but when the powder is compressed, I put a good deal of pressure on the bullet to swell it tight to the chamber wall. By eliminating any blowby before the bullet gets into the barrel, leading is eliminated or at least reduced to inconcequential levels. A wad under the bullet only takes up powder space and grease over the bullet reduces accuracy, won't reduce leading from a poor fitting bullet and makes a heck of a mess.
Good luck to you.

My bullets go in easily, I compress them tight to the powder, I don't use a wad or grease.
I don't know how soft my lead is but it seems really soft. I use the lead bars from Bass Pro in the fishing dept.
What can I do to reduce the lead fouling in the barrel?

[Nobade]

What kind of bullet lube are you using? That design doesn't carry much, so it needs to be good. Also, what powder?

I never liked that boolit myself in the ROA, but it does work to a point, at least a lot better than what you are experiencing right now.

-Nobade

[Aaron871]

What kind of bullet lube are you using? That design doesn't carry much, so it needs to be good. Also, what powder?

I never liked that boolit myself in the ROA, but it does work to a point, at least a lot better than what you are experiencing right now.

-Nobade

Im using the Lee brand that came with the sizer die. They just get tumbled in the lube, it doesn't fill all the groves up.

[Nobade]

Well no wonder. Alox tumble lube and black powder don't play together. First thing is to buy or make some decent BP lube, fill the grooves, and give it a try without any of the tumble lube. I bet it'll work just fine, at least a good bit better than it is now.

-Nobade

[Tar Heel]

That darn bullet never worked for me in the ROA. See attached article.

Attachment 113790

[Aaron871]

That darn bullet never worked for me in the ROA. See attached article.

Attachment 113790

Wow, my experience with the 456-220 mold is a complete 180* from that article. ???
It may be that they have modified the mold since that was written.

[Aaron871]

What kind of bullet lube are you using? That design doesn't carry much, so it needs to be good. Also, what powder?

I never liked that boolit myself in the ROA, but it does work to a point, at least a lot better than what you are experiencing right now.

-Nobade

Sorry, its 35 grains of FFFG Triple 7

[Tar Heel]

Problem is the barrel lead fouling. I have to clean it out after 12-18 shots because it's so lead fouled that it has no accuracy.

Doesn't sound like it's working too good for you. The article shows that when you cast a .456 bullet and stuff it into a .451 chamber, you eliminate any lube grooves and/or lubricant on the bullet you just stuffed in there. The pictures clearly show that. I offer that you try lubing over the bullet or under the bullet (with a greased felt wad) with BP lubricant. That may help reduce your leading if you are going to keep shooting that bullet.

If you haven't tried pure lead round balls atop a greased felt wad, please do. You may never stuff another conical in the ROA again.

[Aaron871]

Doesn't sound like it's working too good for you. The article shows that when you cast a .456 bullet and stuff it into a .451 chamber, you eliminate any lube grooves and/or lubricant on the bullet you just stuffed in there. The pictures clearly show that. I offer that you try lubing over the bullet or under the bullet (with a greased felt wad) with BP lubricant. That may help reduce your leading if you are going to keep shooting that bullet.

If you haven't tried pure lead round balls atop a greased felt wad, please do. You may never stuff another conical in the ROA again.

I size mine to .454 and the bottom of the bullet still falls into the cylinder with no resistance. Lead shavings at the cylinder are minimal to not at all. I never removed one from the cylinder but I may do that now just to check.. I feel the bullet diameter is good.

What lube do you recommend? How should I apply it to fill the rings?

The round balls never shot well for my pistol.
I've used the greased felt between the powder and lead and it made no difference.

[Tar Heel]

It sounds like there is something going on we can't put our fingers on right now. Ruger make tight chambers for these guns and the Lee mold casts out darn close to 456. Anyhow....the Lyman Wonder-Lube (the yellow stuff) rubbed into the felt wads works OK. I make my own now but still use the commercial stuff perodically. The T/C Bore Butter works just fine too. You can actually rub it on before you seat the bullets. A gob of lube over the bullet may help too. Both are BP lubricants.

It could be that my .451 & .452 chambers were early production chambers. I bought that gun in '77. Perhaps the chambers are larger now by design and that's why the conicals I have tried get shaved down to nothing. Give the BP lube a try and see how that works for ya!

[Tar Heel]

Has any other ROA user measured their cylinder diameters? I am very curious to see if perhaps my early production revolver has exceptionally tight chambers.

[Nobade]

Mine are right on .452" for three different examples. Barrels are .451" across the grooves. They all shoot very well with full charges of real BP, lubed felt wad and a round ball - either .454" or .457". Never shot as well and were a lot more hassle using bullets and anything but real BP.

I make wads from 1/8" hard felt I get from Durofelt, cut them to .460" and lube with "Gatofeo #1" which is beeswax, mutton tallow, and Gulf canning wax. I can shoot all day without having to clean anything and never get any leading at all.

Powder is mostly homemade any more, but KIK, Goex, Diamondback, or Swiss all work.

-Nobade

[Aaron871]

It sounds like there is something going on we can't put our fingers on right now. Ruger make tight chambers for these guns and the Lee mold casts out darn close to 456. Anyhow....the Lyman Wonder-Lube (the yellow stuff) rubbed into the felt wads works OK. I make my own now but still use the commercial stuff perodically. The T/C Bore Butter works just fine too. You can actually rub it on before you seat the bullets. A gob of lube over the bullet may help too. Both are BP lubricants.

It could be that my .451 & .452 chambers were early production chambers. I bought that gun in '78. Perhaps the chambers are larger now by design and that's why the conicals I have tried get shaved down to nothing. Give the BP lube a try and see how that works for ya!

Mine is a 73 model. 140-104xx

I will measure it next time I'm home.

[Tar Heel]

Mine are right on .452" for three different examples. Barrels are .451" across the grooves. They all shoot very well with full charges of real BP, lubed felt wad and a round ball - either .454" or .457". Never shot as well and were a lot more hassle using bullets and anything but real BP.

Same for me. Make all my own wads and lube with Tallow/Beeswax. Round balls work best. The revolver just doesn't like conicals probably because of the aforementioned issues. Sounds like all these early revolvers have tight cylinders. I suspect the newer ones do too. I've never made my own BP - I'll bet that's fun!

[nicholst55]

Tar Heel - did you ever follow through and have a custom mold made for your ROA? Just curious.

[Dframe]

I briefly tried conical boolits and quickly rejected them. Mine works best with a 457 round ball over an oxyoke felt patch with a dab of lube on top of the ball. I never have encountered any leading. It sounds to me like you just need to use some Black Powder lube over your projectile and perhaps a felt wad underneath.