Another 44 Hollow Point?

[Mal Paso]

After a year and 8 months the MP-Molds-Larsen-C432-250-RF-for-44-Special/ Magnum 444 Marlin is finally here. The fit and finish is better than the last one if that's even possible. There was no breaking in the sliding pins and main pin fit was perfect. It's 240g with the Penta pin and my .432" mold casts .4325" with 95.5/3.5/1 Alloy. The batch I measured were within .0005" across several axis all the way to the ogive.

I disassembled the mold and cooked it for 2 hours on a hotplate at medium to drive off oil and oxidize the mold. The IR thermometer was down but it was about 350F. the mold oxidized evenly without cleaning first, so soap or solvent is a wasted step. A master tool maker said heat was all you need so I tried it.

The mold casts like a dream. I preheated the mold on a hotplate (1/4" steel plate on top) and had good bullets on the second cast. The Pro Melt 2 was at 700F and I emptied the pot.

Several things different about this bullet. It sits very far forward, the forward drive band will be in the throats of some revolvers. More room for powder if you are using a really slow powder. The grease groove is small, potentially reduces smoke.

The 3 bullets shown from left to right. 432 Hammer, 432-640 and 432 Larsen

I have 100 loaded and will try to get to the range this weekend.

[Wasalmonslayer]

Well how was the outing?

Did it perform well?

[sukivel]

Yeah, which do you like best of the three?


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[Mal Paso]

Well how was the outing?

Did it perform well?

I started with steel targets while waiting for a paper target lane to open up. I was shooting a 10g load of N350 under the Larsen with a S&W 629, Patridge front sight, Rough Country rear (iron sights). It was a subsonic reduced load to keep from destroying the targets. It was still enough to blow the top flipping target out of the tree. I did very well at 20 to 25 yards hitting 3-5 inch targets offhand.

There were no sandbags when I got to a paper target lane, covid thing? I shot a 2" group at 25 yards off my gun case and couldn't improve on that. It was the limit of my shooting at the time with that gun.

I shot 100 rounds though a 4" Ruger Redhawk at 25 yards to see if there was any leading from the drastically reduced lube groove(Glen F's Lube). That load was 20g of 2400. There was no leading but bullet fit is close to perfect. This is my most difficult trigger and I just did OK.

I am currently looking for a handgun scope to continue testing.

The 432-640 is a known performer, I got my 10 Pig Sillywet Pin with it and 10g of 4756.

I haven't spent much time with the Hammer. I think Bluejay75 said he liked it in a Henry.

[Petander]

Well guess what the DHL-Man brought today?

I have the GC one but wanted the plain base version too... GC:s are on backorder everywhere plus PC don't need them... the coated bullet fit is just perfect in my Redhawk.



I'm heat cycling right now. I also brakekleen and dishwash religiously.

[Wasalmonslayer]

Thank you for the info I have the 640 in gc and was thinking this one in plain base but might just go ahead and get the 640 in PB.

Thanks and Happy New Year!
WS

[Petander]

Yeah me too has the 640 in PB. A great bullet.

But I fell in love with the Larsen. The funny thing is, my 629 shoots a coated GC Larsen pretty good without a GC. But when I feed my Blackhawk with that ammo ( basically the same throat/barrel dimensions) I get very bad accuracy and even keyholing. PB 640 shoots great in BH. Forcing cones are of course different.

Anyway, I got a great reason to get the PB Larsen.

[sukivel]

I have the pb 640 and it shoots great, I just really like the Hammer moulds.


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