sizing for revolver

[45fan]

Hello all I have slugged my barrel of my 1911 and know now what sizing die I need to get. How do I determine size on my revolver, by slugging the barrel or the cylinder?

[runfiverun]

both:
the cylinder throats to determine all of thier sizes.
and the bbl to measure and to look for tight spots.

[Piedmont]

I almost never slug a revolver barrel. Match or exceed your cylinder throat size and start shooting. Only if you don't get acceptable results will you need to look any further.

[Lefty SRH]

I almost never slug a revolver barrel. Match or exceed your cylinder throat size and start shooting. Only if you don't get acceptable results will you need to look any further.

Yep, match the size to the cylinder throats and shoot. If there's still a problem then slug the bore and compare that to the cylinder throats.

[357shooter]

Ditto to the others, I size to the cylinder plus a little. As a quick check I take an oversize bullet and drive it into the muzzle about 1/8 inch. Yank it out with pliers, and see if it fits into each cylinder. If not, you you a problem.

[mdi]

Yep, match the size to the cylinder throats and shoot. If there's still a problem then slug the bore and compare that to the cylinder throats.

Jes whut I was gonna say. I slug/measure the cylinder throats for bullet sizing and slug the barrel mostly for information. When I do this I have very little leading...

[bobthenailer]

for the possibly 15 45 acp handguns ive owned over the years ive allways had excellent results wit bullet sized @.452 dia
for revolvers size@ cyl throat size , i have a few with oversized throats and thats the only way you can geet good accuracy with them there 44 mags and both need bullets sized @.433 to shoot accuratly my other 44 mags shoot .430 excellent

[45fan]

Thanks for all the info all, seems as all I really need to do is measure throat of cylinder. Do I add any to that measurement .001 or .002?

[357shooter]

You'll get a few different answers.

My 357's seem to like +.002 over throat size the best. However I've had some some equal to the throat that shot great. The way to tell is experiment and see what you gun likes the best.

The math and numbers help us to talk and compare notes, there really aren't that many hard and fast rules.

[RetAFSF]

Ehhhhhh, more of an opinion vs researched fact, I would only slug an old firearm, one shot a lot or a knock-off/obscure Mfg'ed firearm (personally wouldn't buy one). Mfg standards and equipment in use today turn out quality firearms, with I'm sure a few exceptions, that exceed the abilities of say those of the 1940s. A reloader can turn that 1941 Russian contract 1911 into a serious shooter just by mixing and matching powder bullet weight/design & dia to find out what it likes but all in all new industry processes greatly improved mass production firearms. Factory ammo is mass produced to function in any firearm designed in the bullet caliber. Reloaders have the advantage of tweaking a load that surpasses mass produced ammo accuracy. For example out of my Colt Python I can expect 1" to 2" groups with reloads of the same weight/bullet design/dia that group shrinks down to 1/2" groups as long as this shooter does his part. Just my 2 cent opinion.

[MtGun44]

Start at throat size and then go up .001 and maybe even .002. Mr. Target has the
answers.

Bill

[44man]

There is no reason on earth to go over throat size. The boolit just gets sized down anyway. A perfect thumb push through throats is all you need. Even a hard boolit will upset enough to seal the throat if it is close. Seal in the bore is always more important.
Stop skid in the bore and the seal will be right.

[357shooter]

I've heard that same logic but it hasn't proven to be true for my 357's.

The reason is that in my 357's, over throat size bullets are more accurate. In just about every gun that I've tested. (all 357's).

[44man]

I've heard that same logic but it hasn't proven to be true for my 357's.

The reason is that in my 357's, over throat size bullets are more accurate. In just about every gun that I've tested. (all 357's).

I don't know why! Logic means it makes no sense.

[fredj338]

In rev, both. If the cyl throats are small, & the bore large, you will likely get leading & poor accuracy. If the throats are large & bore smaller, results will vary, but often a better result. Smaller cyl throats are a bigger problem IMO. They size the bullet down & then it has to try & bump back up, not good for leading or accuracy. My last RBH was 0.4505 avg cyl throat & shot ok bu always leaded early. After opening the them to 0.4515", accuracy improved & leading went down pretty much nothing shooting 0.452" bullets.

[**oneshot**]

I size to a snug push through on the cylinder.

[mdi]

There is no reason on earth to go over throat size. The boolit just gets sized down anyway. A perfect thumb push through throats is all you need. Even a hard boolit will upset enough to seal the throat if it is close. Seal in the bore is always more important.
Stop skid in the bore and the seal will be right.

I tend to agree; cylinder throats will swage oversize bullets...

[357shooter]

I tend to agree; cylinder throats will swage oversize bullets...

They most certianly do swage them. But that's why I test with my 357's. Sometimes what doesn't make sense actually works. I don't know about other calibers, but over throat size is consistenly more accurate on target in my revolvers.

[44man]

I love a thumb push force fit in throats. Yet I shoot the SBH with all from .430" to .434" with .432" best in .4324" throats. Bore groove size is .430"
My BFR 45-70 has .4592" throats, .458" groove and I use .459".
BFR .475 has .4765" throats, .475" groove and I use .476" boolits.
My BFR JRH has .5015" throats and a .500 groove, I use .501" boolits.
Everyone knows my groups.
I will never see where swaging a boolit in throats is an advantage as it wipes GG's.
Here is an off hand group at 100 yards with a .430" boolit from the .4324" throats.

[44man]

They most certianly do swage them. But that's why I test with my 357's. Sometimes what doesn't make sense actually works. I don't know about other calibers, but over throat size is consistenly more accurate on target in my revolvers.

You might be doing very well, it is OK. It is just I never proved it with my guns. I will never argue with results.
Actually, I find the .357 hard to work with and since I hunt deer, I no longer have one to test. The best .357 I ever owned was a S&W model 27 with an 8-3/8, ribbed barrel that would hold 1" at 100 yards. I shot the 358156 HP sized .357", original mold.
Back then we knew nothing about boolit fit yet my flat top Ruger would hit targets at 400 to 500 yards, my original Marlin 25-20 would shoot 3/4" at 100 with open sights and the model 71 would do 1". I never got the Marlin 35 Rem to shoot cast but jacketed would do 1/2" at 100. I knew nothing about over size for the Marlin micro groove.
I have shot cast all my life and even in 1956 my .44 flat top was a 100 yard gun to as far as I could see. Never gave it a thought to shoot 25 yards!
Even today, I set targets at 100 after sighting at 50 with a revolver. I go to 200 and clear to 547 yards. Elmer was right!
I shot this with a new, out of box, BFR, .500 JRH at 50 yards. Just under throat size.