.45 LC cylinder ?

[frontloader]

Hi folks ,I just got a new to me .45 LC old Vaquero.I checked it out before I bought it. .002 cyl gap locked up tight,and a .451 j-bullet told me the cylinder throats needed reamed. it was my first reaming job, sandpaper and a wooden dowel. Boxed it up and sent it to mr Clements for a trigger job and a dovetailed front sight. So he calls me this morning to tell me he received the revolver. AND that the cylinder throats were egged shaped!! Huh...how did that happen?well I said, sometimes I cast egg shaped boolits. can you make me an egg shaped barrel? HA HA . So I trashed a good cylinder,lesson learned...........So my question is , will the egg shaped throats shoot j- bullets accurately? I know all I can do is try it........I did buy an unfluted cylinder with proper throats from Mr Clements. but I was wondering if the egg shaped one was just JUNK?.......THANKS.......frontloader

[Charlie Sometimes]

I doubt if it is total junk. It could still be used and shot, just might not be as accurate as you had originally wanted. How many thousandths out of round is it?
That cylinder might be used for some other project- caliber increase, or who knows what else. Good conversation piece for you desk, too- might also work as a holder for Sharpie's on the work bench, too- since you bought a replacement for it. That way, it will always be a visual reminder of a lesson learned. I've got a couple of those type things laying around the shop! :oops:

[Doughty]

If you're interested in shooting shot loads, it might work okay for that. Maybe ream it out some more so you could make longer, full diameter rounds out of something like cut off .303 Brit brass. I don't think shot would mind the egg-shape so much.

[leftiye]

Get a reamer that is the larger size of the oval, and make it round again maybe. I've got quite a few that I did with a split rod/sandpaper in a drill, and no problem so far. I hold the cylinder in one hand and the drill in the other - so they don't torque against anything solid. I'd almost bet it's only out a tenth or two. Check it before you chuck it! If you made the chamber mouths over size by a thou or two, the boolits should swage round again when they enter the barrel. Use boolits that are a thou over chamber mouth size too?

[Charlie Sometimes]

Now Doughty has an idea- I like that one! :grin:

I doubt it's out 1/10 inch (that would be VERY visible), maybe 3 thousandths, is more like it.

Heck, if you don't want it, I'd take it, and see if Doughty's idea will work for me!

[S.R.Custom]

...can you make me an egg shaped barrel? HA HA .

You laugh. The major MFRs have been specializing in egg shaped barrels for years. (Slug all your factory handguns, and measure across all the grooves, and you'll see what I mean.) S&W automatics have been particularly egregious offenders in that regard.

Cylinder throats that measure more one way than the other are not unusual either. In fact, they all do to a certain extent.

But in your case, a couple thou one way over the other will not be noticeable in terms of practical accuracy. Don't worry about it.

[geargnasher]

They were probably oval or elliptical to begin with. I have worked on a few different Rugers that had elliptical cylinder throats and chambers as well. The way Ruger gang-bores the cylinders, if one of the shafts gets a wobble from a bad bearing or bent reamer, it will wallow out the chamber. A worn reamer or two in the pack gets you get undersized chamber/throat or two. Many revolvers get elliptical all by themselves, a product of heat and pressure and the metal finding it's happy place as it self-stress-relieves.

Gear

[John Taylor]

More important than out of round is do they line up with the barrel. Have seen some cylinders where the throat is off .005"- .010". That's what the forcing cone is for, to line the bullet up with the bore.

[frontloader]

Was the new cylinder that you purchased machined with min. chamber specs? My Blackhawk has the typical Ruger max chamber specs. Thanks

LongPoint

No the new cylinder was a factory takeoff. Mr Clements did ream the cylinder throats........I suppose I will wait until I get the cylinder back and do some measuring before making any decisions on what to do with it. ...... I put a few hundred rounds through it before sending it to Mr Clements and it was leading in front of the forcing cone BAD. I tried different alloy hardness and lubes to no avail. it would clover leaf the first three rounds at 25 yards,then open to 4".the next cylinder full was off the paper plate. I discussed this with Mr Clements,he seems to think it may be a restriction at the barrel threads,but he dont lap barrels. he said he would check it out while he has the barrel off and do what he could.whatever that means......frontloader

[Cadillo]

If the .451 jacketed bullet wouldn't enter the throats, they did need reaming. My Ruger Bisley convertible had throats that were from .448 to .451, both cylinders. I bought the Brownells reamer and bushings. Fast and easy. All are now at .4525. Now it doesn't lead anymore and is more accurate than I can shoot.

Sandpaper? Egads!!!

[NVScouter]

Would a small tripple honing attachment work better? I've seen tiny ones for porting vehicle exhaust and such for $25. I'm looking at a third 45LC and I know my Redhawk needs this. The Blackhawk may benifit from it a tad to. Or just get the cutter from Brownells?

[Char-Gar]

Hi folks ,I just got a new to me .45 LC old Vaquero.I checked it out before I bought it. .002 cyl gap locked up tight,and a .451 j-bullet told me the cylinder throats needed reamed. it was my first reaming job, sandpaper and a wooden dowel. Boxed it up and sent it to mr Clements for a trigger job and a dovetailed front sight. So he calls me this morning to tell me he received the revolver. AND that the cylinder throats were egged shaped!! Huh...how did that happen?well I said, sometimes I cast egg shaped boolits. can you make me an egg shaped barrel? HA HA . So I trashed a good cylinder,lesson learned...........So my question is , will the egg shaped throats shoot j- bullets accurately? I know all I can do is try it........I did buy an unfluted cylinder with proper throats from Mr Clements. but I was wondering if the egg shaped one was just JUNK?.......THANKS.......frontloader

Reaming involves the use of a reamer. Sanding involves the use of sandpaper. Sandpaper should not be used to enlarge revolver charge holes. To do so is to invite out of round charge holes.

But you figured that our already. So, the above is for anybody else who might come along and read this thread.