Questions: Hardness, Barrel Length, brass

[MikeS]

Hi All.

I have 3 different SA revolvers all chambered in 45LC. One is a ROA with a conversion cylinder, and a 7.5" barrel. The next one is a RBH with a 4.5" barrel, and the last is a Cimmaron Thunderer with a 3.5" barrel. Using loads loaded with Trail Boss powder, and either a 452423 or SAECO #458 (255gr SWC) will there be a great difference in the velocity of from the 3 different guns?

Second question, I cast all my boolits from Lyman #2 alloy (or really something very close to it that I alloy here), if the boolits are fit properly, will the boolits being kind of on the hard side (around BHN 14-15 or so) be a bad thing? I know I could use an alloy much softer, and have no problems, but is Lyman #2 too hard for 45LC, and 45ACP?

The last question regards cutting 44Mag cases down in length to use in a 44Special revolver. What if any problems might I run into by doing this? I have around 100 rounds of 44Mag that are probably35 years old or so, and have nothing that shoots 44mag, but my daughter has a Rossi M720 revolver chambered in 44Special, and I was thinking about cutting them down once I pull the bullets, dump out the powder, and only reuse the primers? I cut down about 30 cases so far using a Lee trimmer mounted into a drill press, but I've noticed that I think I'm wearing out the shell holder part of the setup, as once I tighten it down I can no longer get the cases to stay centered in the shell holder, and I would say that the last 10 were wobbling all over the place! I just ordered a Redding 44 Special trim die from eBay, but have yet to get it in, but once I do, I will trim down the rest of the cases with it. As a fairly light load I loaded the Mihec #503 clone boolit over 4.2gr of Trail Boss. As a test, I went back, and pulled out the first boolit I seated in the cut down case, and checked to make sure the brass wasn't sizing down the boolit, but it measures the same .430 it did when I originally loaded the boolits, so there's no sizing down of the boolit by the brass, and the loaded cartridges load into the pistol just fine. Could that load be too light for 44Special, will I run the risk of the boolit not making it out of the 3" barrel?

[Bret4207]

Harder alloys can work as good as softer alloys in most cases. Fit is so much more important than Bhn that's Bhn isn't even in the discussion on the 1st and 2nd levels. Stop worrying about Bhn and shoot! The only time a harder Bhn is going to hurt you is when you depend on obturation for fit (the wrong way to fit it IMO) or when you want expansion on impact. In paper punching a harder boolit, properly fit, won't hurt you or help you until you up the pressures into high ranges.

Sounds like the Lee is worn out, time for a Forster case trimmer, or another major brand. The only possible problem I can think of is sometime mag brass, or any cut down brass for that matter, needs inside reaming if the brass is markedly thicker than standard, which would cause your boolits to be mangled or cases to swell.

No clue on the velocity question.

[btroj]

How much velocity difference is hard to say. Sorter barrels will reduce it but so can barrel cylinder gap, throat dimensions, barrel dimensions, and on and on. It could be smaller than others get as your longest barreled gun may be loose enough to not develop top velocities. Too many variables for a precise answer.

Personally, no reason to not trim the 44 mag cases except for 2 I can think of. I would be sure they never have a chance of getting into the hands of a person who might accidentally load them wi a 44 mag load- pressure would sky rocket! Second, and biggest, problem to me is that the time it takes to trim than much brass makes it not worth my while. I would either trade it, sell it, or scrap it. Maybe I am just lazy?

[PacMan]

Ya know when i first got my 44spl i had to wait n my brass so i decided to trim a dozen Starline 44mag brass so i could shoot the gun. It worked ok and i shot a bunch of loads watting on my spl brass.
I did have one problem i could never overcome and that no matter what i did the brass after sizing and flaring there was always a little ring around the case about 2/3rds of the way up.You could see and feel the slight bulge. I had a old expander plug and i started reducing the size and changing the angle of the flare but never could stop the problem. I loaded and shot them as they were until my spl brass arrived.