What's the best way to hold a revolver for slugging?

[gefiltephish]

I was thinking of pulling the grip off and clamping that part of the frame in a vise between wood blocks. I've also thought of cutting a block of wood (or 1/2" plastic plate?) that would fit in the frame, up against the breech, and long enough to straddle an open vise. Before I do anything stupid, I figure it's better to ask the experts first.

I've slugged rifles and semi-autos but this will be my first revolver. It's a 686+.

Last night I made up a slug from a lead sinker by pushing through a .358 sizing die and then bumping up with a hammer tap. The idea is to make it just a few thousands larger than I expect the groove diameter to be, so that there will not be any more resistance then necessary.

[tinyejp]

The preferred method is to remove the cylinder and place a peice of wood through the frame, right beneath the barrel. Possibly clamping a chunk of 2x2 or similar in a vise would do the trick. This way all the force is on the barrel rather than any part of the frame, so nothing is in danger of getting bent out of shape.

[gefiltephish]

Ok, that's pretty much what I meant with my second method. It seems to make the most sense. Thanks.

[subsonic]

I just hold it in one hand?

Definitely REMOVE the cylinder while you are slugging so you are not abusing the crane on a double action. I learned that the hard way.

[44man]

Proper slugging with pure lead has no force on the frame. I just hold the gun, sitting on my seat. I use round balls that fit close. I have plenty to measure without pounding a huge sinker or something through the bore.

[Jim]

Proper slugging with pure lead has no force on the frame. I just hold the gun, sitting on my seat. I use round balls that fit close. I have plenty to measure without pounding a huge sinker or something through the bore.

I agree, Sir.

[gefiltephish]

Well, I did the hold-it-in-my-lap trick and it worked just fine. In fact I did three times because I was getting odd measurements, to me anyway.

I'll try to explain without drawing a picture. The absolute maximum diameter I'm getting is .357 but this is at the groove edges, not the center of the groove. When measuring across the groove centers, I get .352. It's as if the grooves are cut flat rather than radiused.

While I don't have vast experience at this, I have slugged my Marlin 45-70, Win94 30-30, XD9 and 2 RIA 45's. None of them have given strange readings as this 357.

Any insights are welcome.

[jandbn]

Not S&W kinda guy, but I thought I remembered it might be an odd number of grooves which makes it difficult to measure?

[mooman76]

I'm with 44man and Jim. I hold in one hand and tap in with a plastic mallet. Once the RB is started, it goes in fairly easy after that. RBs work the best in my opinion. Never tried the egg sinkers but I hear they are hard to find as soft lead now adays.

[JerryHS]

A lead bullet loaded with a grain or two of Tight Group, depending on the size, fired into a box of rags. Is there a problem with this method?

Jerry

[gefiltephish]

Not S&W kinda guy, but I thought I remembered it might be an odd number of grooves which makes it difficult to measure?

Yup you're right! Odd that I hadn't noticed this. That being the case, it appears that .3567 is correct and I'll need to size bullets at least .358. However I can just slip a .357 sized bullet through the exit end of the cylinder (is that the forcing cone?).

[2shot]

Yup you're right! Odd that I hadn't noticed this. That being the case, it appears that .3567 is correct and I'll need to size bullets at least .358. However I can just slip a .357 sized bullet through the exit end of the cylinder (is that the forcing cone?).



No, that is the cylinder throat, The forcing cone is in the barrel, the smooth part by the frame just before the rifling starts.

2shot

[jandbn]

Yup you're right! Odd that I hadn't noticed this. That being the case, it appears that .3567 is correct and I'll need to size bullets at least .358. However I can just slip a .357 sized bullet through the exit end of the cylinder (is that the forcing cone?).
Now that you have slugged the bore, do as 44man says and use soft lead. The first time I slugged my Bislely, I used sinkers. Depending on the sinkers, you may get some springback. If you are measuring to the .0000, and the sinker does spring back, you won't get true size. Then again measuring to that degree, if two people were using the same micrometer measuring the same distance, both would probably end up with a different measurement due to feel.

I would strongly suggest you use soft lead if for nothing else, ease of sliding the slug through a lightly lubed barrel. I ordered some of Veral Smith's push through slugs at the same time as his lapping kit. Was I glad I spent the money for the push through slugs! What a difference pushing them through compared to sinkers. There isn't even a way to compare the difference it was so drastic.

The plus to using something that is easy to slide through the bore is you will be able to feel the restrictions. When I used the sinkers, there was no possible way to push them through by hand, at least with the sinkers I was using. So there was no way I was going to feel any barrel restriction(s). I found two restrictions in the barrel (under the front sight and where the barrel screws in to the frame) using Veral's push through slugs.

[crabo]

I would strongly suggest you use soft lead if for nothing else, ease of sliding the slug through a lightly lubed barrel. I ordered some of Veral Smith's push through slugs at the same time as his lapping kit. Was I glad I spent the money for the push through slugs! What a difference pushing them through compared to sinkers. There isn't even a way to compare the difference it was so drastic.

I found two restrictions in the barrel (under the front sight and where the barrel screws in to the frame) using Veral's push through slugs.

++++ This is the way to go. Easy to use, easy to tap through and you can feel it as you go.

[gefiltephish]

Ok, I'm looking at LBT's stuff now. I think I'll get his book while I'm at it.

My 9mm cast are sized to .357 and I'm able to slip it into the throat in each chamber (from the front). I have a box of Berry's 158 FP's that measure about .3575 and they don't slip in. So, just for arguments sake, assuming the barrel tells me I need .358 bullets, I would need to open the throats a bit?

I assume a reamer is needed to open the throats? I see one here: http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=7700/Product/REVOLVER-CYLINDER-THROATING-REAMER

Am I reading that right - Stock #:513-000-078 $80, plus I might need a $50 pilot pack? How do you determine what pilot is needed? Is there another (less expensive) way?

[Char-Gar]

I just remove the cylinder, turn the pistol upside down and catch the barrel in the padded jaws of my shop vise.

[jandbn]

I just remove the cylinder, turn the pistol upside down and catch the barrel in the padded jaws of my shop vise.
I would use Char-Gar's vise method of holding too if I had one. It would make feeling the restrictions a lot easier to feel when pushing the slug through the barrel. When using the push throughs, I just held the barrel in one hand and pushed with the other. It isn't ideal, but as easy as push throughs slide through the barrel, it was just as easy to feel the slug hit the restrictions.

As for reaming the throats, shoot first and see what "Professor Gun" says. You might find out you won't need to ream them...

[gefiltephish]

...As for reaming the throats, shoot first and see what "Professor Gun" says. You might find out you won't need to ream them...
I thought the throats had to be a smidgen larger than the bullets, not smaller. Otherwise I would expect it's going to reduce the bullet size as it passes through, not to mention leading up the works. Yes? Is it acceptable to measure the throat opening with a caliper?

[jandbn]

You will get multiple answers as to the throat "needing" to be bigger than the slug. What counts more than anything is the slug coming out of the throat is the same or preferably larger than groove diameter in the barrel. The catch phrase here on CB is "fit is king" which so far in my opinion means the slug must be bigger than groove diameter prior to entering the rifling. It does not necessarily mean the slug needs to slip fit through the throat.

As for "leading up the works", my current crop of boolits are larger than the throat and I don't have a problem with lead in the cylinder itself. (After fire lapping, I no longer have leading in the barrel either, but I haven't had a chance to send all that many medium or max loads down range as of yet.)

In my opinion, measuring with a caliper will not get the quality reading you would with using a micrometer to measure a slug forced through the throat. I'm not a machinist, but those here that are will tell you a caliper may only be good for plus or minus .001. Measuring inside of a hole with the caliper itself is very prone to an erroneous reading.

[daschnoz]

http://sfist.com/attachments/SFist_AndrewD/pistolwhip.jpg
Make sure your gun is empty before using it to slug the bad guy.
:bigsmyl2: