Where do I go?

[Slinger]

I bought a S&W 624- 6-1/2" bbl (.44 Special). Bore is .429", Throats are a whopping .435". Do I size for the bore or throats? IF sizing for the bore, what diameter? I don't want to waste money on .430", .431" sizers. No doubt someone who has experience in this caliber/situation can really help me out with this dilemma.

[462]

Wow, those are some excessively large throats! Reckon I'm fortunate that mine are only .432".

What method did you use to obtain those numbers?

[cabezaverde]

I have just the mold for you. A LBT .436 wide flat nose. Pm me if interested.

I have used it in my slightly oversized .433" Bulldog.

[Slinger]

Wow, those are some excessively large throats! Reckon I'm fortunate that mine are only .432".

What method did you use to obtain those numbers?Well, I'm sure I'll get raked over the coals, but I use my Vernier Calipers. I don't have a pin gage set and don't feel like spending $75 or more for them. Even if I'm off .002", which I'm confident I'm not, the throats are still big. I'm thinking maybe I ought to size for the bore......I can't believe that gunmakers that've been in business for as long as S&W has do idiotic things like this. It's not a mistake by any means.

[wallenba]

Well, I'm sure I'll get raked over the coals, but I use my Vernier Calipers. I don't have a pin gage set and don't feel like spending $75 or more for them. Even if I'm off .002", which I'm confident I'm not, the throats are still big. I'm thinking maybe I ought to size for the bore......I can't believe that gunmakers that've been in business for as long as S&W has do idiotic things like this. It's not a mistake by any means.

Did you measure them directly with the calipers, or did you measure a slug from the throat? You may not have a problem, shooting cast, a throat smaller than the bore is a bigger problem, one that I find more and more in my Rugers. My Smiths seem to be OK in that regard.
Best thing to do for now is to size them .001 over the bore diameter (I'd go .431, if not sure), and see how they shoot, and if they foul the bore.

[Slinger]

Did you measure them directly with the calipers, or did you measure a slug from the throat. You may not have a problem, shooting cast, a throat smaller than the bore is a bigger problem, one that I find more and more in my Rugers. My Smiths seem to be OK in that regard.

I measured the throats directly using the calipers. I always do And, cast is about all I shoot.

[bigboredad]

What works best for me is shoot first and if there is a issue then work on it. You may find it works just fine as is or you may find you need a fat bullet. If you find that you need a fat bullet Tom at www.accuratemolds.com can fix you up no problem and the best part you can probably shoot them as cast with a quick swirl in a tumble lube. but this is all jmho ymmv good luck and enjoy your new toy

[wallenba]

I measured the throats directly using the calipers. I always do And, cast is about all I shoot.

Yeah Slinger, measuring like that never worked for me. I would get different readings each time I did it. Don't know if you are familiar with slugging, but if you know your bore, I suppose you are. If not, best to find a bit of soft lead, beat it into a rough size to fit if you have to. Tap into the throat and back out with a short wood dowel, Then measure. I'd bet you will be surprised, and relieved what you find.

[subsonic]

Shoot it. If it shoots good enough, forget it.
If it shoots like ****, sell it. These things are practically made of gold these days and I'm sure you'll do OK on it.

They don't make a throat shrinker.

[Slinger]

The gun's not shooting bad, I got a 2-1/2" 5-shot group at 25 yds., just starting out with trying different loads/ with the 240 gr.. I think the gun should do better accuracy-wise. Those slugs were sized @ .430" & I used Trail Boss. Power Pistol didn't do bad. 6.0 of Unique= 3-1/8" which I wasn't happy with at all.

[subsonic]

The best way to figure out what shoots best is by experimentation. I don't think I'd try over .433".

Some guys report decent luck shooting hollow based boolits that bump up.

I'd try something really hard like WDWW that won't get mangled during the jump.

[gray wolf]

I am no expert BUT,
Everything I have read, been told, and advised, indicates bullets should fit the throat.
In your case that would be .007 for a .001 over bore diameter.
Bit of a reach EH.

[dubber123]

With practice, you can get a pretty darn accurate measurement using the calipers on the throats. I have done it that way many times, then slugged the cylinder, and got the same measurements. Some people have a hard time doing it, so other methods work for them.

I too have a 6.5" 624, and as I recall, the throats were .434" on mine. I never bothered slugging the bore, I just sized to the throats. I had a tough time finding a mold in the collection that cast that fat, so I traded into an Accurate Molds wadcutter mold. Very first group with it was dead on 1" @ 25 yds. leaning against a tree. That was over twice as good as I was getting with .430" boolits. I'd just size for the throats, the barrel will do the rest for you.

[Lloyd Smale]

if your measurements are right you have two options one is size to about 432 and see if it shoots. If it does fine, shoot it. If it doesnt you arent going to get many molds that cast any bigger and the cost of a new cylinder (which is the only real cure) is going to run you proabably more then your going to want to spend on it or at least more then youll ever get back out of it so if it were mine id dump it.

[Slinger]

I can try .432" and see what happens. I don't like pushing that big of a bullet down the .429" bore but what the hey.................

[462]

I'm not a machinist, but do know that flat caliper jaws can't accurately measure a round hole.

Yes, pin gauges are costly, but slugging a barrel and throats is not, and doing so will give an accurate base from which to work.

[Slinger]

Machinists strive for perfection, it's ingrained in their minds. A thousandths here or there isn't all that important in throats & bores. They'll still shoot better than most of us can off of a rest. I slugged one of the throats and came up with .4325", so I wasn't off all that much when I used the calipers.

[462]

Machinists strive for perfection, it's ingrained in their minds. A thousandths here or there isn't all that important in throats & bores. They'll still shoot better than most of us can off of a rest. I slugged one of the throats and came up with .4325", so I wasn't off all that much when I used the calipers.

While .001" may not seem much, a boolit that much larger than my 624 and 24's throats eliminated their leading problems and increased their accuracies.

Throats of .4325" is much better, and in line with what other 624 owners have reported.

[bob208]

well 462 you have it right. i don't see it is done either and i am a toolmaker. it works fair with holes of 1" or bigger. the smaller the hole the bigger the false reading.

as stated you can slug the throats. or get a smallhole ball gage.

[462]

In order to eliminate further confusion, I've edited a sentence in post 16.

[Piedmont]

Machinists strive for perfection, it's ingrained in their minds. A thousandths here or there isn't all that important in throats & bores. They'll still shoot better than most of us can off of a rest. I slugged one of the throats and came up with .4325", so I wasn't off all that much when I used the calipers.

Amazing. You were only off by .0025" and how much was your other measurement off by? I will remember the poster named Slinger, an appropriate handle for sure.

[Slinger]

Amazing. You were only off by .0025" and how much was your other measurement off by? I will remember the poster named Slinger, an appropriate handle for sure.

Well, I'm man enough to admit that I made a mistake on measuring the throats. I actually measured them at .434" with the calipers, not .435" as I first posted. I then slugged two throats and came up with .4325" - .433". I apologize for not being perfect as some of my peers on this forum seem to be. To all those who offered up their help I thank you. I apprecite your efforts. And, that's what I've come to expect from most of the guys who come here. To those that only have enough knowledge to offer up snide remarks, I feel sorry for you. I could say much more, but you already feel inadequate as it is, I'm sure. And, by all means remember my name. I could care less. It's people like you that degrade an otherwise fine forum. I understand now why the guys that run this site posted the lengthy notice regarding conduct.................

[Alchemist]

NOE .434 429421 mould and a Lathesmith .434 size die worked for my 624. It has .434 throats measured by driving a lead RB thru the cylinder. Don't remember, but I don't think I slugged the bore, just decided to get in the group buy that was happening then. Good boolit for the .44 Spl.

[Slinger]

Thanks, Alchemist! I wrote that info down. I cast up some 50/50 W-W & lead and will shoot them as cast (.430") and see what the accuracy is like. From what I can gather, the bores of these guns were a consistent .429". I've never had reason to shoot soft slugs until now. Usually just use W-W + tin and has always worked well.
I'm not familiar with Lathesmith, is there a website I can go to?

[MT Gianni]

Are you in Denver? I ask because I sold my 624 to an FFL in Denver 5-6 years ago. My Redhawk outshot it by a large margin.

[Slinger]

Are you in Denver? I ask because I sold my 624 to an FFL in Denver 5-6 years ago. My Redhawk outshot it by a large margin.

No, I'm not, but there are times I wish I was in the rocky mt. range somewhere. Redhawks are a good revolver, no doubt. But there's nothing like a well tuned S&W or Colt Python..........

[Alchemist]

Lathesmith is a member here...he makes some nice sizer dies. I think another member (Buckshot) also makes dies.