H&R 45-70 Handi bore ?

[xring1]

Does anyone know the bore diameter of a H&R 45-70 Handi rifle ?
I have looked around and can't seem to find any info

[john hayslip]

There may be a nominal barrel size given but that is meaningless. The only way to find out for sure what size a barrel is is is to run a a slug through the barrel or cast some cerrosafe in it and read it. What ever the nominal size is manufacturing tolerances would give the barrel a plus or minus range of a thou or two

Cerrosafe is a combination of metals that melt in boiling water - if I remember correctly Gallium, which is liquid at room temperature - is one of its components. It's expensive but a small amount goes a long way and is reusable many times. You can also do chamber casts with it. Brownells sells it.

According to the old books you can use molten sulfur too but if you catch it on fire getting it liquid it is awfully smelly and perhaps dangerous in an enclosed space.

[John Boy]

Actual on the BC and should be same for the Handi
Lands - 452
Grooves - 455

[xring1]

I have some Cerro...just thought I would ask to see what basic dimension was.
Looks like I have to come up with a couple of sizing dies for my Saeco sizer.
One for the H&R and one for my John Bodine

[John Boy]

http://leeprecision.com/new-lube-size-kit-.457.html

[Lonegun1894]

For what it's worth, my BC slugs at .456, and sizing to .457 works well, but I had to limit it to about 1350fps with my Lee 450fp plain base to avoid leading. Now, I got curious, and loaded one dummy with that same boolit unsized, which mine casts at .461" and it did chamber, so loaded up a few. Accuracy improved, and the fastest I have loaded so far has been 1750fps with no leading, but that is more than I need for most things so dont use that load much. I dont know how much faster I can go, but it may be worth trying your boolits unsized, since it helped mine.

[nanuk]

I have 3

two were bought at the same time, and appear identical in Bore/Groove at 0.455+/0.459+ (plus means just a hair over the thou, as I was getting a couple Tenth's difference... all over 0, but less than 5)

I bought a third, and have not slugged it yet, but it appears to have little rifling compared to the other two.... a true microgroove??


Actual on the BC and should be same for the Handi
Lands - 452
Grooves - 455


John Boy, sounds like your BC has a 45colt barrel!