Trailblazer
08-02-2005, 10:37 AM
I got back up to the range Friday and put a few more rounds through my Big Bore 94 that I rebarreled to a sawed off 7 mag. Since I posted about the last trial here, I replaced the rebounding hammer with the old style hammer and trigger and polished the back of the locking bolt. Using the old style hammer which supports the firing pin completely eliminated the primer cratering I got last time. Polishing the locking bolt also made it easier to open the action. It looked like the abutting surfaces had been machined with a dull tool as the metal had pits torn into the surface. I did not have all the cases sized enough to close the action easily and I still had sticking on some when I opened the action. The action opened normally on some cases and I suspect those had been sized enough to chamber easily. I need to test this again to make sure.
All loads used the 120 Sierra and 3 shot groups were fired at 100 yds with a 4x Burris compact scope. 54 grs. WC852 went 2764 fps and gave a 3" vertically strung group. 54 grs. H4831 went 2854 fps and gave me a nice 1-1/4" group. 47 grs. IMR7383 went 2775 fps and I didn't get a group as I was zeroing the scope while shooting these.
Next on the list is to load some cast rounds. I have a batch of the Lyman 287346's cast up so I will try those first. I haven't decided what powders to try yet. I will try 4198 since that is my standard. I have a lb. of AA8700 which I believe is the same as WC 860 or 872 so that will get a shot.
Beyond that I am going to have the receiver tested for hardness. My machinist friend up the street said he has a friend with a hardness tester and I can probably get it done for little or nothing. I ran across a link to this thread on the Leverguns forum:
http://leverguns.sixgunner.com/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=2060&whichpage=1
In it, Buck Elliot tells a bit about tests he ran on various leverguns chambered for 454 Casull. The Marlin 336 died first. The next to give up the ghost was a Big Bore Winchester. He said the receiver was very soft. The 94 that lived the longest was 1920's vintage. None were up to the task of handling the 454 however. At any rate it does raise questions about Winchester's heat treating.
All loads used the 120 Sierra and 3 shot groups were fired at 100 yds with a 4x Burris compact scope. 54 grs. WC852 went 2764 fps and gave a 3" vertically strung group. 54 grs. H4831 went 2854 fps and gave me a nice 1-1/4" group. 47 grs. IMR7383 went 2775 fps and I didn't get a group as I was zeroing the scope while shooting these.
Next on the list is to load some cast rounds. I have a batch of the Lyman 287346's cast up so I will try those first. I haven't decided what powders to try yet. I will try 4198 since that is my standard. I have a lb. of AA8700 which I believe is the same as WC 860 or 872 so that will get a shot.
Beyond that I am going to have the receiver tested for hardness. My machinist friend up the street said he has a friend with a hardness tester and I can probably get it done for little or nothing. I ran across a link to this thread on the Leverguns forum:
http://leverguns.sixgunner.com/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=2060&whichpage=1
In it, Buck Elliot tells a bit about tests he ran on various leverguns chambered for 454 Casull. The Marlin 336 died first. The next to give up the ghost was a Big Bore Winchester. He said the receiver was very soft. The 94 that lived the longest was 1920's vintage. None were up to the task of handling the 454 however. At any rate it does raise questions about Winchester's heat treating.