A swedish gun and Miniè-101

[blysmelter]

I have a swedish M1860 percussion rifle in very nice condition. Guns are made for shooting and I have, using patched roundballs. Did actually hit something:-)

The original military load for this guns was a 500grain bullet over 96grains of 2F. That bullet was solid and a fiasco, reloading was slow, precision bad and most of the guns was rebuilt to RBs (thats why the swedes ended up with their 12,17x42 round, they needed something to fit the salvaged barrels!).

But I would really like to hit something smaller and further away and need some heavy minie-bullets. I have tried the 50cal LEE improved, it is just to big. Inside diameter of the barrel is .480", I guess a mold for such a bullet doesnt exists so I am planning on talking a friend into trouble-makeing a hollowbase mold!
Any thougths and ideas about diameter and design as well as how to make the mold is welcome.

If there is any interest I will post a picture of the rifle?

[Maven]

blysmelter, I'd like to see photos of the rifle and the CB's.

[Buckshot]

..............Holy cats!! 96.0grs of 2Fg? That's a whopper :-) What is the land and groove description? Land and groove measurement? What's the twist and bbl length?

...................Buckshot

[blysmelter]

Pictures and som more info coming, presently stacking firewood:-)

[blysmelter]

OK, firewood stacked in the shed, winter may start! Some fotos, sorry for the quality.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y264/thenorwegianengineer/wredes002.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y264/thenorwegianengineer/wredes001.jpg

[blysmelter]

The rifle was made at Husquarna ("Husky") in 1863, it is not the military version, most of them was butcherd for parts to make RBs, but a version produces for the national shooting society, a close-to-paramilitary organization. The original bullet was a underbore, paperpatched solid. It did shoot OK, but the rifle was difficult to reload due to heavy fouling from the big load of BP. It was a magnum of its time, 500grs bullets, 96grs 2F and a muzzleveloctiy of 485meters pr sec ( close to 1600fps). The nominal bore size was 12,3mm, but bores vary from 12,1 to 12,4, mine is 12,3. Caliber as measured in US is .512.
Overall length is 140cm (55"), barrel length is 97cm (38"), twist is 1:38
What I need/want is a heavy miniè-bullet, .480 (12,2mm) in diameter with some deep lubgrooves. I can of course order one from Lee but it takes time and I guess I can get my friend to do the job for free or a bottle of scotch:-)
Anyone have advice on bullet design?

[Buckshot]

................That 38" twist is certainly fast enough to stabilize a 500gr Minie', and then some. I take it the .512" is the groove and the .480" is the lands? The British P53 Enfields had a nominal .577" land and progressive depth grooves. At the breech they were supposed to be about .013" deep and .005" at the muzzle. If I have your measurements right then you have .016" deep grooves.

I don't know what your lands and grooves are like so far as the width of each. A wide groove in relation to the land makes it easier for the slug to upset to seal the grooves. I have a P58 Naval Pattern 2 band Enfield. As it had a heavier barrel to carry the naval cutlass bayonett they proved to be very accurate rifles. They were the baseline for accuracy when they were testing the Snider action.

In any regard, I bring it up as it has a 48" twist, progressive depth grooves and 5 equal width lands and grooves. A pure lead Minie' has no problem upsetting into the deep and somewhat narrow grooves. As a point about wide grooves, I had a P56 Sergents rifle with 3 equal width lands and grooves. I will assume it also had progessive depth grooves. With heavy loads it shot really well with Minie's cast of WW alloy. Lighter charges wouldn't upset the skirts and the slug would be gas cut to beat the band.

Remember, if you have your freind make you r mould, make it with a base plug pin. Built that way you can probably prevail upon him to make a couple different base plugs for different HB depths and skirt thicknesses. My recomendation for a slug would be one with a moderate HB and skirts about 0.050" thick, as a start. Just above the base it should have 2 fairly deep 'V' shaped lube grooves. Naturally the bottom one should be far enough forward so as not to interfer with the HB.

THe HB should allow the skirts to upset and seal the deep grooves. The 2 deep 'V' shaped grooves will hopefully allow a bit of accordian type action and also upset a bit to engrave. This would be similar to the Wilkinsen type ML'er slug.

NIce looking old rifle, BTW!

.................Buckshot

[blysmelter]

The lands are about twice the width of the grooves, so if you look down on the muzzle it has an octagonal look.

Wilkinsen type ML'er slug-any link or info on this?

[shooter575]

Here is a link to a board that Greg Eddington post on.He is the one that is making the
Wilkerson type moulds.He has some drawings posted there.That is a flat base design so
cutting one of that type would be easer than a minne type.

http://www.civilwarguns.com/board/viewforum.php?id=1

Another place to check is the N-SSA

http://www.n-ssa.net/

They also have a BB.May be someone there that has info on a mould that will work.

[blysmelter]

Thanks!
Any threads on this forum about the making of molds "garage-style"?