New Ruger Flattop .44 Special - Pin Gauged Cylinder Throats .431"

[Dutchman]

My pin gauges are -.0002" so are "go" gauges.

Started with .432" and it wouldn't enter any throats.

.431" entered all throats. So all 6 are .431"... or .4308".

That means don't buy a .429" sizing die.

Do I buy a .430" or .431" sizing die?

Been looking at Lee 429-200-RF... What size do they drop from the mold?



(no I didn't slug the barrel yet)

Dutch

[DougGuy]

If all the throats are even, you could size to .430" which if you get any springback after aging they may still chamber okay, I like to use a boolit to "feel" the drag with my fingers and feel if any of the throats are tighter or looser, if they are uneven you can hone them a little at a time until they match the largest one, get them all evened out, then size a half thou under that diameter.

If you use a Lee push through sizer, they make a .429" and a .430" but not a .431" unless you order custom which they are not taking custom orders at this time. It IS however, rather easy to hone the sizing ring in the die a little larger and make the boolits fit your cylinder with the exact amount of drag fit you want them to have.

There really is no need to slug the bore, as long as it's smaller than the boolits (which it will be) you are fine. You COULD check it for thread choke by using a cleaning jag patched very tightly into a clean dry bore, push the cleaning rod down the bore and if it gets really tight or even stops where the barrel threads into the frame, yes there is a constriction there. Quite common on big bore Rugers but less so on the .44 because the barrel walls are thicker. If the cleaning jag pushes through with no noticeable change in the force required to keep it moving in the bore? You are good to go, there is no restriction or you would have easily felt it. If you have a very slight one, that you can feel a little with the cleaning rod, it's possible that firelapping may remove it. For the really bad ones, call Ruger and get them to send you a shipping label, they will normally fix those.

Also, those Lee RF style boolits work VERY well with a longer 11° forcing cone than what the factory generally sends them out with:

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/44%20Magnum/DSC01739_zps53352b7c.jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/44%20Magnum/DSC01739_zps53352b7c.jpg.html)

[MtGun44]

Typically you will find best accuracy from boolits sized to throat diameter or larger. Of course,
each gun is a thing unto itself - so, try .430 and .431 and Mr. Target will tell which
is better. In some guns, even .002 smaller than throats works fine, not so in others.

No idea about the Lee mold, I tend to 429421 and various clones, with RCBS's 44-250-K
being a favorite, along with the MP clone of the H&G 503 - really wonderful mold and exactly
what Elmer ordered.

Bill

[rintinglen]

I use a .431 Lyman or a hand=honed lee that runs at .4315 with no discernible difference in group size,leading nor any thing else that matters. My gun specs out virtually the same as yours, save for one chamber that runs .4312, the others are ,4308. Mine shoots extraordinarily well.

[Larry Gibson]

Dutch

I'd bet if you slugged the barrel you'd find it to be .429. My own Ruger FT .44 (50th Anniversary Magnum) has the same .431 (pinned) throats and a .429 barrel. I size all my own cast at for it at .430 having thoroughly tested .430, .431 and .432 sized cast bullets. The Rugers have a tapered throat. Most all of my own cast bullets sized .430 will also chamber in the Colt Anaconda which has a straight throat at .429. The exception is my 429640HP "Devastators" which have to be sized .429 for the Anaconda. At .429 they shoot every bit as accurately in the Ruger as when sized .430 or .431.

That brings me to my point; I also shoot a lot of .429 sized commercial and other's cast bullets in the Ruger. They shoot just as well. Perhaps 44man or a couple others could tell an accuracy difference but with my old eyes and the issue iron sights I can't discern any accuracy difference between a cast bullet sized .429, .430 or .431 out of my Ruger, my Colt or my Hawes. Thus I suggest a sizing of .430 (my own Lee 429-200-RF drops 'em at .430 - .431 with softer 10 - 12 BHN alloys) for your Ruger and I sure wouldn't pass a good deal on any cast bullets sized .429.

Larry Gibson

[ShooterAZ]

My SS Super Blackhawk is the same too. .429 barrel and .431 throats. I size to .431 when possible, only because my 44 Mag Contender likes .431. Like Larry's 44, .430 shoots fine for me too in my Blackhawk. I have both dies.

[Dutchman]

It IS however, rather easy to hone the sizing ring in the die a little larger and make the boolits fit your cylinder with the exact amount of drag fit you want them to have.

Yeah I know :p See my die honing machines below.



You COULD check it for thread choke by using a cleaning jag patched very tightly

I hadn't thought of this, thanks I'll check it when I clean the bore before shooting it next week.



Also, those Lee RF style boolits work VERY well with a longer 11° forcing cone

I probably won't get this far into it right away but I will keep it in mind! thanks.

My shop is not this orderly at the moment. Old picture.

http://images60.fotki.com/v367/photos/2/28344/6717603/sq12-vi.jpg

Can you spot the cast bullet in the picture?

http://images19.fotki.com/v1611/photos/2/28344/2069154/DSCF0769kk-vi.jpg

[Dutchman]

I tend to 429421

I'm trying for a 4 cavity Lyman 429421 on fleabay at the moment. I've not been successful due to the insanity of boolit mold mongers and their lust for older molds. We'll see.

Dutch

[Dutchman]

Dutch

I'd bet if you slugged the barrel you'd find it to be .429. My own Ruger FT .44 (50th Anniversary Magnum) has the same .431 (pinned) throats and a .429 barrel. I size all my own cast at for it at .430 having thoroughly tested .430, .431 and .432 sized cast bullets. The Rugers have a tapered throat. Most all of my own cast bullets sized .430 will also chamber in the Colt Anaconda which has a straight throat at .429. The exception is my 429640HP "Devastators" which have to be sized .429 for the Anaconda. At .429 they shoot every bit as accurately in the Ruger as when sized .430 or .431.

That brings me to my point; I also shoot a lot of .429 sized commercial and other's cast bullets in the Ruger. They shoot just as well. Perhaps 44man or a couple others could tell an accuracy difference but with my old eyes and the issue iron sights I can't discern any accuracy difference between a cast bullet sized .429, .430 or .431 out of my Ruger, my Colt or my Hawes. Thus I suggest a sizing of .430 (my own Lee 429-200-RF drops 'em at .430 - .431 with softer 10 - 12 BHN alloys) for your Ruger and I sure wouldn't pass a good deal on any cast bullets sized .429.

Larry Gibson

Of the .44 Special ammo that I have loaded some of has commercial cast plain base 240 gr SWC. And some are my old 429244 with a healthy dose of linotype. I have to shoot that stuff up anyway so I'll check target results with every different bullet I'll shoot in it. My ancient long gone Lyman 45 had a .429" die in it and it was one of the ancient stepped dies that was not only extremely difficult to size linotype alloy but along with a gas check I came to hate that 45 because it was so rickety. I rather like the 4500.

My plan is to use a plain base bullet and go with the Lee push-through die using LLA. I'll probably get the .430" die and polish it with crocus cloth and WD40. I kinda prefer my own push through dies due to the more gentle taper I machine into it so the bullet is swaged oh-so-gently. A gently sized boolit is a happy boolit.

Thanks all for the food for thought (manna) and ideas. They will be integrated into my loading protocol for this new Ruger.

Dutch

[Dutchman]

Doug

Before I got the Ruger I had your Facebook page saved or "liked" in case I needed your services.

Do you have pictures of your forcing cone tooling? I'd like to see that. I've not done it before.



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