.32 LSWCHP Mods to Lee 314-90

[patrick_sween]

Used the method on this page for making a bushing and drilling a cavity, made a pin from a bolt and proceeded to cast a few. Haven't shot any yet, but hope to load up and shoot them in the next few days. This is from the same mold that I modified to enlarge the meplat, so it now has one cavity dropping 103 grain solids and the other drops 91 grain HPs. Ended up with a tapered HP, 0.165 in diameter that extends down to the first lube groove. Was pleasantly surprised by how well they cast. The first two didn't fill out the nose completely, but the next 20 were keepers. I didn't do anything special to keep the pin hot, just cast at my normal pace with the Lee pot set on '6'. I didn't do as good a job on the drilling job as I could have, as the HP is not perfectly centered. Will see how they shoot, but if they're junk, I can recreate this mold for another $20 and try again!

Patrick


129987

[Mk42gunner]

Will see how they shoot, but if they're junk, I can recreate this mold for another $20 and try again!

And that is the beauty of Lee molds. You can get very creative when modifying them, and if you screw it up too bad; you have only spent ~$20.00 on a lesson.

I like the idea, but I wonder if the HP pin might be too big in diameter? That hole in the meplat looks huge.

Robert

[StrawHat]

Looks good, might have to try something similar.

Kevin

[dg31872]

I like this too. Never thought about modifying a mould like this. And the most you loose is 20 bucks.

[bedbugbilly]

Nice job! I've never played much with HPs but it looks like you had success! Let us know how they shoot!

[patrick_sween]

I tried out an experiment with this bullet before the HP mod, and drilled one to test expansion in water. The results are in a post called something like '.32 expansion testing' or similar. Bottom line is I am shooting these slow to try to keep the noise down, so I figure I need the large HP and a very soft alloy to get any expansion. My alloy is essentially 50-1, SOWW with 2% tin added. I'm hoping to get expansion all the way down around and maybe below 800 fps. The drilled HP was even bigger, at .187 (3/16"), and this one is .165. Another reason for the larger pin would be to have enough mass to stay hot during casting, and it seems to have worked out that way. My specific wish list for wanting this performance is as a farm/ranch sidearm, quiet enough to fire a round or two at a raccoon or possum without ear protection, but much higher smack factor than a .22. A side benefit is that these loads only cost as much to produce as a decent .22. I'm shooting them from a Ruger Single Six .32 H&R. Since I didn't get the pin centered as well as I'd like, I may drill the other cavity and put a flat nose pin in this first one. Hate to throw away even $20 if I can salvage it!

Patrick

[TheGrimReaper]

That looks awsome!!!

[richhodg66]

"Bottom line is I am shooting these slow to try to keep the noise down, so I figure I need the large HP and a very soft alloy to get any expansion."


What are you shooting these in, rifle or pistol?