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View Full Version : I'm not the sharpest Lube Star (32-40 Low Wall purgatory)



ohland
04-14-2015, 12:15 PM
Well, the old retrobate is having even more fun with the errant 32-40.

Groups were more of a shot group, tipping on 32-170-FN (or so he claimed), to my great astonishment. After a short, loud argument after leaving the range (he can't hear all that well), I think we have a mutual understanding.

The RCBS 32-170-FN are SO close to being a bore-rider. I was able to push one onto the muzzle with my fingers. The 32-170-FN mics @ .3145 and they engrave when I push them in. Breach seated, they'd be da bomb.... So I need to nose size them to .314 for easy loading.

He tried some 323470, sized to .323, and they would not start until he seated them deep and... used sandpaper to reduce both the boolit nose and the shoulder of the case.
136886

Some things appear to be no-foolin. The throat or lead seems to be short. Heck, a Louverin boolit won't chamber unless seated deep.

I need to check on the wall thickness. Don't think that is the issue. A 323470 loaded case mic'd .344+, which seems to be spec, but had difficulty chambering.

136885
Here is a pretty weak Lūb Star. On my Contenders, I had a nice, sharp Lūb star, and you could see clearly where the rifling was. This Lūb star seems mostly uniform. Old retrobate has not noticed any leading near the muzzle when he cleans it, which sorta rules out insufficient Lūb. The boolits are being sized to .321 / .323 which should not wipe out the Lūb grooves.

Without doing a chamber cast, I would guess the rifling starts real close to the case mouth. Boolits with a tapered nose like the 321297 seat out a bit, but boolits with a Louverin nose seat short.

I will rustle up a .314 H&I die for uniforming the nose on the 32-170-FN (so close!). Need to rustle up a .322 H&I for the base.

Finnmike
04-14-2015, 08:14 PM
Your chamber might be tapered - set up for breech seating. Try a pound cast and report back. Might need a tapered PB boolit, .319 ending in .322 at the base.

Gunlaker
04-15-2015, 10:47 AM
Is your barrel and chamber original or do you think it's modified?

I have an original in .32-40 and it shoots the Saeco tapered 165gr bullet quite well. They are cast in 20:1 and I breech seat them with a plugged cartridge case and use Fg.

Chris.

ohland
04-15-2015, 02:31 PM
Is your barrel and chamber original or do you think it's modified?

I have an original in .32-40 and it shoots the Saeco tapered 165gr bullet quite well. They are cast in 20:1 and I breech seat them with a plugged cartridge case and use Fg.

Chris.

Barrel was relined.

Ballistics in Scotland
04-30-2015, 03:05 AM
Are they new cases? If they have been used a few times, and possibly reloaded by person or persons unknown, the neck could be of uneven thickness. That is at its worst with an almost bore-riding bullet, which is pressed into the rifling on one side, and not on the other.

Also it has been relined, which might have been done with any sort of blank which seemed close to the right diameter. You should seat that bullet till a couple of its bands enter the muzzle, and see if any light shows in the grooves, or water leaks out when you fill the barrel with the breech end up.