Slugging it out

[Thumbcocker]

After dropping off a .44 Special new black hawk at the gunsmith to have the barrel removed and reinstalled to get rid of the thread choke that was causing leading (he can do this much cheaper than sending the gun back to Ruger) I did some slugging. I slugged 3 .44 specials, 1 .357, and 4 .44 magnums. The upshot was that only a recent production Match Champion and a 1980's Red Hawk had no thread choke. Guess what... they both shoot very well. A Hunter model .44 magnum had little thread choke and also shoots very well.


Just for giggles I also slugged an Old Army ... no thread constriction of any kind; and an Uberti 1858 repro that sold for $289 on sale. Also no thread choke and a perfect forcing cone. The Uberti is very well put together.


Sooo how come Ruger can't put a revolver together as well as the Italians? I know that I can fire lap the choke out but I prefer to have the barrels pulled and reinstalled to get rid of it. It was interesting to notice the quality of the barrels. Recent production hammer forged Rugers have VERY smooth barrels the old Red Hawk had a wavy barrel but it is installed right. Why go to the expense of making beautiful hammer forged barrels and then ruin the whole effect by over torqueing them?


It is obvious that I am a Ruger fan but I am somewhat flustered that so few are put together the way they should be. Ruger obviously CAN put a revolver together correctly as evidenced by the Old Army and the Match Champion. It is not rocket science to put a revolver together correctly as evidenced by the Uberti cap and ball. So why don't they? Is there no market force pushing them to do it?

While I am not a business person and don't have manufacturing experience I don't see that it would significantly impact profits to put quality parts together correctly. Maybe I am just particular about revolvers.

[Markbo]

I dont know. I know there are those familiar with Ruger manufacturing processes that can answer. I am just curious...what do you use to slug the barrels?

[Char-Gar]

OK...I am going to step in it and run for the hills before the blasts of hot air that will surely come my way.....

I have been shooting cast bullets in revolvers for a very long time, in several hundred revolvers, of most every caliber. Most likely every revolver had some kind of slight constriction where the barrel was screwed into the frame and nobody gave it no never mind. Some revolvers leaded and other did not, but leading could be eliminated in attention to the bullet temper, lube, or size. Every once in a while, there would be one that could not be tamed because of rough filing or interior barrel surfaces. A good polish would remove these without changing any internal dimensions.

Along came Veral Smith who said: Egads there are constrictions in the barrels, just look at them! If we don't get them out, that revolver will lead forever and forever amen! And thus it was accepted into revolver lore that these things had to go and were evil to the core.

As my life is tapering off, I am now down to a paltry 50 revolvers or so and still shoot them all. None of them lead and they all still have whatever "thread constriction" they came with from the factory. These are Smith and Wessons, Rugers, Colts, and a few other makes.

The bottom line is there is lots of mythology out there that causes people to spend money that is not necessary to spend, doing work that is not needed to be done. I have also noted that the strongest advocates of these myths are people who have a financial interest in keeping the myths alive. They have been able to convince many shooters these myths are indeed true and folks cling the myth like their very lives depending on doing so.

OK,,,I am going to run and hide now..by by!

[Thumbcocker]

I used .457 pure lead balls. I have noticed that the guns with thread choke shoot better with full power loads. I think that it is because of one or two things. 1.) the boolit is under enough pressure that it squeezes back up to size after the constriction or 2. The big dollop of slow burning powder acts as a gas check/scouring agent in the barrel.


Char Gar I am slowly coming around to your view of things. Maybe I am a slow learner.

[canyon-ghost]

While Char-Gar has it, I do believe copper fouling can lead a barrel if it isn't cleaned ou before you shoot cast lead.

[bedbugbilly]

"Amen" Char-Gar

[roadie]

Does the gunsmith lap the barrel after it's removed? I don't see removing and reinstalling, without lapping, doing much about thread choke.

[dubber123]

While I have plenty of revolvers, and have plenty that shoot well without fiddling, I have yet to see one not improved with a firelapping. Most have a thread choke, and when it's gone, they shoot cleaner, and more accurately. They just do. If you consider the end of a tin can at 25 yards as accurate enough, then maybe most guns don't need tinkering. Stretch it to 50 yds. or beyond, and that stuff really matters.

[leeggen]

Wow lots of veiws agree it is of no concern others die cause it is there. Hey if it shoots good it shoots good. Char-Gar you old timers learnd to adjust and life goes on. I have a couple pistols and guess I am lucky neither have choked areas.
CD