Star 454 Lube Sizer Die

[Just Duke]

What bullet caliber would this work on?
I called Star and they said it pretty much don't work with anything. :(

[EDK]

45 Colt aka 45 Long Colt. Some of the revolvers out in the 70s and 80s had way oversized throats. Pre-War Colt SAA models allegedly worked better with 454. I sized H&G 68s to 453 for S&W 625s and got improved results over 452

Refer to Hamilton Bowen's THE CUSTOM REVOLVER and possibly some of John Taffin's articles or books. There's a lot of cussing and discussing on diameters for 45 Colt chambered guns, among numerous topics on the caliber.

You should get a lot of differing opinions on this. Kick back and enjoy the discussions.

:cbpour::redneck::Fire:

[sagamore-one]

I size my 45 acp boolits at .452 but size my 1955 Target 45 auto rim boolits at .452, or .453, or .454 depending on bullet design.The cylinder throats are enormous at .456 to .457. The H&G 68 is sized at .452. The H&G 78 is .454.

[Just Duke]

So all I shoot is 45 Long Colt Ruger Vaquero, 45 ACP Springfield Armory, and Winchester/Miroku 45-70. And they are all less the 1 year old.
So the die set is pretty much useless then?

[sagamore-one]

I can always use another die.

[xr650]

I size .454 for my Blackhawk and .452 for my Ubertis.
I sized some .230 gr. 45 ACP .452 to the first lube groove and .454 for the rest. These are Lee TL, they shoot great.

[HeavyMetal]

I wouldn't say it's useless, it's just something you can't use.

Anybody loading for pre 1950's Colt's in 45 Colt will have need of that sizer.

Suggest you post it for trade in the swap and sell section looking to get what you need.

[kooz]

So all I shoot is 45 Long Colt Ruger Vaquero, 45 ACP Springfield Armory, and Winchester/Miroku 45-70. And they are all less the 1 year old.
So the die set is pretty much useless then?

There is nothing wrong with shooting .454 bullets out of a .452 barrel revolver, as a matter of fact your gun may prefer them. I would try them in the Vaquero and see how they do. Good luck

[454PB]

Perhaps your .45 moulds drop a .453" boolit. Sizing them in a .454" die will work fine and as long as the loaded rounds will chamber, they might just shoot better than .452" boolits. I regularly size with dies that are .001" to .002" larger than the boolit. Much more than that and you start having lube leakage past the boolit.

[EDK]

Use a micrometer to make sure the boolits are actually the size advertised. Then try various sizes in the throats of your guns. You want the boolit to be a tight fit...or possibly oversized. The joy of handloading to to experiment with what works in your gun or guns.

I can push a .4305 boolit through the throats of an assortment of VAQUEROS, BISLEYS and SUPER BLACK HAWKS of various ages. A .4317 (guess-timate) won't go through, but is marginally more accurate than the .4305 and definitely more accurate than .429. A softer boolit in the smaller sizes works pretty well...I'm guessing it is slugging up to fit.

I'd try .454 in the VAQUEROS...not real hot loads or harder alloys at first! The 45 ACP is usually .452, but you might try .454. For the 45/70, I'd go .458 to .460 and possibly a .462...Look at RANCH DOG's web site and posts on his 45/70 boolits and adapt his info to your boolits. After a limited amount of use of his TLC 432 265 in various RUGERS and 1894 MARLINS, I'd follow his lead for a starting point.

There's plenty of folks using LEE tumble lube boolits as cast and lubed with LEE LIQUID ALOX and doing pretty well. The Black Powder Cartridge Rifle competitors don't size their boolits...although they use a cut to order mould with possibly a custom diameter.

THERE AIN'T NOTHING WRITTEN IN STONE!

:cbpour::redneck::Fire:

[GLL]

Many of my pre-1983 S&W 25-5's have cylinder throats that required 0.454" (or larger) !
I size 0.454-.456" for several of these revolvers.


Jerry

[Just Duke]

[smilie=1:.....

[BABore]

[smilie=1:.....


I take it this emoticon is your way of saying thanks to everybody for answering a DA question that you could have answered yourself by measuring your cylinder throats.

[Just Duke]

I take it this emoticon is your way of saying thanks to everybody for answering a DA question that you could have answered yourself by measuring your cylinder throats.

Sir the guns at the time ( back ordered, the story of my life) had not arrived yet and I wanted to get the parts en-mass when I placed my order. It was better than a BTT for I have no use for the part and it might need to be sent to an interested party.
Also please comport yourself in a gentlemanly manner here sir. This is the only forum like it in the world and I and others would prefer it to stay civil including the owner. We are just guests here in 45Nuts home at least how I see it.

[Just Duke]

An interested party has just contacted me and has first dibs on the free part. :-D

[runfiverun]

duke..... you could have just had it re-cut to 458,9,60. for your 45/70.
and my old-style vaquero liked the 454 size...