slugging bore??

[rmcc]

My good friend from the gun club recently died. While we had shot a lot of matches together, it was all with modern arms. He had a passion for Trapdoor Springfields. I am going to buy an 1884 from his wife. My problem is two fold, I need to get a mold(s) for the rifle and secondly, I don't know enough about low pressure 45/70 loads to fill a thimble!! Have loaded a lot of hunting loads for a Marlin guide gun but this is new to me. Getting back to the title, what/how is the best way to slug a bore? Any help would be much appreciated!!

rmcc

[ian45662]

Measuring a slug from a trapdoor can often prove difficult since it has odd number of lands and grooves. A safe bet would be to get a mould that casts a bullet at .460 and cast with a softish lead. I have measured 2 trapdoors and they both were .462-463. I had to take the slug and wrap a sliver of pop can around it to get a measurement. The pop can was .005 thick if I remember correctly so I wrapped the sliver of can around the slug then measured that and subtracted the thickness of the can X 2. Not scientific but it will getcha close.


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[ian45662]

Also I coated a .457 round ball in crisco Started it with a muzzleloader ball started then pushed it down the bore with a wooden rod


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[Dan Cash]

If you can't accurately define bore and groove diameters, may I reccoment that you obtain a mould that casts at .462. You may find joy firing the bullets as cast but if they are hard to chamber, push through sizers in incrementally smaller sizes, eg .461, 460 will bring happiness. I doubt you will have to size any bullets though.

[kokomokid]

Got a wood rod stuck in a bore once, no joy there.

[varsity07840]

The Lee .459 405 gr hollow base will cast around .462 and is copy of the government bullet
originally made for the trapdoor. 20/1 alloy works well. Don't use an overpowder wad. Use back
powder!!!

[Wayne Smith]

A caseful of black powder and a boolit that fits - what's complicated about that? Now you can have fun with various lubes, over powder wads, and crimps to your heart's content! Oh yes, then you can try various kinds and granual sizes of BP.

[country gent]

If your going to have a custom mould made to get the size right Its might be easiest to send your slug to the mould maker and have him make the mould .001-.002 over that. Most will have a way of measuring the odd lands and grooves. A small anvil can be made to use in a set of mics for measuring these also. If I made one it would be sized so a 1-2" mic was direct reading from zero. this would take some work and measuring a pin gage but when done it would be an easy to use addition to your mic set. Make it known big and measure a .500 pin gage remove extra from bottom to .002+ then stone, Hone or lap into dead .500 on mics. By doing it this way it works in all your mics they just become a 1" smaller. I would make it 1/4" to 3/8" inch thick and from a good gage stock. Measuring lead it probably dosnt need to be hardened but woud be a nice touch.

[ian45662]

The saeco 881 is a copy of the 500 grain bullet that the 84 was designed to shoot. The buffington sights were made with that bullet in mind. It will drop from the mould at around .460 and when cast with the proper alloy will bump up to fill the grooves of your rifle and shoot very accurately.


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