FN in MT
10-30-2008, 09:44 PM
Read the Mike Venturino article in the last HANDLOADER mag about using pin gauges to measure revolver throats. So spent the seventy bucks on the gauges. Two days later a HEAVY box arrives via the brown truck. The gauges originally started out in China. hence the reasonable price.
The gauges from .251" to .500" are individually wrapped in thin Chinese rice paper soaked in some UNKNOWN oil or grease of some sort. Whatever it is it did make me itch !?!? I miked and measured with my dial calipers and the several I checked seemed to be nuts ON.
Anyway there were a few "Ah HAA" !! moments. An older S&W 25-2 .45 acp/.45 AR revolver which has NEVER really shot well, had four throats that were .455" and two at .456". Ah HAA!!! No wonder my .4515 185 gr FMJ tgt loads never shot very well! But it DID shoot 250 gr .455" .45 Colt slugs pretty well in the Auto Rim loads. Need to slug it's barrel and see where that's at.
My three S&W .45 Colts one a 5" 25-7 , another a 4" 625-3 and the other a PC 625 Light Weight Hunter in 6".......ALL shoot very well. All three measured a very consistent 451".
My Freedom Arms M-83 6" is the Champion in the accuracy Dept. It's five holes all measured .452". Same for the six holes on my USFA SAA .452".
An interesting hour down in the loading room. Now I know what size STAR dies I need to order for the .45's.
The JOYS of being borderline OCD and Anal Compulsive.:-P
FN in MT
The gauges from .251" to .500" are individually wrapped in thin Chinese rice paper soaked in some UNKNOWN oil or grease of some sort. Whatever it is it did make me itch !?!? I miked and measured with my dial calipers and the several I checked seemed to be nuts ON.
Anyway there were a few "Ah HAA" !! moments. An older S&W 25-2 .45 acp/.45 AR revolver which has NEVER really shot well, had four throats that were .455" and two at .456". Ah HAA!!! No wonder my .4515 185 gr FMJ tgt loads never shot very well! But it DID shoot 250 gr .455" .45 Colt slugs pretty well in the Auto Rim loads. Need to slug it's barrel and see where that's at.
My three S&W .45 Colts one a 5" 25-7 , another a 4" 625-3 and the other a PC 625 Light Weight Hunter in 6".......ALL shoot very well. All three measured a very consistent 451".
My Freedom Arms M-83 6" is the Champion in the accuracy Dept. It's five holes all measured .452". Same for the six holes on my USFA SAA .452".
An interesting hour down in the loading room. Now I know what size STAR dies I need to order for the .45's.
The JOYS of being borderline OCD and Anal Compulsive.:-P
FN in MT