S&W Model 10-5 Lead buildup just ahead of forcing cone?

[VariableRecall]

I had tried out my Model 10-5 in an outdoor range session using some of the only .38 special that I was able to find at retail from around last November: HSM Cowboy. They were using Starline brass and had some pretty nice RNFP boolits in them. I'd assume they comply to some sort of historical accuracy in terms of shape, powder, and lubricant. They had felt like lighter loads and had a very pleasant smelling smoke to them. Considering their price, I wouldn't get them again, but it was what I had in my inventory in terms of factory .38 Special.

I had used around 36 of them at my range session. When I cleaned my 10-5, I had noticed leading in my barrel for the first time I'd had it, right ahead of the forcing cone, at the start of the rifling in the barrel. It's very mild, but it certainly was something to note. The rest of the bore was sparkling clean, which I'd have to admit, made the leading look very obvious. I doubt the amount of leading would be detrimental to accuracy or safety, but it's clearly something to make note of and clean up.

I've had a good experience with using Boolits sized to .357 and .358 so far, but I'd assume the area where the rifling starts is going to be the most likely spot for the leading to occur.

[Larry Gibson]

"I'd assume the area where the rifling starts is going to be the most likely spot for the leading to occur."

It is when the lube used is too hard.

[Walks]

Yep a problem with commercial cast.
They use a Hard lube that won't be "dislodged" during shipment or sale.

[VariableRecall]

"I'd assume the area where the rifling starts is going to be the most likely spot for the leading to occur."

It is when the lube used is too hard.

I'm planning on using slightly thinned Lee Liquid Alox (about chocolate syrup consistency) if I'm going to get the opportunity to cast for it. I've had good results with using that, and Hi-Tek on the Commercial cast bullets in my inventory. Like I had said earlier, never had leading remain after a cleaning session when I was using them.

I've yet to try pulling one of the HSM Cowboy loads to see what's inside, but I'd assume there's going to be some sort of traditional lube down there. The ammunition has stayed since it got into my hands in completely temperature controlled environments, so I doubt it was the weather that may have contributed to the small amount of leading.

[Mk42gunner]

Probably a combination of too hard alloy, too hard lube, and maybe too small in diameter. Any one of those things can cause leading, two or more in combination is just asking for it.

FWIW, I have never had leading with appropriate sized boolits cast from plain old ACWW (mine are about 12.5 BHN) lubed with FWFL (recipe in the lube section). I have started to use BLL (also a thinned Lee Liquid Alox) with .38 Special wadcutters, it seems to be working fine with my limited testing so far.

Good luck,

Robert

[ddixie884]

Probably good info from all the old hands here...........

[Petrol & Powder]

Yep, all been said - commercial cast bullets with a hard lube. And the alloy may be hard.

I can't speak for powder coating and it's been a long time since I used tumble lube.

With 38 Special and conventional lube using a lubersizer - the old stand-by of NRA 50/50 is hard to beat.
I used BAC [White Label] for a while in the hopes of finding one lube suitable for all handgun loads. That didn't work out. Unless you are pushing magnum loads, NRA 50/50 will work for just about any handgun cast bullet.

As a side note, before I started casting, I used a lot of commercially cast bullets. They came from various suppliers and ranged from adequate to horrible. Hard alloy, hard lube and undersized were the common features. When I found what worked, I would try to buy more but that was sometimes difficult. Commercial casting operations were sort of a regional affair (lead is heavy !) and before the internet was "a thing", it was common to roam about a bit in search of supplies.

[Tar Heel]

Whites 50/50 is the ticket. Shoot up the commercial hard cast stuff or better yet, melt it down and soften the alloy for your own mold. Then lube up with 50/50.

[Petrol & Powder]

VariableRecall, Just to provide some information:
White Label is a trade name for a family run company that produces and sells excellent cast bullet lube.
Here's a shameless link to their website: https://www.lsstuff.com/
And they are GOOD people, which is more than enough reason to support them.

NRA 50/50 formula: 50% Alox 2138F, (or the current substitute) and 50% pure yellow beeswax. NRA 50/50 has been a well known cast bullet lube for over 50 years. When it comes to standard velocity, cast lead handgun bullets, NRA 50/50 may be the cast bullet lube that all other lubes are compared to. Some people don't care for the smoke it produces (which I don't find to be a problem outdoors) and some people feel it is a little too soft in extremely hot weather (which can be addressed by other lubes such as BAC). Other than those minor complainants, 50/50 will fill most standard handgun cast bullet needs.

NOW, none of the above is carved in stone or royal decree, there are alternatives. But NRA 50/50 deserves to be in your memory bank. It's a good tool to have in the mental toolbox.

[TimD]

VariableRecall, Just to provide some information:
White Label is a trade name for a family run company that produces and sells excellent cast bullet lube.
Here's a shameless link to their website: https://www.lsstuff.com/
And they are GOOD people, which is more than enough reason to support them.

NRA 50/50 formula: 50% Alox 2138F, (or the current substitute) and 50% pure yellow beeswax. NRA 50/50 has been a well known cast bullet lube for over 50 years. When it comes to standard velocity, cast lead handgun bullets, NRA 50/50 may be the cast bullet lube that all other lubes are compared to. Some people don't care for the smoke it produces (which I don't find to be a problem outdoors) and some people feel it is a little too soft in extremely hot weather (which can be addressed by other lubes such as BAC). Other than those minor complainants, 50/50 will fill most standard handgun cast bullet needs.

NOW, none of the above is carved in stone or royal decree, there are alternatives. But NRA 50/50 deserves to be in your memory bank. It's a good tool to have in the mental toolbox.

+1 for White Label. Good products and great people.

[Char-Gar]

I agree, hard wax lube, granite hard bullets and probably a rough forcing cone to boot. Softer bullets, softer lube and a lapped forcing cone brings delight to a revolver shooter's heart.

[PBSmith]

I''ve read this post with great interest, as I have been shooting a new-to-me S&W10-5 and have experienced a leading problem just in front of the forcing cone. Ten rounds and I'm reaching for the bronze wool and brushes.

I was puzzling over the responses given here to this problem - puzzled because all of my home-cast bullets are relatively soft (mix of pure Pb + COWW) and lube is the NRA 50/50 mix. I size to 0.357, and finished bullets push with light effort through the cylinder ball ends. Most of what I have been loading are solid wadcutters, pushed faster than target loads but not above "full charge" speeds.

When Char-Gar mentioned a lapped forcing cone, I said, "Ha! That's got to be the problem: a rough cone."

Without starting a new thread on this topic, I wounder if some of you experts can explain what's involved in lapping a revolver's forcing cone. Is it something the home gunsmith can tackle with care and time, or is it best left to a professional? What, if any, special tools are required?

Since the leading in my case always occurs at the same circumference places at the start of the rifling, I'm wondering if there might be a rough burr at the leading edge of the cone. Does lapping take care of this? Or might a few rounds of hard lead or jacketed rounds knock burrs off? I purchased the 10-5 "used", but I doubt it had been fired much before it arrived in my hands.

Look forward to your responses.

Edit: Unlike the OP's experience, the leading in my case does indeed affect accuracy.

[Petrol & Powder]

With the proper tools and some commonsense, the forcing cone can be lapped to remove tooling marks. However, If your leading is forward of the forcing cone, it's unlikely that the forcing cone is the source of your leading.

Here's a link and all due credit to Fryxell:

http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Chapter_7_Leading.htm

[dogdoc]

I have had leading like described with commercial hard cast hard lubed bullets for years. Simple solution is tumble lube them with Lee liquid Alox or 50/50. Works great with no leading. Done that with many thousands. Smokey however.

[Old Caster]

If you have to use a heater to lube the bullets, it is too hard for standard velocity bullets. My choice is Lars 2500 but i like 50/50 too.

[VariableRecall]

VariableRecall, Just to provide some information:
White Label is a trade name for a family run company that produces and sells excellent cast bullet lube.
Here's a shameless link to their website: https://www.lsstuff.com/
And they are GOOD people, which is more than enough reason to support them.

NRA 50/50 formula: 50% Alox 2138F, (or the current substitute) and 50% pure yellow beeswax. NRA 50/50 has been a well known cast bullet lube for over 50 years. When it comes to standard velocity, cast lead handgun bullets, NRA 50/50 may be the cast bullet lube that all other lubes are compared to. Some people don't care for the smoke it produces (which I don't find to be a problem outdoors) and some people feel it is a little too soft in extremely hot weather (which can be addressed by other lubes such as BAC). Other than those minor complainants, 50/50 will fill most standard handgun cast bullet needs.

NOW, none of the above is carved in stone or royal decree, there are alternatives. But NRA 50/50 deserves to be in your memory bank. It's a good tool to have in the mental toolbox.

Looks like some excellent products and wholesome people on there. However, I don't have a Lubrisizer or a sacrificial toaster oven if I had wanted to torture myself with pan lubing or more practically Powder Coat.

I do have a Lyman Lubrisizing die for .357 on the other hand, thanks to a generous reloader on this forum.

My plan is to use Alox when I start casting. Alox worked great so far and the mess is contained to the can it was shook around inside.

[VariableRecall]

Probably a combination of too hard alloy, too hard lube, and maybe too small in diameter. Any one of those things can cause leading, two or more in combination is just asking for it.

FWIW, I have never had leading with appropriate sized boolits cast from plain old ACWW (mine are about 12.5 BHN) lubed with FWFL (recipe in the lube section). I have started to use BLL (also a thinned Lee Liquid Alox) with .38 Special wadcutters, it seems to be working fine with my limited testing so far.

Good luck,

Robert

I couldn't really change anything up with these Factory bullets, but I'd certainly take your advice into consideration in the future.

By the way, here's the best photo I got of the leading. the bore is otherwise sparkling. I apologize for the bad lighting.

282048

Would that amount of leading be OK? I'd certainly want to get rid of it but it appears to be a very thin layer.

[Petrol & Powder]

The attachment will not open, at least not for me.
I think that 36 rounds of some particular cartridge is probably not the best yardstick to form an opinion about leading.
While it's entirely possible those particular cartridges are loaded with a less than ideal bullet (alloy too hard, sized incorrectly, hard lube, some combination of all three?) a box or two of those rounds isn't worth worrying about. Clean the gun and carry on.

From reading your first post, I did see that the cartridges were loaded in Starline brass, so there's a plus. You got some good brass out of the deal.

[DougGuy]

If a .357" boolit won't slip through the cylinder throats, all the lube and alloy advice in the world, as good as it is, will not prevent you from firing your loads through a multi port sizing die each pull of the trigger.

The use of soft alloy and soft lube will ease the situation somewhat *IF* your loads are assembled with enough energy to obturate the boolit to effect a decent seal in the bore after it exits the cylinder and encounters the forcing cone.

Most would want to size to .358" and have cylinder throats sized to accommodate the .358" so it reaches the barrel at intended diameter. This, and softer alloy and lube will cure nearly any and all leading issues.

[JoeJames]

What size were the boolits? In part attracted by the Starline brass, I bought a box of HSM 44 Special cowboy loads once. Tried them in a Henry Big Boy I used to have (Yes I know the Henry was bored pretty loose) and got about a 6” group at 15 yards with one boolit making a perfect silhouette of the side of the boolit on the target. Just saying ...

[Chill Wills]

Sorry if this question is not on point but, in the thread title the revolver mentioned S&W model 10 and then the dash number, in this case dash 5.
Would the variations within the model 10 change how the revolver leads? Or, would this apply to all the revolvers in the model 10 production (or all revolvers)? I have a lot of experience with rifle cast bullet shooting, never much more than basic load and shoot with revolvers.

[VariableRecall]

The attachment will not open, at least not for me.
I think that 36 rounds of some particular cartridge is probably not the best yardstick to form an opinion about leading.
While it's entirely possible those particular cartridges are loaded with a less than ideal bullet (alloy too hard, sized incorrectly, hard lube, some combination of all three?) a box or two of those rounds isn't worth worrying about. Clean the gun and carry on.

From reading your first post, I did see that the cartridges were loaded in Starline brass, so there's a plus. You got some good brass out of the deal.

OK I'm going to try attaching the image again. Still very faint and doesn't look like it's much at all. https://imgur.com/Gb2NEXx 282072

And yes, I am keeping that brass. It looks quite nice!

[VariableRecall]

Sorry if this question is not on point but, in the thread title the revolver mentioned S&W model 10 and then the dash number, in this case dash 5.
Would the variations within the model 10 change how the revolver leads? Or, would this apply to all the revolvers in the model 10 production (or all revolvers)? I have a lot of experience with rifle cast bullet shooting, never much more than basic load and shoot with revolvers.

My S&W Model 10-5 has a 4 inch, thinner profiled and pinned barrel. I believe that it was the model variation right before they introduced the Bull barrel as a standard. I specifically chose my 10-5 since it had the thinner profiled barrel similar to the earlier versions of Smith and Wesson's revolvers. The Military grips are non-standard, but they make speedloaders a breeze. After the photo I did get a Tyler T-Grip for it, and that has significantly improved my handling of the piece.
282074 https://imgur.com/1DrdE4g

[robertbank]

I couldn't really change anything up with these Factory bullets, but I'd certainly take your advice into consideration in the future.

By the way, here's the best photo I got of the leading. the bore is otherwise sparkling. I apologize for the bad lighting.

282048

Would that amount of leading be OK? I'd certainly want to get rid of it but it appears to be a very thin layer.

I encountered the same issue with my new GP100 10MM. I had my forcing cone cut to eleven degrees. From the factory the forcing cone is 5 degrees I believe. I do this with all my revolvers that are destined for lead bullets. That seemed to solve the leading in the first 1/8th inch of rifling. My bullets are water quenched WW alloy shot from 40cal brass. Until I get my GC maker from Pat I will be using jacketed FMJ bullets in my 10MM cases. I use soft Felix lube on my 40 cal. bullets destined for my M&P 40 S&W and my GP 100. I size them .401 using a RCBS sizing die. I hope this info helps.
Take Care
Bob

[VariableRecall]

I encountered the same issue with my new GP100 10MM. I had my forcing cone cut to eleven degrees. From the factory the forcing cone is 5 degrees I believe. I do this with all my revolvers that are destined for lead bullets. That seemed to solve the leading in the first 1/8th inch of rifling. My bullets are water quenched WW alloy shot from 40cal brass. Until I get my GC maker from Pat I will be using jacketed FMJ bullets in my 10MM cases. I use soft Felix lube on my 40 cal. bullets destined for my M&P 40 S&W and my GP 100. I size them .401 using a RCBS sizing die. I hope this info helps.
Take Care
Bob

So, with a deeper forcing cone cut, the bullet would have a gentler time being shoved into the rifling, so to speak?
I suppose that over time, wear on the forcing cone would do the same thing and deepen the forcing cone over time? Although, I would suspect that if wear was that significant, you might want to get that replaced to begin with.

[robertbank]

So, with a deeper forcing cone cut, the bullet would have a gentler time being shoved into the rifling, so to speak?
I suppose that over time, wear on the forcing cone would do the same thing and deepen the forcing cone over time? Although, I would suspect that if wear was that significant, you might want to get that replaced to begin with.

It would take a very long time for lead bullets to wear any of the forcing cone significantly. The whole idea I think is to do as you suggest, and ease the transition from the cylinder to the rifling. It seems to work. I got the suggestion from a few members here who had way more experience than I have for certain. Most have passed now and are shooting on heavens range. BruceB and Felix are two who are surely missed. Do a search for posts generated by either man. Reading their posts will leave you a wiser man to be sure.

Take Care
Bob

[ddixie884]

True that...........

[Petrol & Powder]

My S&W Model 10-5 has a 4 inch, thinner profiled and pinned barrel. I believe that it was the model variation right before they introduced the Bull barrel as a standard. I specifically chose my 10-5 since it had the thinner profiled barrel similar to the earlier versions of Smith and Wesson's revolvers. The Military grips are non-standard, but they make speedloaders a breeze. After the photo I did get a Tyler T-Grip for it, and that has significantly improved my handling of the piece.
282074 https://imgur.com/1DrdE4g

S&W model and dash numbers are a study all to their own. I've memorized a lot of that history but still need a reference book now and then.

The Military & Police [M&P] model became known as the model 10 in 1957 when S&W started referring to their revolvers by model numbers in addition to the model names previously used. The M&P became the Model 10, the adjustable sighted model was the "Combat Masterpice", more commonly known after 1957 as the Model 15, and so on.

The dash numbers indicate engineering changes.

The Model 10 was introduced in 1957
10-1 1959 was a heavy barrel model 10
10-2 1959 was the introduction of left hand threads for the extractor rod on the standard barrel (tapered barrel) model
10-3 1961 was the introduction of left hand extractor rod threads on the heavy barrel and a 1/8" wide front sight. (previously 1/10" wide)
10-4 1962 elimination of front trigger guard screw on tapered barrel models
10-5 1962 the new 1/8" wide sight on the tapered barrel models
10-6 1962 elimination of front trigger guard screw on heavy barrel [HB] models
10-7 1977 change gas ring from yoke to cylinder on tapered barrel
10-8 1977 change gas ring from yoke to cylinder on HB model
10-9 1988 tapered barrel with several changes , new yoke retention system and other changes
10-10 1988 HB with same changes as the 10-9

As you can see, starting with the 10-5 models, the odd dash numbers will have the tapered barrel and the even dash numbers will be the heavy barrel versions.
There are sub-sets within all of that and the serious collectors can identify all of the variants.

[VariableRecall]

S&W model and dash numbers are a study all to their own. I've memorized a lot of that history but still need a reference book now and then.

The Military & Police [M&P] model became known as the model 10 in 1957 when S&W started referring to their revolvers by model numbers in addition to the model names previously used. The M&P became the Model 10, the adjustable sighted model was the "Combat Masterpice", more commonly known after 1957 as the Model 15, and so on.

The dash numbers indicate engineering changes.

The Model 10 was introduced in 1957
10-1 1959 was a heavy barrel model 10
10-2 1959 was the introduction of left hand threads for the extractor rod on the standard barrel (tapered barrel) model
10-3 1961 was the introduction of left hand extractor rod threads on the heavy barrel and a 1/8" wide front sight. (previously 1/10" wide)
10-4 1962 elimination of front trigger guard screw on tapered barrel models
10-5 1962 the new 1/8" wide sight on the tapered barrel models
10-6 1962 elimination of front trigger guard screw on heavy barrel [HB] models
10-7 1977 change gas ring from yoke to cylinder on tapered barrel
10-8 1977 change gas ring from yoke to cylinder on HB model
10-9 1988 tapered barrel with several changes , new yoke retention system and other changes
10-10 1988 HB with same changes as the 10-9

As you can see, starting with the 10-5 models, the odd dash numbers will have the tapered barrel and the even dash numbers will be the heavy barrel versions.
There are sub-sets within all of that and the serious collectors can identify all of the variants.

I didn't realize the odd-even numbering scheme! I love the styling of the tapered barrel and it's a shame that scheme isn't available for sale today.

[VariableRecall]

I don't mean to suddenly re-awaken this sleepy thread, but I've continued to experience leading in the same area of the barrel. Strangely enough, the leading is appearing in similar locations as when they occurred previously, even in the same patterns. Then again, this significant leading has occurred almost exclusively with the HSM Cowboy loads, and now all of them have been used up, and their brass will be put to good use.

This incident occurred when I had used almost a whole box of the smoky, leading-tastic stuff, so it's a worst case scenario. When I had used my bronze brush, exceptionally thin strips of lead were dislodged from the barrel. It took a good amount of effort to get all of it out, but it's good to know that even if things look nasty, all it takes is a bit more elbow grease to dislodge stubborn deposits. For certain, I'll be making close observations of my leading patterns when I'm using certain bullet sizes and profiles.

[robertbank]

Get that forcing cone cut to 11 degrees. I am certain that will all but end your leading issues.

Take Care

Bob

[VariableRecall]

Get that forcing cone cut to 11 degrees. I am certain that will all but end your leading issues.

Take Care

Bob

Would the forcing cone be eventually "worn" into shape as I use it, or, is that not going to happen any time soon? The leading so far is merely annoying, not dangerous as far as I know.

Seeing my bro's 1911 barrel, when things start to get leady, the deposits are evenly distributed along his barrel. In mine, there's just the first half-inch or so of rifling, and perfectly clean after all the soot's out of the barrel.

Perhaps another aspect to this issue is that I have extremely easy access to both the front and rear of my barrel when my cylinder is removed ( wouldn't go anywhere near mine otherwise). So, perhaps being able to closely inspect it is another reason why even the tiniest deposits are observable against the dark steel of the barrel.

Thanks to a local Boolit Pal, I did get the opportunity to use a rifle range to try out long range shots on a whim. Still managed to hit (after a lot of misses) a man sized target at 200yrds with my revolver using the cowboy stuff. If anything, it's a clear reminder that the majority of accuracy is a You thing unless there's something very wrong with your firearm or your ammunition.

[Outpost75]

If the leading occurs only with the "smoky lead tasting stuff" it is because the bullets are too hard, probably undersized and the hard lube used on the commercial hard-cast bullets is unable to flow under pressure to coat the bore. Try tumble coating the bullets with 45-45-10 or Lee Liquid Alox which has been diluted by equal parts liquid volume of mineral spirits. Don't worry about coating over top of the hard lube. It won't hurt anything. Most of the time this is the easy fix with commercial hard-cast, but if the bullets are also undersized and fall through the cylinder throats of their own weight, there isn't much you can go but melt them down and start over.

[rintinglen]

True words written up there^^^
A quick tumble in any of the various tumble lubes will likely greatly improve most purchased cast boolits. I prefer BLL, or Recluse formula 45/45/10, but Lee Liquid Alox works great, just takes longer to dry.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

This is what finally worked with my revolvers. Softer alloy, about 10 bhn. Boolits slightly smaller than cylinder throats. Powder coated or conventional lube. Medium load levels. Pretty sure I'm getting obduration sufficient for an nice seal.

[VariableRecall]

If the leading occurs only with the "smoky lead tasting stuff" it is because the bullets are too hard, probably undersized and the hard lube used on the commercial hard-cast bullets is unable to flow under pressure to coat the bore. Try tumble coating the bullets with 45-45-10 or Lee Liquid Alox which has been diluted by equal parts liquid volume of mineral spirits. Don't worry about coating over top of the hard lube. It won't hurt anything. Most of the time this is the easy fix with commercial hard-cast, but if the bullets are also undersized and fall through the cylinder throats of their own weight, there isn't much you can go but melt them down and start over.

I had only very light amounts of leading with the Hoosier commercial cast bullets that I had made use of. Clearly the HSM Cowboy stuff wasn't for my revolver. I've now got a Lee .358 148gn 6 cavity Wadcutter Mold so I can plink to my heart's content. I have used 9-ish lbs of Missouri Magic Alloy to about 6lbs of pure lead, resulting in boolits with a bhn of around 12-14 or so that worked perfectly for my 9mm Hi-Point. I may go for a lower BHN to whip up a batch of wadcutters but I think I'll stick to a similar bhn as the last batch.

BTW the HSM Cowboy stuff was some premium Cowboy Action shooting small scale factory product. It came loaded with 148gn RNFP boolits, and while the quality was good, and the starline brass is top notch, apparently my revolver just isn't a fan.

[Tar Heel]

Have the forcing cone cut to 11 degrees by DougGuy if you plan to shoot mostly cast bullets. I use White's 50/50 on almost everything I shoot and SPG on the Black Powder stuff. I would use Whites "Natural" BP lube but I can't find it on their web site. (Not BP-1, but the all natural stuff)

[hc18flyer]

I have an S & W 15-5 in .38 Special and am casting/shooting a similar wc bullet.(Lachmiller button nose wc)I also tumble lube 2 swc's as cast for my revolver. I have been tumble lubing them as cast with BLL and shooting them with 3.4 grains of Bullseye. Shoot awesome and absolutely no leading! I do have one chamber that is slightly smaller and when it gets dirty, cases get a little sticky. My alloy is about 9.2 bhn, 98 % lead and 2% (or less) tin, so even softer than yours, work perfectly fine for me, hc18flyer

[robertbank]

To the OP your forcing cone will never wear down to 11 degrees shooting lead, FMJ or plated bullets. Undersized bullets are going to lead your barrel. Cutting the forcing cone does allow for an easeir transition from cylinder to barrel. I found cutting the cone eliminated leading both in the barrel and around the entrance of the barrel. Both are a pain to clean up. The 39spl cartridge is a low pressure round and a soft bullet should seal the bore. I think you have the answers to your issues. Good luck with your solution.

Take Care

Bob

[VariableRecall]

To the OP your forcing cone will never wear down to 11 degrees shooting lead, FMJ or plated bullets. Undersized bullets are going to lead your barrel. Cutting the forcing cone does allow for an easeir transition from cylinder to barrel. I found cutting the cone eliminated leading both in the barrel and around the entrance of the barrel. Both are a pain to clean up. The 39spl cartridge is a low pressure round and a soft bullet should seal the bore. I think you have the answers to your issues. Good luck with your solution.

Take Care

Bob

All right! I think I'll go ahead and do some research into getting that forcing cone modified to 11 degrees by a gunsmith. Either way, I know what does and doesn't work well for my revolver, and the ways to mitigate as well as remove leading.

[robertbank]

Spot on guy. Good luck the 38 spl cartridge is a versatile, easy to load cartridge with a hoast of bullet designs available.

Tale Care

Bob

[Chill Wills]

Trying to learn a little. I read - Cutting the forcing cone to 11 degrees improves the transition. What is the factory forcing cone cut to? greater or lesser than 11 degrees?

[Outpost75]

Trying to learn a little. I read - Cutting the forcing cone to 11 degrees improves the transition. What is the factory forcing cone cut to? greater or lesser than 11 degrees?

Great question. The factory forcing cones in S&W and older Rugers, such as the "Six" series, was 18 degrees included angle. Using an 11 degree reamer enables you to clean up circumferential tool marks without enlarging the base diameter of the forcing cone entrance, which should not exceed 1.05 times max bullet diameter. Colts usually came 11 degrees from the factory. Jim Clark, Bob Day, Reeves Jungkind and Bob Collins generally used a more gentle 6 to 9 degree forcing cone on their PPC guns.

[robertbank]

Great question. The factory forcing cones in S&W and older Rugers, such as the "Six" series, was 18 degrees included angle. Using an 11 degree reamer enables you to clean up circumferential tool marks without enlarging the base diameter of the forcing cone entrance, which should not exceed 1.05 times max bullet diameter. Colts usually came 11 degrees from the factory. Jim Clark, Bob Day, Reeves Jungkind and Bob Collins generally used a more gentle 6 to 9 degree forcing cone on their PPC guns.

The GP-100 are 5 degrees ir rather that is what I was told they are.

Take Care

Bob

[samari46]

Had some of the old federal 246 grain lead bullet 44 special ammunition. Not knowing the alloy I did a light coat of Lee alox lube on the exposed nose section. After a couple shots you could smell that familiar aroma. 50 rounds through the revolver and no leading. And my free loading buddy asked for the brass. No way, was shooting my S&W 624 with the 6.5" barrel. And he didn't even have a 44 special. Frank

[Chill Wills]

The factory forcing cones in S&W and older Rugers, such as the "Six" series, was 18 degrees included angle. Using an 11 degree reamer enables you to clean up circumferential tool marks without enlarging the base diameter of the forcing cone entrance, which should not exceed 1.05 times max bullet diameter.
Thank you for the explanation.

[Outpost75]

The GP-100 are 5 degrees ir rather that is what I was told they are.

Take Care

Bob

GP100 production came about after I left the company, but from eyeballing examples in the LGS your observation appears correct.
Should work really well.