slugging mould

[stocker]

After spending half an hour last night trying to find my egg sinkers to slug a bore I thought there has to be a better way. I still can't remember where I stashed them as I'm a fly fisherman only so don't keep a lure box where you might expect them to be.

Anyone ever see or consider a 6 cavity mould that would cast 6 different diameter lead slugs suitable for a range of caliber slugging?

If the mould dropped .24, .29, .34. .39 , .46, and .52 that would cover a large range of bores and a few minutes casting pure lead slugs would give you a handy supply to keep on hand in a plastic lure box. Someone else may have better ideas for diameters but whatever works suits me.

Each slug could have a short beveled nose to facilitate starting in the bore and then a straight cylinder for about 1/2".

Any one else interested in this?

[largom]

I think it is a great idea, depending on cost. I currently use a soft lead boolit of the next smaller caliber. Just fill an empty case with a harder alloy, chamber it in your gun, put lead boolit in bore, use cleaning rod [I use a brass rod] to push boolit down against filled case, use hammer on rod to "bump" boolit up to bore size.
Larry

[stocker]

Just realized I put this in the wrong category. Should be in the next one down. We'll see what response we get here to begin with, may move it later.

[turbo1889]

Cheap Lee Mold + Carefully Chosen Drill Bit Size + Drill Press = Slugging Mold

[docone31]

Use a drill bit, a little larger than the groove, drill a couple of holes in a 2 X 4 and pour into the holes.
When the smoke goes away, and the lead is cool, pull them out. Trim to size and drive into the bore.
Cheaper than a mold.

[stocker]

Either would work but I was thinking of something a little more finished looking so they could be packaged with about 4 or 5 of each size, an instruction sheet and sold. A dedicated mould would not be for every one to need.

But a 6 cav. 22 mold would be a good start. I think I would take it to some one with a mill and double acting vise to get it properly centered on both halves.

[mooman76]

In a way I'm lucky because I shoot BP and I have a variety of sizes for different calibers. The Round balls shot in BP rifles work real good and come in a variaty of sizes for your needs. Might want to pick up some cheap old Lee RB moulds. I have seen a RB mould on Ebay that had several sizes in the same mould. I almost bid on it. t had 4 sizes. 2 on one side and flip over for the other 2.

[slug]

How about having a custom mould made up for all our exact needs? We could pay a honcho five to ten dollars each and mail it from A to B to C &c. It would only take an half hour of casting for a lifetime supply and any extra could go to the forum upkeep.
Just My $.02.

[stocker]

Most likely the guys on this forum are not really the market for the slugs a mould like this could produce although it would be handy as I've done a lot of different rifles this year for other people. We have the equipment to find and make alternates to having prepared slugs.
The places that should be making them available are the large volume custom casters who cater to the hordes that use cast bullets but purchase them from the stores. How many times have we heard someone complain about leading and accuracy using purchased cast boolits and it is apparent from the get-go that they hadn't done or even considered the basics of sizing?

[quack1]

Watch for egg sinker molds at yard sales. I found 2 really cheaply made ones at a sale for .25 each. They each cast 4 different sizes. I bought them to use as sinkers, but they would work for slugging a variety of calibers. I'd send you some, but I use any unknown lead I manage to scrounge up for my jigs and sinkers and they end up being pretty hard.

[JSnover]

My first thought was It's not a bad idea but I don't know if most of us slug often enough to justify the cost of a new 6-cav. Scrounging a used mold or drilling some holes in a board seems best for casual use.
But... since it's just a slug mold, there wouldn't be any need for lube grooves and the nose profile wouldn't matter. Anybody with a drill press and some skills or a cheap import mill could punch out a handful of these easy enough.

[stocker]

It occurs to me that no sprue plate is needed on a mould of this type. Ladle cast them less than quite full would be good enough. Should reduce the cost quite a bit.

[JSnover]

Anybody got a tube flaring kit? The one I owned years ago had holes for 1/4, 5/16, 3/8 and 1/2 inch tubing. If you screwed it shut and set it on a flat wood or metal surface it probably would do well enough.

[stocker]

JSnover; By gosh I think you've got it! Great idea.

[arcticbreeze]

Anybody got a tube flaring kit? The one I owned years ago had holes for 1/4, 5/16, 3/8 and 1/2 inch tubing. If you screwed it shut and set it on a flat wood or metal surface it probably would do well enough.

I have swedge and flare tools (refrigeration work). Please explain a little further what you mean. I am interested in trying.

[stocker]

Arctic breeze: There is (was ?) a flaring tool set that combined a double hook clamp male flaring tool and the female part was comprised of two steel bars , each about 1/2x3/4 x4" long. Hinged at one end and a pivoting bolt with wing nut to clamp them together once you inserted the tubing. There is a set of holes for the various tubing sizes with a shallow female flare on one end of each hole. Then the first piece hooked under the two bars and you screwed in the male flaring end in to the end of the tubeing to form the flare.

Using just the second (female) piece, clamped shut and c-clamped on a steel plate you could fill each tubing hole with molten lead to just below the flare in the holes. Release the wing nut and shake out your lead slugs in the different sizes. Either in the truck, 5th wheel trailer, shop or basement I've got one. Just have to track it down.

[JSnover]

Just like stocker said. I've never done reefer work so I'm not sure what sort of tools a professional might have. The kit I'm thinking of looks very much like the blocks of a multi-cavity mold.

[Blammer]

personally, I just use whatever bullet I have cast that I'm going to shoot out of that particular firearm to use to slug the barrel.

If I have a choice I'll pick one that is close to a loverin style as it tends to push through easier.

[mooman76]

Got an old Lee mould that isn't very good? Drill some sshallow holes in it of different sizes.

[arcticbreeze]

Arctic breeze: There is (was ?) a flaring tool set that combined a double hook clamp male flaring tool and the female part was comprised of two steel bars , each about 1/2x3/4 x4" long. Hinged at one end and a pivoting bolt with wing nut to clamp them together once you inserted the tubing. There is a set of holes for the various tubing sizes with a shallow female flare on one end of each hole. Then the first piece hooked under the two bars and you screwed in the male flaring end in to the end of the tubeing to form the flare.


That is the one I have. I am going to try it

[arcticbreeze]

personally, I just use whatever bullet I have cast that I'm going to shoot out of that particular firearm to use to slug the barrel.

If I have a choice I'll pick one that is close to a loverin style as it tends to push through easier.

I have done that but not being sure that the boolit is not under sized I was unsure if it actually was groove diameter after slugging. I thought about taking a cheap Lee 2 cavity and lapping it out a few more thousandths to be sure.

[JSnover]

That's my situation; the boolits are dropping a little small and I don't have any donor molds to experiment with. I suspect a groove diameter of .462 but haven't been able to drop a boolit big enough to get good engraving all the way around. Next step is to set one on the bench and bump it up with a mallet, then use it to slug the barrel.

[BABore]

I go down to one of the local fishing equipment establishment's with my caliper's and $2 in hand. A couple bucks worth of egg sinkers has lasted me for several years and 10 or so guns. Kind of hard to justify a mold for that unless your a gunsmith.

[cuzinbruce]

I just use any old bullet, cast pure lead. Just bump them up to size, oil them, and slug the barrel. I adjust the size by putting them in a vise, end to end, and clamping it down a bit, until the bullet bumps up big enough to do the job. Last gun I slugged was a .38. I used Lyman 3118's to slug it. just expanded them with a vise.

[uncowboy]

[Not only was I thinking of this but also another mold for the same bullet diameters for firelapping.--- One for rifle 223-243-25-7mm-30-35- and one for pistol---313-358-401-411-432-453-477 or 502 . These would look like large tumble lube wadcutters that will hold lapping compound and ride a lot of bore. Should be real easy to get orders for 25 of these. J.Michael

[Catshooter]

Well, here's how I do it.

I just got a .38-55. No mould yet, no boolets, nothing even close. Three fifty seven to small, next size up is .452.

So, I put the barrel in the vise and drive a .452 down the bore with a quarter inch brass rod. No sweat, no muss, no fuss. Worked a treat.

Somewhat cheaper than a custom mould, did cost me a 45 boolit though.


Cat

[techlava]

It appears to me if you take an aluminum or steel 1/2" to 1" rectangular bar stocck and drill a series of clean through holes of the desired diameter. Lubricate the holes with mold release and pour molten lead in the holes part way with the bar stock clamped on a flat surface. When the lead solidifies, punch or push the lead slugs out.
The difference in thermal coefficient of expansion of lead (29) is six parts per million per degree C greater the aluminum (23) and approximately seventeen parts per degree C over steel (12). Take 300 degrees over room temperature for lead to melt, that gives about .5 mill separation in aluminum 5/16" slug and 1.4 mill in steel.
I have not tried it, but can't see why this would not work.

[dromia]

I use and have used a variety of home made endeavours for making slugs.

RCE produce slug moulds for swaging but they are one diameter only.

So to answer the original post I would be interested in a bespoke multi cavity slug mould. Personally I'd like a .22" slug in there also.

The slugs would need to be at least a good inch long to get a decent case mouth, throat and rifling slug in some calibres.

[dromia]

BTW Stocker, I think it would be worth flying this kite in the GB section.

[Zbench]

I was perusing the RCBS site looking at their mould designs and I noticed that they sell a mould blank...with or without sprue. It would seem to me if you have a lathe and can clamp the block accurately, it would be pretty easy to bore holes of various sizes and clean them up with a reamer.

This has been something vexing me as well...

The spot on RCBS's site is: http://tinyurl.com/mhf6uv

Just another way to skin the cat...

[Hafast]

Here is a source for some mold blanks.

http://www.barlowstackle.com/acb/showdetl.cfm?&DID=6&Product_ID=1515&CATID=59

[BIG GUN]

Cerrosafe is one way to go but i have had good results using plain old parrifin.
you can heat it pour it and remove it without any chamber damage.

[Suo Gan]

Probably should not pour molten lead into a drilled 2x4, as the wood contains moisture no matter how dry, and will...do I have to elaborate? I know this from attempting to pour a little lead into a hammer handle for bumping tires, etc. It popped and spewed lead everywhere and I was lucky that I did not get hurt...

Soft slugs slightly crushed in a vice is the way that I have done it so far, and it has worked well for me.