Himmelwright Wadcutters questions.

[Trey45]

As many of you know Himmelwright wadcutter molds are again available through BRP Products, a board sponsor. This design was by an engineer and revolver target shooter, the president of the American Revolver Shooting Association for a while in fact, and features a short (3/16-1/4" pointy nose) and then a pronounced wad cutting shoulder behind that. The design is intrigueing.

My questions are: Has any one used these designs and if so what did you think of the accuracy and stability? And secondly, has anyone read Himmelwright's book on revolver and pistol shooting, and what did you think of it?

[HeavyMetal]

I have seen the boolit but not the book.

From what I can make out in picture, no real boolit, it looks like not only a spire point on it but two diameter driving bands as well.

One wonders if they were ment to cut paper in steps so as to leave that real clean edge for scoreing?

[MakeMineA10mm]

As many of you know Himmelwright wadcutter molds are again available through BRP Products, a board sponsor. This design was by an engineer and revolver target shooter, the president of the American Revolver Shooting Association for a while in fact, and features a short (3/16-1/4" pointy nose) and then a pronounced wad cutting shoulder behind that. The design is intrigueing.

My questions are: Has any one used these designs and if so what did you think of the accuracy and stability? And secondly, has anyone read Himmelwright's book on revolver and pistol shooting, and what did you think of it?

Link?

(Don't see them with any kind of link or billboard here on the CB pages, but that doesn't mean they don't contribute...)

[Bent Ramrod]

I have the book and the mould. The mould is Ideal 358302, and I believe at one time it came in two different weights. Haven't cast any boolits with my specimen as I haven't played around with the .38 Special much. The book is geared towards the target pistol shooter circa 1928, although it does have a great deal of information on historical, military, pistols, revolvers and cartridges which were currently available, powder, primers, ballistics, handloading, casting, gunsmithing and repairs, "stopping power," etc. It's illustrated with some nice woodcuts and photos; it's interesting to see what Thomas Anderton and Eugene Patridge actually looked like. It's probably as informative, for its time, as Keith's later Sixguns book was. Definitely worth a spot on any shooting library bookshelf.

I read it quite a while ago and am just thumbing through it tonight, but cannot find any mention of Himmelwright's own bullet design on casual inspection, although he does talk about wad cutter and other such designs. I have the 1928 edition, which was revised from the 1908; maybe Himmelwright decided his design wasn't that much better than others. Or maybe I'm just missing it.

[357maximum]

Link?

(Don't see them with any kind of link or billboard here on the CB pages, but that doesn't mean they don't contribute...)

Bruce has a spot down in the vendor sponsor area along with his catalog. He is a rather new vendor/sponsor even though some of us have been getting moulds from him for several years now.


http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=58620

[GLL]

Here are a couple photos of the original 429220 Himmelwright wadcutter.

The first shows a couple from my original mould while the second is from Glen Fryxell’s .44SWC article.

Bruce at BRP has cut me a custom mould with a modification of the original
design by 45 2.1. This new interpretation is nice because it has a crimp groove !

http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=58620

Jerry

http://www.fototime.com/012CB546A301996/standard.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/3D877AFC23EA576/standard.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/A4E76F5E9A89CAE/standard.jpg

BRP 45 2.1 design
http://www.fototime.com/4F0E3D8190C5690/standard.jpg
http://www.fototime.com/E3F600E355A7D66/standard.jpg


Himmelright's personal S&W 1st Model .44Special Target HE
http://www.fototime.com/D565ADB5ECC5C7D/standard.jpg

[Glen]

From the Ideal Handbook #33 --

360302-S. For .38 S&W Special revolvers. Bullet, as illustrated, cast of 1 part Tin to 25 of Lead, will weigh about 112 grains. It is very accurate for short range and cuts a large clean hole in the target. Designed by A. L. A. Himmelwright. See Table of Pistol Charges. (Can also furnish mould to cast bullet with base band about as wide again, weighting about 130 grains. Special list.)

429220. For .44 S&W Russian revolvers, designed by A. L. A. Himmelwright, former president, United States Revolver Association, especially to cut a clean full sized hole in the target and give the shooter the full value of his shot. Known as the "wad cutter bullet". Should be cast of 1 part Tin to 20 of Lead. See Table of Pistol Charges.

From the Table of Pistol Charges --
.38 Special
for the 358302 (112 grain version):
2.5 grains of Bullseye is listed as generating 790 fps
6.6 grains of Unique is listed as generating 1215 fps

for the 358302 (130 grain version):
2.5 grains of Bullseye is listed as generating 850 fps
3.5 grains of Unique is listed as generating 1000 fps

.44 Russian
429220 (175 grains)
2.8 grains of Bullseye is listed as generating 725 fps


I have worked with both of these bullets (not much, but enough to get a feel for them), and the challenge comes in finding a suitable nose punch for sizing/lubing them, as well as seating stem for seating them in the loaded cartridge. I made a nose punch out of 1/2" aluminum round stock where I center-drilled the nose and only used the shoulder of the forward driving band to size them. For seating, I just use the standard RN seating stem, although this blunts the nose of the bullet slightly (visible in the picture above). So far I have just plinked with them and haven't done any serious group shooting.

[Trey45]

Thank you all for the very valuable information and pictures, I greatly appreciate the time you all took to help me with this.

[GLL]

Bruce also cut me a 4-cavity mould which duplicated the 360302-S .
2 cavities @112 grain + 2 cavities @ 130 grain.

This photo is from his BRP catalog. Pretty "California"pink and all ! :) :)
http://www.fototime.com/15870B33F7E7438/standard.jpg

Jerry

http://www.fototime.com/FE05F29184E079A/standard.jpg

[MakeMineA10mm]

Bruce has a spot down in the vendor sponsor area along with his catalog. He is a rather new vendor/sponsor even though some of us have been getting moulds from him for several years now.


http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=58620

Thanks! (Hole new forums seem to keep springing up here at CB. I can't hardly keep up... :roll: )