No Lube Grooves

[hansumtoad]

Lyman 429185. Heel base boolit for the .44 Colt. 212 grain with 40:1. .429" heel shank and a .441 driving band.

Interesting as there is no way to lube the boolit. Apply a wad of crisco across the face of the cylinder perhaps?

[old turtle]

I just looked it up in my old Lyman cast bullet book. Looks odd to say the least. I know that some rifle shooters in the old days used lubricating wads under the bullet but I don't think I have ever heard of it in a pistol round. I think you may be correct about applying lube across the cylinder. others on this site may have much more info. than I.

Good luck

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

There's a pic of the boolit here:
http://www.castpics.net/IdealandLymanMolds.pdf

While here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.44_Colt

The .44 Colt bullet was outside lubricated,

Whatever that means . . .

[hansumtoad]

Shawn...

What externally lubed means is that there are one or more lube grooves located forward of the crimping groove (if any). the lube was outside of the case. The issuee was that all kinds of crud stuck to - and in - the lubricant was was carried fown the bore. not to mention large grease spots on your finest Sunday, go-to-meetin' clothes.

The 429185, however, doesnt even have such a groove.

These were initially used in 1860 Army revolvers converted to centerfire cartridges. Colt then supplied them to the Army until the .44 Colt was replaced by the .45 Long Colt in the SAA in 1873.

I got all of that.... but does anyone have anything to add or experience with this boolit short of shooting it at 500 fps to prevent leading or smear the front ofthe cylinder with bear grease?

[noylj]

It can certainly be tumble lubed.
There are a lot of *** bullets in that document.

[turbo1889]

I load for 32-Colt which is also an old healed bullet cartridge, just a little smaller then what your loading for. I tumble lube mine, JPW and X-lox mix, heavy on the JPW to ensure a hard drying finish so that crud don't stick to it. I am using smokeless though, if your using the old black tumble lubing may not work for you.

[HeavyMetal]

For those who may not remember the 22 Long Rifle is also a heeled bullet and is externally lubed.

I believe it uses a wax of some type? I suggest you copy a good brand of 22 Long Rifle.

[geargnasher]

For those who may not remember the 22 Long Rifle is also a heeled bullet and is externally lubed.

I believe it uses a wax of some type? I suggest you copy a good brand of 22 Long Rifle.

My thoughts exactly on the principle. The .32 Rimfires used an externally lubed, heeled boolit too.


It can certainly be tumble lubed.

Bingo. Perfect use for Recluse's 45-45-10 tack-free tumble lube formula.

Gear

[runfiverun]

or the 45/45/10 and 30% beeswax added.
use it when it's at the really wet stage and let dry it's pretty close to the 22 stuff.
or 3 parts jpw [heated not melted] to 1 part b-wax melted swirl lube and wait for it to dry [it takes a couple days]
it makes a hard coating that lubes well [leaves a star on my 20" 25-20 bbl.]

[geargnasher]

R5R, that sounds like a good idea. I've as per some things Recluse mentioned about it, I've been thinking about adding some beeswax to the tumble lube I use on my 6.5mm and .30 caliber bore-riders before sizing and filling the grooves with Felix lube. You gave me one more reason to try it.

Gear

[zxcvbob]

I would try Rooster Jacket. It's kind of like LLA but it dried clear and hard. It does a wonderful job at low velocities; I haven't tried "magnum" or low-end rifle velocities with it.

[hansumtoad]

I appreciate all of the responses. So what did they do in 1871 when there was no super duper water based tumble dry instant coating?

I guess I was looking for info as to how they did it "back tehn". Closest thing I've heard was the wax coating on .22 rimfire stuff. Sittin' aroung the campfire, melting lead and pouring it into your mold for makin' reloads is understandable. How they lubed a bullet with no lube groove piqued my curiosity.

[HeavyMetal]

Foregot about the Rooster red stuff!

For the heeled boolits I think this would easily dupelicate the 22 LR lube and work just fine.

Think I'd load then dip lube each round and let dry.

[tommygirlMT]

I appreciate all of the responses. So what did they do in 1871 when there was no super duper water based tumble dry instant coating?

I guess I was looking for info as to how they did it "back tehn". Closest thing I've heard was the wax coating on .22 rimfire stuff. Sittin' aroung the campfire, melting lead and pouring it into your mold for makin' reloads is understandable. How they lubed a bullet with no lube groove piqued my curiosity.

Well --- I don't know for sure --- but I imagine they just dipped the nose of the finished cartridges --- (we are talking metalik cartridges right?) --- in some kind of wax

Dipping cheese in wax to presserve it goes back to before Columbus and so does candles and the craft of making them --- you know that pool of molten wax that forms around the wick of a lit candle? --- dippy --- dippy --- dippy --- mabey with a little twist of the wrist to spread it evenly over the exposed boolit nose extending out the end of the cartridge.

Thats my best guess --- probably could do it that way today around a campfire if you were so inclined

[longbow]

Not sure how historically accurate this is but...

http://www.gunfighter.com/cgi-bin/bbs/cowboy-a/cowboy-a.cgi?read=40283

It shows up on several sites including this one.

Longbow

[runfiverun]

the b-wax parrafin japan wax is similar in make-up to the b-wax/jpw mix.
use about 1/4 the amount you think you need also.
and run it warm and mushy not melted. except for a complete coverage of non lube grooved boolits,
it will harden into a cake when done.

[EDK]

Mike Venturino has some information in his book SHOOTING SINGLE ACTIONS OF THE OLD WEST on reloading various obsolete cartridges.

Dip lubing the boolits...or nose of the loaded cartridge...is probably the simplest way to go, but the ALOX will give some horrendous fouling with blackpower. SPG or one of its clones would be best.

Send Duke a PM if he doesn't chime in on his own.

:Fire::cbpour::redneck:

[georgewxxx]

Speaking of Mike, has anyone heard from him? His last post was a couple months ago. Geo