Am I thinking wrong or would this work? Getting throat and bore sizing from my Marlin

Well I've cast some really nice NOE Ranch Dog 45 Colt loads. But right now I have no idea what I should size for my Marlin 94s in 45 Colt. What I was thinking is this, and you guys tell me if I'm wrong or it will work...

- Take a 45/70 case and melt pure lead in it so I end up with a sleeve of lead larger than 454. (ideas on how to get the lead out of the case?)

- Remove the bolt from the rifle and place the sleeve of lead in the throat

- With a wooden dowel hammer the sleeve into the throat and chamber until I feel resistance which should be the bore

- From muzzle end with a dowel hit it back into the chamber

End result should be a sleeve of lead that shows both the bore diameter as well as the throat diameter...????

What you are talking about is pound casting. Don't use a wood dowel!!!

This will explain it but you will have to adapt it for a pistol cartridge.

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...rifle-chamber)

Maybe just me, but I would take 2 .50 round balls cast with pure lead, hammer one through from the muzzle-end, and the other from the throat end, stopping when you start to hit the rifling. One at a time, of course. It makes 2 separate slugs, but they're enough larger than the bore and throat to give you a good, measurable cast.

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I'll second the DO NOT USE A WOODEN DOWEL TO POUND ON IN THE BORE warning.

I took the easy way out and tried .452" for my 1894CB. It works fine, never had to try another diameter.


Robert

Ok what is so wrong with a wooden dowel? Wood is definitely softer than steel...

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Originally Posted by Stopsign32v

Ok what is so wrong with a wooden dowel? Wood is definitely softer than steel...

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Yes, and it will split, mushroom and shatter, and get stuck in the bore!

What is the as cast diameter? Just shoot some at 0.452 or 0.453. Seems to always work for me.

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Originally Posted by Outpost75

Yes, and it will split, mushroom and shatter, and get stuck in the bore!

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No it doesn’t. I’ve done it numerous times before and it works great. In fact I’ve been reusing the same wood dowel since probably 2015. I took a long dowel from Lowe’s and cut it into sections. This way you can use it in different barrel lengths. You tap it as it goes and then stack another on it as they disappear into the bore and keep repeating. Works flawlessly so far…

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Originally Posted by dondiego

What is the as cast diameter? Just shoot some at 0.452 or 0.453. Seems to always work for me.

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They are dead on at .454

I have heard of many horror stories of using wooden dowels. I got one stuck but I got it freed up. Brass rod is actually pretty cheap though. Seems like I got 2 rods of different diameters from a recommendation on here for Grizzly Products. Can't remember all of the details at this time of night.

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Originally Posted by dondiego

I have heard of many horror stories of using wooden dowels. I got one stuck but I got it freed up. Brass rod is actually pretty cheap though. Seems like I got 2 rods of different diameters from a recommendation on here for Grizzly Products. Can't remember all of the details at this time of night.

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I can't see why. As long as the dowel is as close to bore size as possible while still being small enough to slide in and out with ease you are golden. Well at least I haven't run into an issue yet...

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Originally Posted by Stopsign32v

... Well at least I haven't run into an issue yet...

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Hopefully you don't.

The last time I used a wooden cleaning rod was sometime in 1988. It got splintered and jammed into the bore of 12 ga riot gun. Took my striker and I about three hours to get it out with out damaging the bore.

This was one of the GI issue 5/8" diameter shotgun cleaning rods, probably with several patches on to make it tight enough to actually do any good cleaning the guns.

I don't remember if Kevin or I broke it, but I do remember the struggle getting it out.

When we got off the ship that evening we went and bought, with our own money, a metal shotgun cleaning rod to use for swabs and patches.

In the aftermath of that incident, we determined that one of the square M-60 receiver brushes worked a lot better than any of the round 12 ga brushes for really cleaning a 12 ga bore.

Robert

The wooden rod works until it doesn't. I had one splinter and stick in a SBH. Took a lot of tedious work and time to get it out. Do yourself a favor and get some brass rod.

As to using a wood rod...it might work or might not. A brass rod always works. It is not wise to use a wood rod for a pound cast...but hey, brass rods can get expensive...right?

You can heed good advice or not.

BTW, the brother of a friend got a wooden rod stuck and broken off in a muzzle loader. He is a Marine so likely used too much force or maybe the wood was defective. They brought the gun to me to get it out. It was jammed solid. I told them to go to a gunsmith as they had already done a bit of damage trying to Hill Jack it out and I did not want to get blamed for the damage they had already inflicted.

A few blemishes might not matter on a muzzle loader barrel, and they are not marksmen, so it probably worked out OK. YMMV.

Just load a .454 bullet straight from the mold. If it will chamber shoot it. Save yourself a lot of trouble.
Rick

I use .453" in my '94cb

Honestly, I’d just load some and try them. Though I do pounding and measuring if things don’t work acceptably upon trying shooting a few rounds.

I didn’t know that about a wooden rod, thanks for the tips all.