reinventing the wheel

[Der SchizKoph]

Could not find anything about this, i have been having some ideas about slugging the barrels on some of my pistols, and was wondering if this has been tried or if it will cause problems:

What i want to do is to plug my barrel about an inch from the end, then pour lead straight into it, then when cool, tap it out

Has anyone tried this or will it cause serious problems? Thanks

[Bass Ackward]

Could not find anything about this, i have been having some ideas about slugging the barrels on some of my pistols, and was wondering if this has been tried or if it will cause problems:

What i want to do is to plug my barrel about an inch from the end, then pour lead straight into it, then when cool, tap it out

Has anyone tried this or will it cause serious problems? Thanks

I would advise against it.

Slugging should be the mantra here. If it were up to me, no advice would be given until folks slugged, but this is America. Land of the free and home of the public assistance crowd.

Same results can be obtained with three pure lead slugs. One in the muzzle and out. One in the throat and out. And one all the way through for "feel" and the smallest measurement. Common sense should tell you that the muzzle should be the smallest measurement and the slug needs to G L I D E through the bore as smooth as a baby's behind.

[Blammer]

if you do that you'll likely never get the lead out that you pour into it.

I would highly recommend against doing that.

[dragonrider]

Here you will find a whole list of videos that explain the how to's slugging a barrel.
http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...+a+barrel&aq=1

The process you descriped can be done but not with lead, you would use a product called cerosafe. It has a very low melting temp and is used for making chamber casts etc.

[stubshaft]

It's basically like pouring a lead lap. The problem is not with the lead sticking in the muzzle (because it won't) but that it will likely be well undersize. Like pouring alloy in a mold that is too cold. You can heat the barrel slightly with a heat gun to get better fillout but chances are that it will still be undersize. A brass rod near bore diameter can be used to drive it through.

[Charlie Two Tracks]

I would think that you would have to have the barrel real hot so the lead would make it all the way down. 600 deg lead going down the barrel and then what would happen if there was a constriction someplace. Not good.

[462]

When it's as easy to do, as Bass said (and it really is) why even comtemplate a more complex method which will produce very dubious results, at best.

[markinalpine]

Could not find anything about this, i have been having some ideas about slugging the barrels on some of my pistols, and was wondering if this has been tried or if it will cause problems:

What i want to do is to plug my barrel about an inch from the end, then pour lead straight into it, then when cool, tap it out

Has anyone tried this or will it cause serious problems? Thanks

If you DO decide to go ahead and do it anyway, please take lots of pictures or better, a video, so we can watch
Especially when you try to fix it
Mark

[stubshaft]

I would think that you would have to have the barrel real hot so the lead would make it all the way down. 600 deg lead going down the barrel and then what would happen if there was a constriction someplace. Not good.

Doesn't have to be that hot and all you need is a 1" - 2" section.

[lwknight]

You will get an undersized reading just like casting into any cold mold. I really don't think that you would want to pre heat your gun to 400 degrees.
At least with cerrosafe the shrinkage compensation is a predetermined measurement.

[oscarflytyer]

Cerrosafe Chamber Casting Alloy!!!

[geargnasher]

Why is it that we seem to always have a better new idea before trying the tried-and-true old idea? I'm all for new ideas, but good new ideas are born of the need to improve upon existing ones that have proven inadequate somehow. Just slug the freakin' thing already.

Gear

[Bret4207]

You guys do know Cerrosafe has a shrinkage factor, right? I forget what percent it is, but it used to be on the package.

Don't pour molten alloy into your barrel. I've made dozens, if not hundreds of laps and they ALWAYS come out undersized, ALWAYS. You want precise measurements then slug it and use a tenths reading mic that you know how to use properly.

[btroj]

Well, at least the thread has the right title.this would be reinventing the wheel. Too bad the existing wheel works so good!

Drive a slug thru the barrel and get on with things. It would be so much easier, and better, to go old school. Some things just don't need improving upon.

Brad

[Jim]

RED(Reverse Engineering& Designing) Method-
Identify the ultimate goal and determine the easiest, safest, most economical approach.
Kinda' like drivin' across country. If wanderin' around lookin' for a road that MIGHT get you there doesn't bother you, by all means, go pour lead down your barrel!
However, if you wanna get somewhere in a timely manner at the least expense, MAPS ARE AVAILABLE.

[WILCO]

What i want to do is to plug my barrel about an inch from the end, then pour lead straight into it, then when cool, tap it out

I've done some foolish things in my life too.

[AZ-Stew]

You guys do know Cerrosafe has a shrinkage factor, right? I forget what percent it is, but it used to be on the package.

Well, kinda...

Here's the scoop from the Brownell's web site:

CERROSAFE® CHAMBER CASTING ALLOY
Mfr:BROWNELL'S
Price:$28.99 - $45.99 Status:In Stock
Made In The U.S.A.
Never Wears Out- Use Over And Over
There are various products on the market which can be used to make a cast of a gun chamber. To be certain that the product we are offering you is the best and most practical, we contacted the basic manufacturer. They recommended Cerrosafe because of its unique features. Unlike Woodsmetal which swells upon cooling and cannot be removed from a gun chamber, Cerrosafe shrinks during the first 30 minutes of cooling and then at the end of an hour, is EXACTLY chamber size. At the end of 200 hours it will have expanded approximately .0025". This factor is well known by all toolmakers and they will take it into consideration when making dies or reamers or gauges from your cast - if you will tell them the cast is of Cerrosafe. Cerrosafe melts between 158° - 190° F. It should be melted in a clean, iron ladle. Source of heat should be removed as soon as the alloy is completely melted, at which time it is ready to pour. The solidified casting should be removed from the chamber before, or when, it cools to room temperature. If allowed to remain in the mold over an hour, it will grip the chamber walls and be difficult to remove. Clean the chamber of the rifle thoroughly, then plug the bore immediately ahead of the throat with a small rag - but not so tightly it cannot be driven out. If possible, pour the molten Cerrosafe through a small tube into the bottom of the cast, gradually removing the tube as the chamber fills. If the barrel is cold, warm it to room temperature or above before making the cast. When cooled, remove from chamber, using a rod or dowel from the muzzle end of the gun.

I've used it for a rifle chamber casting. Just as with boolit casting, if the "mould" is cold, the casting will be wrinkled. If you get the barrel too hot, the casting will take a long time to cool and may be difficult to remove. The good part is that since it's a low melting point alloy, it's easy to heat the barrel enough to melt it out if necessary.

Personally, I'd rather use Cerrosafe where the casting can be easily pushed out after it shrinks than to put a rod down the barrel, even a brass one, to pound a lead slug through the bore.

Regards,

Stew

[blackthorn]

While the makers of Cerrosafe produce several different alloy combinations, the one we are concerned with consists of the following percentages: Bismuth - 42.50%, Lead – 37.70%, Tin – 11.30%, Cadmium – 8.50%. Note: Cadmium is very toxic () so use good hygiene and avoid breathing the fumes. We all know the harmful effects of inhaling or digesting lead. Cadmium is even worse. Its compounds are extremely () toxic even in low concentrations, and will bioaccumulate in organisms and ecosystems. So use similar but even greater caution when working with Cerrosafe as you would when handling lead.

Notes on Cerrosafe:
 Melts between 158 and 190 degrees Fahrenheit
 Should be melted in a clean iron ladle without direct flame on the product.
 The chamber being cast should be cleaned thoroughly and a thin coat of oil or graphite applied.
 Reusable

Contraction - expansion factor versus time, after casting, measured in inches per square inch:
 2 minutes -.0004"
 6 minutes -.0007"
 30 minutes -.0009"
 1 hour +-.0000"
 2 hours +.0016"
 5 hours +.0018"
 7 hours +.0019"
 10 hours +.0019"
 24 hours +.0022"
 96 hours +.0025"
 200 hours +.0025"
 500 hours +.0025"

Basic Instructions:
 Plug the bore about one inch ahead of the throat of the firearm using an appropriate size cleaning patch.
 Pour the molten alloy directly into the chamber until full and allow it to cool; it will turn a shiny silver color. As soon as it has cooled enough that it is no longer a liquid (and doesn't present a burn hazard), run a rod into the bore from the muzzle and tap the casting out of the chamber. Take care not to overfill the chamber as the alloy will then run into the locking lug area, making removal extremely difficult. Any recessed areas can be plugged with modeling clay prior to pouring.
 During the first 30 minutes of cooling Cerrosafe shrinks and then begins to expand. At the end of one hour it should be "exactly" chamber size. The Cerrosafe will manage to find its way into some pretty tight places so it is easier to have the rifle stripped to the frame prior to commencing the job. Clean the chamber, lightly oil it (then wipe it out with a patch), plug the barrel at a point that allows the formation of about an inch of rifling to be included in the cast, and cast it.

Cerrosafe's melting point is below the boiling point of water so you can use a plastic funnel with a short length of vinyl tubing to get it into the chamber. The tubing should be just long enough to reach the chamber with the funnel set through the back of the receiver. Heat the Cerrosafe in a skillet ashtray, or other container with a pouring spout, over a heat source set on low. As soon as the cast has set up, push the ‘plug-patch’ along with the casting out of the receiver with a wooden dowel or brass rod.

There you go! Have a nice day!

[mdi]

Why is it that we seem to always have a better new idea before trying the tried-and-true old idea? I'm all for new ideas, but good new ideas are born of the need to improve upon existing ones that have proven inadequate somehow. Just slug the freakin' thing already.

Gear

In other words; if it ain't broke keep yer greasy fingers offn' it!

[mdi]

It's basically like pouring a lead lap. The problem is not with the lead sticking in the muzzle (because it won't) but that it will likely be well undersize. Like pouring alloy in a mold that is too cold. You can heat the barrel slightly with a heat gun to get better fillout but chances are that it will still be undersize. A brass rod near bore diameter can be used to drive it through.

O.P. has been getting a lot of ribbing about his question, but I think this is the answer. I've read about hand lapping barrels and the "lap" was made this way...