145gr RN 38 S&W Group Buy mould

[Buckshot]

............I haven't shot any yet, so just hold on However I did cast with it for the first time this evening. I got the mould out and flushed it well with carb cleaner then set it on top of the pot to heat. The cavities were very clean and no de-burring was called for. Once warmed up I very slightly smudged each cavity with a butane lighter and lightly swabbed on some Bullplate lube.

Anyone using a Lee mould of any pedigree who doesn't use Bullplate lube on it is insane . I dipped half the cotton on one end of the swab in the lube, and used this first to apply to the spruplate pivit bolt. After that I used it to draw a circle around each cavity in the blocks, aorund the pour hole on the top and bottom of the sprueplate. About halfway through the casting session I used the same swab and did it again. At the end of casting the tops of the blocks looked like it hadn't even been used.

Per usual when I was ready to cast I dipped one end of the blocks into the melt for a 20 count, then set it atop the pot to let the heat migrate and equalize for maybe 30 seconds. Then I began casting. The pot temp was hovering at 800*. I was producing frosty very well defined slugs. As the sprues began to take awile to cool I went to the damp pad in a saucer of water. I guess I wan't holding it there long enough as I once swung the sprue and opened theblocks to dump boolits, but half of them ran out as liquid

So taking my first break I cleaned THAT up and began again. Obviously the blocks were hot so after several pours I also dragged the bottom of the blocks across the damp pad on my way back to refill. Now I was producing well filled out slugs that looked like newly minted dimes. I continued this way until the pot was delivering such a feeble stream that I began to get rounded bases.

All in all about 17 lbs of lead are now formed as 145gr RN booits for the mighty 38 S&W. The bright shiny slugs weigh between 145.8 and 146.6grs and mike .3646" and .3652". The frosty all over boolits weigh between 145.5 & 146.2 grs and mike .3641/2" & .3648". Either batch is fine and will work well. There is also a bunch in a transitional state between the 2 extremes. These have frosty noses and bright drive bands and fall within the wieghts and dimensions given above.

Veyr probably due to the extremely simple design, all that is required to have the slugs fall out like rain is to open the mould blocks, which a person has to do anyway, HA! I think I only had to tap the hinge bolt 4 or 5 times in the entire session. This is the way it's supposed to be, ain't it?

Neither of my 2 Victory models are match pistols nor is the little IJ top break, yet they've shot the Lyman 35863 WC sized .363" well for what they are, and that's all I'll ask of this slug. One difference however is that the WC has always been of pure lead (as I had cast up a sh*tpot full from the 4 cav Lyman blocks) and these new RN's are 16 BHN.

If all the Lee 6 banger GB's turned out as well as this one did there wouldn't be a bitch in a boxcar load of'em.

Shooting report to follow as soon as possible.

.................Buckshot

[happy7]

Thanks for the writeup. I find that very helpful. Anxiously awaiting range report.

[Buckshot]

................Heck, it's only been about 6 weeks and I haven't loaded any yet I did give some to 9.3x62AL so maybe he has loaded some. Honestly I do need to load some up and they them out. If it's raining tomorrow I just might do that.

................Buckshot

[9.3X62AL]

Not yet, Rick. I planned to empty out a bunch of 38 S&W yesterday on dinger plates, but the evil machinations of attorneys and judges jacked that all up. I might get to Inland today or tomorrow, depending on rain--on-call status for court--and other duties as assigned by SWMBO. Life can become complex, even for indolent retired people with low motivation--like me, for example.

I also got a new mold to service the 38 S&W last week, the NEI #169A. OKSMLE sent me some samples of this design about 4 decades ago (see above life complexity passage), and I finally got around to ordering one. The mould is marked as being .362" and 200 grains, and duplicates the British service bullets for their 38-200 series military revolvers--of which I have two, the S&W M&P like Rick has and a Webley-Enfield DAO. The samples shot VERY well from both revolvers, so I'm looking forward to test driving these odd but accurate cartridge assemblies.

[Buckshot]

...............I finally managed to get some of these loaded.



In the center are 2 of the GB 146gr RNPB slugs from the 6 cavity mould. To the right is one loaded round with the GB boolit. OAL is 1.160" and the case is crimped over the top drive band. To the right of that is an old Peters factory Colt New Police. This is merely the 38 S&W with a FN instead of a RN. I suppose Colt did not want S&W stamped anywhere on it's revolvers, so they re-named the cartridge to serve their own purpose. Far right is a 38 Special just for scale.

Just for fun I included a couple other loads I use in this cartridge. Far left is the Lyman 200 gr 358430. Next right is the Lyman 35863. Normally I use only Lee LA for lube. As can be seem, these all have been TL'd, but the GB 148gr RN's were also lubed with some of Lars Carnaruba Red. Next to the Group Buy RNPB's are 2 of the recent GB for 100gr WC's. I was hoping to get some of these loaded, but it just didn't happen.



Above is a 10 shot group fired offhand. There are 2 rounds in that slightly oval hole just above and to the right of the bottom 2 shots. Yup, that one high and to the right was me letting the trigger get away from me. I fired another 10 shot and then several 5 and 6 shot groups. A couple were really very good, but this is a more honest representation.



I considered accuracy pretty good considering the long run the boolit has to make before seeing any rifling, then the sights and the fact that the grip really isn't all it should be.

..................Buckshot

[725]

Very interesting, Buckshot. Love to read your offerings. I always learn something. Thanks.

I do have a technical question. I know SW is second wife, but what is SWMBO?

[happy7]

I do have a technical question. I know SW is second wife, but what is SWMBO?

SWMBO = She who must be obeyed.

[floodgate]

720:

"SWMBO" has a long and amusing history; try a search on it....

floodgate