Reloading EverythingLee PrecisionInline FabricationRepackbox
WidenersTitan ReloadingMidSouth Shooters SupplyRotoMetals2
Load Data
Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12
Results 21 to 23 of 23

Thread: Smokeless powder cylinder for Ruger Old Army

  1. #21
    Boolit Grand Master uscra112's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Switzerland of Ohio
    Posts
    6,313
    Trailboss and Red Dot give you almost exactly the same peak pressure for a given velocity. The old standby Bullseye is a bit lower. I still have half a can of TB left from a trial in a normally super-accurate 9" Colt Officers Model. Accuracy was abysmal, vs. my usual Bullseye load. Maybe it's better in bigger cases? Nope. .32-40 single shot rifle, same-same. And by weight you have to load about 35% more TB, vs. Red Dot. Not economical.

    All that said, if Bubba just HAS to load smokeless in his ROA, let it be Trailboss. He'll at least be prevented from double charging.

    Could you press sleeves into the ROA cylinder to reduce the powder space?

    I'd set up the ROA chamber as a cartridge case in Quickload, but too sleepy tonight. Not sure I'd want to publish any data anyway. Anybody else with QL and a ROA care to risk it?
    Last edited by uscra112; 04-15-2021 at 11:59 PM.
    Cognitive Dissident

  2. #22
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Posts
    397
    Quote Originally Posted by uscra112 View Post
    Trailboss and Red Dot give you almost exactly the same peak pressure for a given velocity. The old standby Bullseye is a bit lower. I still have half a can of TB left from a trial in a normally super-accurate 9" Colt Officers Model. Accuracy was abysmal, vs. my usual Bullseye load. Maybe it's better in bigger cases? Nope. .32-40 single shot rifle, same-same. And by weight you have to load about 35% more TB, vs. Red Dot. Not economical.

    All that said, if Bubba just HAS to load smokeless in his ROA, let it be Trailboss. He'll at least be prevented from double charging.

    Could you press sleeves into the ROA cylinder to reduce the powder space?

    I'd set up the ROA chamber as a cartridge case in Quickload, but too sleepy tonight. Not sure I'd want to publish any data anyway. Anybody else with QL and a ROA care to risk it?
    As a matter of fact, I was thinking about installing sleeve you mentioned, something like .375"ID x .550" long. Since chamber is about 1.370" deep, that will leave me .800" for a boolit, long enough even for 255 HB base boolit I am proposing in another thread. However, my concern is that even all parts will be from stainless steel, some corrosion between sleeve and cylinder will develop eventually.

    If sleeve is not used, to prevent boolit pushing too far into cylinder, I was thinking about modifying ramming plunger, so when revolver loading lever is all the way down, boolit will go about .080" bellow cylinder front face. That will leave me powder space Ø.452"x.560", about 1,473 ccm. Actually tad more, because of cone on bottom of the chamber, 209 primer space, and hollow base of the boolit.

    Just before Christmas, I managed to get second cylinder for my ROA, thinking about modifying it so I can use 209 shotgun primers. Will have to make back plate, preferably with loading gate, something like this:



    Having full dia hole for 209 primers, will allow dumping powder in chamber from back side of cylinder, after boolit is in its place.

    So, if you have a chance, I would appreciate if you can calculate loads for some revolver smokeless powders for following conditions.

    - Primer shotgun 209
    - Boolit lead 255 grains,
    - Powder space 1,473 ccm
    - Pressure 12.500 PSI

    The goal was to have a load that will be close to original 45 Colt load, 250 grain boolit at 900 fps. Worked so well for century and half, it should work well another century and half.

    To avoid legal issues, you can send me loads using PM here, or on e-mail ibcdiesel at netscape dot net.

    Thanks!
    Last edited by Onty; 04-16-2021 at 09:04 AM.

  3. #23
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Fallon, Nevada
    Posts
    126
    Quote Originally Posted by uscra112 View Post
    Trailboss and Red Dot give you almost exactly the same peak pressure for a given velocity. The old standby Bullseye is a bit lower.
    yep! RD is less than half the price, more accurate. TB is a bit more volume (which might actually be the reason it's so hard to get accurate)
    --
    Shoot more!

Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check