After decades of tinkering with just about every other type of firearm, I finally bought an old Remington Rolling Block, in .43 Spanish. Now comes the fun of making ammo for it.
I bought some Lee dies, slugged the bore, and have read several threads about making/reforming brass. Now I just need to figure out whether it's worth-while to make or buy brass, and find a bullet mold.
Brass- Track of the Wolf has brass (in stock) for $3.99 each, and Buffalo Arms has reformed 50-110 for $2.89 (out of stock). It appears that both of these types have a decent reputation for longevity? Any experience with either? I don't mind spending some money if they will last for many reloads without failing.
I did make one case by reforming and modifying a 7mm Magnum. It takes some work but is very doable. I found the necessary c-clips on McMaster Carr but haven't ordered them yet. Thank you to member Fishoot for posting the catalog number in another thread.
I may order some brass, and make some as well. My concern is that my chamber has a couple small gouges in it, not enough to hinder extraction, but I wonder how they may affect brass longevity.
Bullets- I can't find the Lyman 439186 anywhere. My bore seems to be about .442 anyhow, but I plan on powder-coating and that bumps up the diameter a bit. I wonder about a custom mold from Accurate Molds? I don't see one specifically for the .43 Spanish in the catalog, but in the past he's been great about modifying a design to fit. Is 370gr the optimal weight for this cartridge?
I may do some black powder reloading, but I think mostly I'll be using moderate smokeless loads.
Thank you for any and all comments and guidance.