Wondering how well this works? Have a new 45-70 coming and a cast of the throat seems like it would be handy for helping choose a mold.
Wondering how well this works? Have a new 45-70 coming and a cast of the throat seems like it would be handy for helping choose a mold.
Their chamber casting metal works great.
Just don't overheat it.
It melts like at 195 degrees.
And if it happens to get stuck in the chamber ,or mold you can melt it back out with a hair dryer or heat gun
I also use it for casting dummy Boolits in molds and to check what a mold will cast.
You can also cast the muzzle of the barrel to see what the barrel rifling looks like
I ordered 1 lbs of it and was able to chamber cast 8 contender barrels fairly easy. Only had to redo one of them. Just make sure you plug the barrel well or it will run right through. I used a camp stove and a small cheap cast iron pot I got from Walmart. Used bore cleaning patches to plug the barrel. Lubed the barrel and poured it in.
When you plug the barrel, Use a cleaning patch on a cleaning jag or wooden dowel and no more than two patches to make it tight.
Leave the rod or dowel in the barrel with the patches on it.
Do Not ball patches up and stuff them down the barrel.
They tend to walk a bit and then not seal.
And after your casting cools , they act like a pillow in the barrel which prevents you from pounding the casting out of the barrel.
I've been using the same chunk of Cerrosafe (sp?) for 30yrs for chamber casts and filling thin parts when engraving on them.
I melt the stuff in a shallow tin can,,a tuna can with a pour lip bent into the edge.
I place that can with the metal in it (solidified from the last use) into a pan with some water in it.
Place the whole thing on the stove and bring the water to a med boil. (simple doube boiler)
The metal melts in the separate can.
Pick the can up with a pliers and pour the casting in the bbl.
Bbl whould be pluged as LAGS says with a cleaning rod with patch on the end. Leave the rod in place,,it's useful to push the completed casting back out of the bbl.
Often the casting will be attached to the patch ,,just snip it off. Or pull the patch out of the cleaning rod w/casting attached.
When you are through with that chamber cast,,place the casting with snipit of patch still attached back into the can to be remelted.
That small bit of cloth patch will detach and float on the top of the melted metal and you won't loose even a drop of the somewhat expensive stuff.
I warm the bbl or part up with either a propane torch or over the stove flame before casting to get a better filled out casting. Just like bullet casting a cold 'mold' gets you a wrinkled casting.
Don't over do it,,the casting metal is only around 200F, no need to exceed that.
Push the casting free after you are sure it's solid. If not solidified it will come out kind of 'slushy'. Recast time.
If you wait too long,,like 1/2 hr,,hour or more,,,it will be extremely difficult to remove the casting (depending on the especific alloy) as some contract on first cooling down so they can be easily rmoved. But expand back to full size after a time (like an hr.) Removeing them and youe cleaning rod and patch is usually down to melting the casting back out of the chamber.
With some practice,,it becomes an easy thing to do.
Pound cast is easier/cheaper but I've never done either. Slugged my 30/30 when I first stated casting, haven't done any others. Check book loads for the terminal effect you want. Check the forums for popular rifle bullets (and the rifle used) for the effect you want. Order one (.003 over SAAMI groove spec) and cast. You can size down but not up in dia.
Whatever!
Easier or harder , depends on what rifle you are trying to measure.
The two methods are not Universal for all firearms.
I trust casting chambers, throats , rifling and freebores.
More accurate and not subject to defects in the pounded slug.
That goes for Slugging a bore also.
Just my opinion from actually doing both myself.
It works great! I use it a lot.
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 |