#429244 - Undersized GC Shank - This Sucks

[insanelupus]

I have a beautiful Lyman #429640 I just got back from Lyman after sending it back and having the mould pins put back to speck. I haven't cast with it yet since getting it back. No charge, took several weeks. Unfortuneatly, it doesn't shoot well enough for me in a Marlin 1894 (2.5 - 3" groups @ 50 yards). But it works great in a Ruger.

So, I decided to go to the Lyman #429244 mould. I cast up about 100 of them and went to check, size, and lube them tonight. The GC shank is undersized, way undersized. The bullet rattles around in the check and won't come close to staying on! Argh! On top of that, this mould wants to "whisker" when cast with hot alloy, I have to slow down the casting and cool the melt to keep the "whiskers" off of it but too cool it doesn't fill out the driving bands. It also only cast up to .431". Shame too as I really wanted to try this mould with AC WW vs WQ WW and see how it shot and fed in the Marlin! Had it worked well I'd have bought a new mould and moved this one on when I found a better one of the same #429244 design. I'd bought the current one on flea bay. Thankfully I didn't pay much for it!

So, the #429244 shank measures .386". The #429640 shank measures .410" for comparison purposes vs. the Hornady check which measures .400" inside diameter.

Any suggestions on where to find a #429244 that casts out to .433" and measures .750" like the originals with a similar meplat to the original (or an original that casts large)? It looks like a great bullet to use and I'm really starting to wonder if I should just stick to 250 grain bullets in the .44 Magnum, especially in the Marlins with 1-38" twist.

Anyone know a magical incantation to reduce the size of Hornady gas checks by about .025"?

[NuJudge]

I find the gas checks I buy here to be bigger on the outside and smaller on the inside than Hornady checks, but I don't think they'll help you with this. You might want to try anyway.
PM me an address and I will send you a couple. CDD

[BABore]

Any suggestions on where to find a #429244 that casts out to .433" and measures .750" like the originals with a similar meplat to the original (or an original that casts large)? It looks like a great bullet to use and I'm really starting to wonder if I should just stick to 250 grain bullets in the .44 Magnum, especially in the Marlins with 1-38" twist.

Right here.

http://brp.castpics.net/Pistol.html

I know the cherry is sized at 0.434, so it drops just slightly under that. I can check my mold this weekend if you want. The only major deviations from the original is a flat bottomed lube groove which increases lube capacity some (which it needed). The top band is also full diameter.

[insanelupus]

Actually I was looking at your BRP moulds last night. Are those the only two differences between your mould and the original? I've always used iron moulds and been kind of stand offish about aluminum. (Pretty new to the casting hobby). But I was very interested in your moulds.

[BABore]

The specs are as follows;

Base band: 0.090
Middle Band: 0.080
Top Band: 0.070
Lube Groove: 0.075
Depth 0.040
Nose 0.380
Meplat: 0.300
OAL: 0.750

Should be pretty close to at least one of the Lyman versions.

I know the Lyman has a shallow, radiused lube groove. 45 2.1 worked with me on this one to improve upon Lyman's deficeits. It shoots very well out of my Ruger. If you want an unbiased opinion, contact GLL. I know he has some of the originals as well as one of my molds.

[405WIN]

I just purchased a new 429244- 4 cavity mold and it produces a bullet of .4275-..428. Also the gas check shank is way to small also. Yes it sucks.

[happy7]

The gas check shank problem should be easy enough to fix. I would contact Buckshot or one of the other machinists on this board. It should be easy enough to increase size of the gas check shank and Buckshot's prices are very reasonable. Beagling the mold would increase the size to about where you want it, and is pretty easy to do. (Do a search on beagling here and you will find instructions.)

[Cannoneer]

So, I decided to go to the Lyman #429244 mould. I cast up about 100 of them and went to check, size, and lube them tonight. The GC shank is undersized, way undersized. The bullet rattles around in the check and won't come close to staying on! Argh! On top of that, this mould wants to "whisker" when cast with hot alloy, I have to slow down the casting and cool the melt to keep the "whiskers" off of it but too cool it doesn't fill out the driving bands. It also only cast up to .431". Shame too as I really wanted to try this mould with AC WW vs WQ WW and see how it shot and fed in the Marlin! Had it worked well I'd have bought a new mould and moved this one on when I found a better one of the same #429244 design. I'd bought the current one on flea bay. Thankfully I didn't pay much for it!

Anyone know a magical incantation to reduce the size of Hornady gas checks by about .025"?

Try using super glue prior to sizing and lubing. Had a .45 that Lyman gas checks wouldn't stay on until I put a drop of super glue in the GC and put the bullet in it.

[HORNET]

A .41 gas check would be about the size you're looking for. I have absolutely NO idea if it would do any good but doubt it. I suggest Beagling or getting it reworked.

[JIMinPHX]

Anybody with a Bridgeport, a dial indicator & a boring head can open up those gas check shanks a few thousandths for you.

[Slow Elk 45/70]

Good thing we have our members here to help fix the factory incompatance...