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Last edited by Phineas Bluster; 01-28-2020 at 12:14 AM.
They look neat. I am interested to see if they will work. I would worry about lube capacity with BP. If you still want to try heel based boolits, you might try cartridgeconversion.com. I would bet he could either supply some heel based or direct you to someone who could.
Lyman 22596,225107,225353,225438,225415,225450,225646, 225462,228367,244203,245496,245497,245498,245499 RCBS 22-55-SP,22-55-FP,243-95-SP,243-100-FP, NEI 100244GC-#14, 55 224 GC-#4,225 45-#3 PB, NOE 22-055 SP,MX2-243,Saeco 221 & 243, RD TLC225-50-RF,Lee 22 Bator 6c & 2c HP. Love casting small boolits, let me know if you have one that I don't that you would part with!
Bernie at oldwestbulletmoulds.com can make you a heel base mould if your buddy's still interested in one. He makes crimp dies too that are modified LEE Factory Crimp type dies, but I can't vouch for them.
Hello, Phineas. Those are some very nice looking bullets. I think the hollow base will expand just fine..as for lube..I wonder just how effective the originals were? Some of those .44 Colt bullets didn't even have grooves..just dip-lubed.
A few years ago, I wanted to try out a Kirst .38 long-colt conversion cyl. in my 1971 era Colt 1851 .36 navy re-make. I wanted to try smokeless..but had neither heeled or hollow base bullets..what to do? I had some soft-cast Ideal 358413 bullets. These measured .359 from mould. This was a snug thumb press in revolver muzzle..but in no way would fill the groove dia.
I pressed these nose first into a Lyman .359 sizer die..base flush with die mouth. & chucked up in lathe. I ran a 5/16" ball cutter .1 deep in base.
Loaded over 2.5 to 3.0gr. Bullseye, accuracy was very good at 25yds. But the real surprise came when I picked up some of those fired slugs at backstop..I was hoping at least the last band would expand & take rifling...the whole bullet bearing surface was fully expanded to groove dia! Fast smokeless powders will obturate.
The hollow base looks good. You swaged these? Interesting. I shoot a replica of the 1860 Richards conversion revolver. I use boolits cast from 457130, (a GB Collar Button replica, about 145 grains), and the 450290, (a 155 grain, hollow based RNFP). I have sized both to .431 as the bore on my revolver is .429.
For a revolver load, the grooves on your boolit should be fine. The deep grooves are needed for rifle length barrels. Good luck with the project!
Knowledge I take to my grave is wasted.
I prefer to use cartridges born before I was.
Success doesn't make me happy, being happy is what allows me to be successful.
I can vouch for the converted Lee dies to crimp. I use one for the .41LC that I got from HarryO before I knew Bernie was making them. I don't know who made the ones HarryO had.
Wayne the Shrink
There is no 'right' that requires me to work for you or you to work for me!
try the lee 200 gr conical for cap and call guns the base is heeled so they start in the cylinder stright. i use the ones for a .36 cal for .38 conversions.
Phineas,
Very cool project you are doing! In my experience in shooting an original Starr and 44 Russian S&W with BP loads I would say you may need a bit deeper lube groove to provide a little more BP lube (I assume the barrel length is the standard 8 inches). I could be wrong, your experiments will tell. I think you are on the right track and your endeavors will succeed! Let us know how it goes.
PB - I have everything needed to cast and load heel-based 44 Colt rounds. If you'd like some bullets, or for that matter some loaded rounds to try, drop me a PM with your particulars. I can load them with just about any make & granulation of powder you'd like - provided, of course, that it's black powder. My bullets are designed to replicate the originals with a single large groove that I fill with SPG.
Political Correctness: A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical liberal minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.
Semper Fi -
Sure want to know how this turns out. Did a little research and found out that 44 Colt cases now being offered will load with .429 bullets for use in either a 44 special or Magnum but also that one can use them for what you are doing in original guns. neat! You might even be able to find a smokeless powder load such as trail boss that works with low pressure if you tire of cleaning black powder.
Phineas,
I am inclined to agree that a skirt that thin and deep may be troublesome. Have you ever seen the HB from some of the 45 caliber bullets loaded by Remington in the past? Not nearly so deep and maybe a bit thicker. Are you using the depth of the HB to control the weight of the bullet? If so, consider just making the nose shorter.
When swaged from nearly pure lead, I would imagine a thicker skirt would still expand enough to fill the bore. Just a hunch as I do not swage. Best of luck and please keep us posted as to results. Even though my bore is .430, I am still very interested in your findings.
Knowledge I take to my grave is wasted.
I prefer to use cartridges born before I was.
Success doesn't make me happy, being happy is what allows me to be successful.
Interesting information. I figured the thin skirts would blow out and produce poor accuracy. Being left in the cases was not even concidered. Good luck and keep us posted.
Knowledge I take to my grave is wasted.
I prefer to use cartridges born before I was.
Success doesn't make me happy, being happy is what allows me to be successful.
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 |